Ashlyn Wearing The Ari Dress
So tell us, how did you meet the love of your life?
Jacob and I were lucky enough to meet in 2014 when we were 19 and 20 years old. I had just moved from Texas to Tulsa, OK for college. We met through a mutual friend (Jacob’s cousin actually,) Grant Maxey, who I worked with at the time. Grant is one of our dearest friends/family members, and was also the Best Man in our wedding. It took awhile for Jacob to get the hint that I liked him after being friends through Grant for over a year. I literally pulled the “my feet are cold” move in bed while sleeping over one night as friends, and he was such a gentlemen that he offered to get me another blanket and then continued to sleep on the complete other side of the bed. However, he ended up getting the hint and asked me to be his girlfriend with a POEM, and my heart has beat only for this man since 12/04/15.
When did you know they were the one?
I don’t have some huge moment that occurred that made me know he was the one. It was quite a simple moment. We were at a music festival. Jacob and his cousin Grant went down a hill into a large crowd to watch an artist, while my sister and I sat on top of the hill. About 30 minutes later, Jacob climbed this hill, simply gave me a kiss, smiled, and went back into the crowd. I looked at my sister and said “I’m going to marry him.”
Tell us the story of the proposal!
Jacob is from Tulsa, and I am from San Antonio. I ALWAYS spend Christmas at my grandma’s house in San Antonio, so after 4 years of dating, it was a natural occurrence for me to bring Jacob home for Christmas. We went to the Riverwalk with my parents and siblings for some family pictures that my mom had mentioned she wanted to do. Jacob and I begin posing for a photo, and he turned to me and said “So, I brought you here today…” and my first thought was “Um, sir, I brought YOU here today” So the words that came blurting out of my mouth were “ARE YOU ABOUT TO ASK ME TO MARRY YOU??” And he laughed, pointed across the River towards his father, step mother, and our dear friend Wade, who all flew in from OK as a surprise for engagement, and continued his speech with “in front of our family and friends, to ask you, will you marry me Ashlyn Juliette Stephens?” We all know what the answer was!
How long was your engagement? What went into deciding your wedding's date and location?
Jacob and I dated for 4 years and were engaged for 1 year and 10 months. We got engaged on 12/23/19, so, right before the pandemic started. However, even before COVID, we knew we wanted to wait a while to get married so we could have time to plan everything and not stress (the not stressing part didn’t work out for me lol.) We got married on 10/31/21. Jacob’s birthday is actually on 10/30 and mine is on 11/01, so we chose Halloween as our wedding date because it is right in between our birthdays, and Halloween was also Jacob’s late mother’s favorite holiday.
How would you describe your personal style? What was most important to you when you were planning your bridal look?
I have a very laid back style. You will mostly find me in athleisure attire, but I love dressing up in black and neutral colors best. Winter is my favorite season because it is so much easier to dress up in cute fall clothes like sweaters and riding boots! But, I tend to choose comfortable clothes rather than tight dresses or skirts.
How did you find Wear Your Love?
I found WYL on Pinterest! The first dress that sparked my interest on Pinterest was actually the WYL Zoey dress, but after looking more on the website, I fell in love with the Ari dress.
When did you know you had found your perfect dress?
I knew I found the perfect dress when all other dresses that I looked at in stores and online didn’t bring as much joy me as picturing myself in the Ari dress. It was simply too elegant and my style to not get.
Which dress did you choose, and did you request any custom aspects?
I chose the Ari dress with 7/8 sleeve and a full 22 in train. I did not request any custom aspects because as to me, the dress was perfect.
What went through your mind when the Wear Your Love box arrived at your doorstep and you tried on your dress for the first time?
I literally shoved Jacob and all of our pets out of our room (in a loving way of course) and carefully opened the box. It was like magic, and exactly what I hoped it would be. I was surprised at how heavy the skirt was when holding the dress for the first time, but when it was on, it felt as light as a feather. I have never felt prettier in a dress than I felt on my wedding day in my Ari Dress 🖤
Did your wedding have a theme or style?
Our color pallet was Ivy and White with hints of Rust color. Being on Halloween, we actually didn’t want any type of Halloween themed items at our wedding. We had lots of frosted greenery on the tables and hanging from the ceiling, white lace table runners, twinkle lights, and of course, mini pumpkins!
How involved was your partner in the wedding planning? Did your families help? Did you hire a coordinator, planner, or event stylist?
I was definitely the one who went online for months searching for vendors, but when it came down on who to hire, I wanted Jacob and I both to agree on who we were hiring, especially our photographer and videographer! Our dear parents helped us with down payments and were always very supportive through the process! Our venue came with a Day-Of coordinator, but I styled and planned the entire wedding myself (aside from the approval of Jacob for our caterer, photographer, and videographer). I had lots of help from my bridesmaids when it came down to the final picture and getting everything ready for the big day. My crafty bridesmaid Morgan T helped me make our bar menu and hashtag sign, and always let me know when items at Hobby Lobby were on sale, I don’t know what I would have done without her!
Let's show your wedding venue some love! What is the name of your venue, and why did you choose it for your special day?
We got married at Vista West Ranch in Dripping Springs, TX. It was the first venue that Jacob and I had a formal tour at, and we instantly fell in love. Our booking of the venue came with a DJ, two bartenders, a Day-Of coordinator, more than enough tables and chairs for our guests, and was absolutely beautiful. It was a no-brainer!
Tell us about your wedding playlist! What song did you walk down the aisle to? Did you have a first dance song that was meaningful to you?
I walked down the aisle to “Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding, which I had dreamed about doing forever. It felt so prefect, and the memory of seeing Jacob’s smiling face as I walked down the aisle to him while that song was playing will always hold a special place in my heart. Our first dance was to “Nothing But You” by Oh Wonder. That band has a special place in our hearts, as a song by them called Shark was playing the first time he said he loved me.
What was your favorite moment of the day?
Aside from the entire day, my favorite moment was when I walked down the aisle and realized Jacob kept his mustache that he said he was going to shave for the wedding! I had been begging him to keep it because he looks so handsome with it, but he kept assuring me he wanted to be “clean cut” for the wedding. So, it was the sweetest surprise when he said “I kept it for you.”
Who was involved in your special day? We would love to shout out your photographer, favorite vendors, and anyone else who made your day magical.
@grace.j.photo was our AMAZING photographer! @joshuaandparisa is the handle for Parisa, our lovely and talented videographer! @castironpunk Catered our food! @thinkbrinkbeauty did all of the bridesmaids, mother’s, and my hair! @makeupbycynthiabarba did the makeup for the bridesmaids, mother’s, and myself!
Do you have any advice or helpful tips for others planning a wedding?
Start first by choosing your venue. You basically can’t complete any vendor’s contracts without your venue information, so venue first is very important! Also, start planning as early as you can. There is nothing wrong with booking a photographer over a year in advance.
What has been the best part so far about being married?
For us, just relaxing and having the stress of wedding planning over. We are having the best, most relaxing honeymoon phase at the moment. We leave for our honeymoon on our 6 year anniversary on 12/04/22!
Ashlyn is wearing The Ari with nude lining and a full 22 inch train.