One of the first things you will do when planning your wedding is to decide on a wedding theme or wedding style. For many couples, this can be a little stressful but not for this couple. As Harry Potter super-fans, Ashley and Spencer knew they wanted their wedding theme to reflect this. The series was one of the first things they bonded over and they can be frequently found in Harry Potter World at Universal Studios, sipping Butter Beer and people-watching, making it a no-brainer for their wedding theme.
Along with their wedding theme, Ashley and Spencer’s wedding day was filled with special details. Ashley had special cufflinks made for her father and an elder wand tie clip for Spencer. Spencer surprised Ashley with her first pair of pearl earrings to match her mother-in-law’s pearl bracelet that she wore on the wedding day. Another extra special detail was their first dance song. For their wedding, Spencer’s parents selected Stand by Me by Ben E. King as their first dance song. To surprise them, Ashley and Spencer selected a modern rendition by Florence and the Machine as theirs.
While the couple loved every part of their entire wedding day at Cross Creek Ranch in Dover, FL, having their family and friends celebrate with them was at the top of their list. See all the amazing details and great advice from Ashley about going through the wedding planning process below!
From Bride, Ashley:
How did you meet?
“We met in March/April of 2013 when we were both taking a video editing class at The University of Central Florida. It was our final project of the semester and the teacher asked the class to form groups to develop and shoot a short story. Spencer and another classmate created a group and then decided to ask if they could join my group. I wasn’t too excited about the idea because I thought Spencer looked like someone who wasn’t too interested in group projects. Throughout the project, I started to develop a crush on Spencer and decided that that summer I wanted to spend all my time with him!
My friends helped me come up with fun summer activities for the two of us to do, and in June I decided it was a good idea to tell him I liked him and honestly thought I screwed up the friendship when he didn’t share the same feelings at the time. Well fast forward through the rest of the year and we were inseparable watching movies together, going to the beach and theme parks, and many game nights with friends. The following year in 2014 we went to a friend’s party and when I stepped away our friend asked the harmless question “so are you Ashley’s boyfriend” and Spencer said yes. Well to our other friend’s shock when I came back I remember him saying “well you can finally make it Facebook official” and she walked off smiling. I asked Spencer what that meant and he said that we were boyfriend and girlfriend! Boy was I shocked! So we decided after the party to head to the beach, and that is where we made it official that we were dating!”
From Bride, Ashley:
What is your proposal story?
“In November 2020, Spencer was living in California because of work and I was still in Florida due to school. I went to California to spend Thanksgiving with him and he planned a surprise for me! We both are huge National Park buffs (We had our engagement photoshoot in Yosemite with Rad Red). Spencer got us tickets to head to Anacapa Island (one of the islands apart of the Channel Island National Park). We docked and walked up to a beautiful scenic spot called Inspiration Point, had lunch, and walked to the other side of the island to check out the lighthouse. After, we decided to head back to Inspiration point because we wanted to check it out while it was less crowded, and that was when he popped the question!”
From Bride, Ashley:
Explain the theme of your wedding.
“The overall theme of our wedding was Harry Potter, and HP has a very rustic kind of aesthetic, so we knew right off the bat we wanted to look into rustic barn-style venues. This also helped aid in the style of exposed wood everywhere! Now, Spencer is a Ravenclaw, and I’m a Hufflepuff, but we decided to stay away from the main house colors and focus more on what felt like Hogwarts, and that’s how we chose Cabernet and Dark Gray as our colors. We wanted our ceremony to be outside because we both absolutely love nature and the outdoors, and what’s better than our venue’s ceremony location called “the enchanted forest” surrounded by beautiful oak trees.
We also handmade every favor, we printed and cut out 130 chocolate frog boxes and 50 jellybean boxes! Spencer’s mother and a friend made the chocolate frogs for us and then we spent the 3 days prior putting everything together!”
From Bride, Ashley:
What was the best part of your wedding?
“It’s so difficult to choose one thing that was the best part because, to be honest, EVERYTHING was just perfect, from the music to the decorations to the reception set up! If we had to pick the best part of the wedding it would have to be the time we got to spend with our friends and family (I know, cheesy). It was just so magical to see how much fun they had at our wedding, from the photo booth, the dance floor, and even the games outside that our venue offered.
I think getting to see what we envisioned for over a year finally come to fruition was just so unbelievably amazing, and the team at Cross Creek Ranch did PHENOMENAL work, we told them our vision, went to a design meeting, gave them our decorations and put everything up for us!”
From Bride, Ashley:
Is there anything that you wish you would have done differently or had that you didn’t for your wedding?
“Honestly I don’t think there was a single thing either of us said we wished were different,. The only thing was the timing because the night goes by so fast I think we would have liked to have someone tell us every time an hour passed because it felt like the 5 hours we had for everything was gone in a flash!”
From Bride, Ashley:
What advice would you give other couples about the wedding planning process?
“Do the theme YOU want to do, don’t listen to your parents or in-laws, don’t listen to friends, or even “what’s trending for weddings this year!”. Do the wedding YOU and YOUR S/O want to do. Who cares if in 10 years people cringe at your wedding pictures, it was your wedding and as long as you enjoyed the day why does it matter? Why does “what’s in style” matter? If you want suspenders or a multicolored bridal dress DO IT!
The wedding day is about your love, yes it is smart to take into consideration who you’re inviting, if you’re inviting a lot of older folks then maybe a lot of PDA isn’t the best idea. But overall the wedding is to celebrate what you and your S/O love about each other and the melding of families. Personally, don’t listen to trends, if you want a full-blown wedding, then do it. If you want to have a small private wedding, do it! If you want to elope, then do it!!
People get so caught up in not hurting the feelings of family and friends and start to forget that this day is about their love, not pleasing those around you! And don’t be afraid of themed weddings, they aren’t as scary or tacky as they may seem! Do your research, find the venue that sells your idea, and put the time and effort into pulling off what you want! I remember when we told people we wanted a Harry Potter-themed wedding and immediately people thought “oh so like a costume party?” NO! We had the most elegant wedding with the perfect touches id Harry Potter throughout the night!”
From Bride, Ashley:
Is there any advice that you would give engaged couples about married life?
“We haven’t been married too long, about 3 months at the time of writing this, but don’t fret too much about it! If you’re planning to change your name it does take time, and if you haven’t taken care of finances prior to the wedding it can be stressful. But to be honest married life is just like dating but now you get to call each other husband and wife! (Which is one of the best parts!)
We dated for roughly 9 years before tying the knot, and we lived with each other for about 5 years, so for us, married life hasn’t been too different! Just remember that communication is the biggest part, it is key to keeping any relationship healthy! Arguments are going to happen, it’s natural. If a big one happens step away, take a breath, and come back with an open mind. Arguments are healthy (in a way) because you can grow together.”
Click Below to See More Weddings at Cross Creek Ranch
Participating Vendors:
Venue: Cross Creek Ranch
Photographer: Rad Red Creative
Florist: Alta Fleura
Hair and Makeup: Femme Akoi
Dress: Justin Alexander from Bacio Bacio Bridal
Groom Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
DJ: Grant Hemond & Associates
Catering: Good Food Catering
Desserts: Alessi Bakeries
Save the Dates: Minted
Invitations: Paper Truly