Their Wedding Day:
Cherry Valley Country Club, Skillman, NJ

Cherry Valley Country Club was the perfect backdrop to Ashley and Eddie’s mid-April wedding day! There were lush cherry blossoms lining a pathway that looked like heaven for a photographer to photograph in, so I was truly in heaven when Ashley walked out for her first look with Eddie! He said he wasn’t nervous, he was just so excited to finally see her and enjoy their day together! It’s been years in the making, and these two lucked out with a perfect spring day to celebrate their love story on! I loved all of Ashley’s carefully thought out details from her new perfume bottle to her gorgeous blue ring box. I love seeing how my couples style their day to match their personal taste, and these two did not disappoint!

Their first look had us all laughing and wiping tears away at the same time! When I told Ashley that a lot of bride’s will tap their fiancé on their shoulder to have them turn around, she asked if she could squeeze his butt instead. TMI?! Maybe, but I said GO FOR IT, GIRL! And guess what, she did! I love that even just that tiny little detail said so much about their goofy, playful, light-hearted relationship, and Eddie was totally not expecting it! Brides, you can get your fiancé’s attention however you want, I’m TOTALLY game! 😉

We have endless portrait time to take advantage of because of their first look timeline, YES!!! We kicked off their day together with some kisses, veil tosses, and cheering with their bridal party. This bunch was SO much fun and I loved the energy they had from the morning all the way through to breaking it down on the dance floor. They were surrounded by loved ones the whole day, and it was so sweet to see how they could just relax, enjoy, and take in their day!

Their ceremony was intimate and romantic. My favorite little tidbit from their officiant was that marriage isn’t about just marrying the right person, but being the right person and giving one another room to grow. These two know how to be their own selves while also tying their lives together so seamlessly and becoming one. I learned so much about their background, passions, and lives during their engagement session, and it’s so clear that these two adore one another even though Eddie always thought he would never get married! Ashley flipped his world upside down! 🙂

They tied the knot and celebrated the night away on the dance floor with their friends and family. I was beyond humbled by their kindness, as they decided to give myself, my second photographer, and my assistant all seats at a table for dinner! That meant so much to us to feel so included in their wedding day! <3 I also had such a blast working with the awesome video team SaraJaneVideography who captured this day so beautifully, as well! Check out their magical video of the day below!

Spring Cherry Valley Country Club Skillman Princeton Cherry Blossoms NJ New Jersey Wedding

Their Love Story

Ashley and Eddie met through an old co-worker. Eddie grew up with her co-worker and they consider each other to be like cousins. She didn’t technically set them up because he was “Mr. Bachelor,” and she knew that! She had warned Ashley multiple times after meeting him that he “didn’t do girlfriends,” so it wasn’t expected that they would’ve ever turned into what they have! They slowly started dating for a couple months, and still, Ashley wasn’t expecting anything out of it, because her coworker kept telling her it was unlikely anything would come of it, so she enjoyed the company and occasional dinner and drinks! 🙂 After a couple of months, Eddie finally asked Ashley to be his girlfriend! She said she was in complete shock and said yes right away without even knowing where it might go! 7 years later, and they’re MARRIED!

The Proposal

When I asked Ashley about their proposal, she said, “I honestly ruined it! I had a major health scare in 2015 that was very close to being fatal. Once I was released from the hospital and he realized he almost lost me, he made a promise to me that he would propose that year (2016). Come August 2016, we were together 4.5 years and I was getting rather antsy about him proposing. I basically gave up all hope of him asking me to marry him even though he took me ring shopping in October to get some ideas of what I wanted. But then the holidays came and still nothing happened, but he promised me that year, so he had some time to do it. Come New Years and I am now bummed at this point, because I really didn’t think he had the ring or was taking any of the situation seriously. I kind of had a mini temper tantrum the night before we went to a New Years party about him not proposing, but then he kind of hinted about it happening, so I thought he would do it at the party. Nope. We got home around 2am and no ring on my finger.” She was a bit upset, but that night, he popped the question to Ashley in the privacy of their own home! They were able to enjoy such a special, intimate moment together and get excited for what the future had in store!

To the Newlyweds

Ashley and Eddie, thank you both for being so open and easygoing throughout this entire process! You two have the biggest hearts (read about what happened at their engagement session with a lost pup!) and are SO thoughtful with everything that you do. I’m beyond grateful for the moment you popped into my inbox and we started this relationship! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez! <3 Love you both so much!!