The Epitome of Traditional Elegance at the Memphis Columns

Jul

28

Ashlea and Tyler’s wedding day was one for the books. Each and every vendor brought their A-game and created a fairytale wedding day for two people who deserve nothing short of perfection. Ashlea and Tyler share a beautifully unique love story that we are so excited to share with you all. It was so special to be a part of such a destined union.

“Funny story of how we actually started dating when we were little-

We were in the same friend group and the summer going into our freshman year of high school, all of our friends and us were at the beach. There was another boy I had a crush on at the time, but as soon as I was around Tyler on this beach trip, my crush quickly switched to Tyler. We were 14 at the time, and our parents came and picked us up from the beach. My mom loves to tell this story because when she came and picked us up, the guy she thought I had a crush on, I made sit in the trunk, while I sat in Tylers lap! She knew quickly that Tyler was something special to me. We dated from 15 years old to 21, so all through high school, and up until our Junior year of college. We both went to different colleges and it was tough long distance going back and forth between schools. We actually broke up for about four years and did our own thing until we ran into each other at a crawfish party when we were 25. The moment I started talking to him at this party, I felt like we were 15 all over again. We talked the whole time, and later that night he asked me on a date. From there, the rest is history!” – Ashlea

“When we started dating again at 25, we knew that we were meant for one another. So we dated for a year and a half and talked about spending the rest of our lives together. I had no idea when Tyler was planning on proposing, but knew it would happen one day! A funny story about ring shopping- we went to look at rings in May of 2020 just to see which ring I liked the best. I loved the radiant shape, but wanted to make sure I loved it when I tried it on. As soon as I tried it on, I fell in love with it! I looked at Tyler, and was like what do you think?! He was SO quiet! So quiet that when we left and got in the car, I called my mom and was like I’m not sure if Tyler liked the ring or I don’t even know what he’s thinking! Little did I know, that exact ring I tried on, he had already bought it! He just kept quiet, so he didn’t slip up and say anything! So then in June we went to the beach together with his family, and his plan didn’t go exactly as he had hoped. His plan was to propose to me on the beach during their ‘family photos’ where everyone was dressed in white, but it of course started raining all afternoon. So his mom’s best friend was with us who is a professional photographer, and she asked Tyler and I to go up to the rooftop of the condo to take some pictures for her portfolio. So I just thought we were doing that, until Tyler turned to me, grabbed my hands, and said my full name and got down on one knee! I don’t remember exactly what he said, but I remember he asked me to marry him and I immediately said YES! Then both of our families came out and surprised us! It was a wonderful night and having all my family surprise me meant the world to me. It was a day I will never forget!” – Ashlea

“The thing that definitely surprised me the most was how calm I was throughout the day! I didn’t know if I would feel anxious or stressed and honestly I felt so calm and peaceful! There has never been a doubt in my mind about marrying Tyler, and I was just so excited to become his wife and be with him on our wedding day. I didn’t feel rushed at all and I just enjoyed the day and night and soaked it all in!” – Ashlea

“Tyler and I, in my opinion, have a very special love story. Not everyone meets their soulmate at 15 years old and finds their way back to one another. One of my favorite bible verses is John 13:7, ‘You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.’ This bible verse stuck with me after Tyler and I decided to go our own separate ways when we were 21. It was a heartbreak that I went through and I didn’t understand why, but I trusted in The Lord and just thought He had other plans for me. We had four years apart where we learned to grow independently and mature into more of an adult. During this time, we realized what we wanted in a husband and wife, and what was important to us. Two weeks before I ran into Tyler at that party, I said to one of my girlfriends, ‘I have never loved someone as much as I have loved Tyler.’ Then boom, I saw Tyler at this party, and I had butterflies all over again and he asked me on a date from there! I always say it’s funny how the Lord works and His timing is everything.I believe the Lord just wanted us to grow and for us to learn what was important in life. I may not have known at 21 years old why I had to go through heartbreak, but I know now and I would do it all over again to know I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.” – Ashlea

“I think what made our wedding so special was our family and friends that surrounded us! We had a wedding party of 29 people, and every single one of those people are our best friends. They were our best friends from college, high school, and our childhood, and we can’t imagine our special day without them by our sides. All of our families were right there with us too and about 380 other guests that took their time to come and celebrate with us where we felt so loved. I think the one special thing to Tyler and me though was our wedding ceremony. From the moment I started walking down the aisle, we locked eyes and it felt like we were the only ones in the room. The whole ceremony, we felt like that and it was our favorite part. Considering we had about 380 people in the room, it was special to us that we felt like we were the only ones in there! It really felt like a dream!” – Ashlea

“I always dreamed of what my wedding would be like, and who would be my husband at the end of the aisle when I looked up! July 10, was a fairy tale and the best part about it was looking up and seeing Tyler at the end of the aisle.” – Ashlea

“Our pastor is a really funny guy! He made it very light hearted with some jokes at the beginning that made Tyler and I laugh! One funny thing when Tyler started to say his vows, he was looking at the pastor and Reverend Rufus said, ‘Well don’t look at me look at her!’ After the ceremony, Tyler’s dad said the same thing happened to him when him and Tyler’s mom got married on their wedding day! Pretty funny story that Tyler and his dad did the same thing!” – Ashlea

“We did just standard traditions in our wedding! For something new, I had new jewelry, for something blue, I had a blue garter, and for something borrowed, I wore my mom and dad’s wedding band on my right hand. My dad walked me down the aisle, which was really important to him, and my mom and dad gave me away!” – Ashlea

“If anyone knows me, they know I am the most girliest girl they have ever met! And Tyler knows that as well! So my favorite color schemes are gold, whites, and pinks and that’s exactly what we did! Sweet Tyler knows my favorite color is pink, and he wanted whatever I wanted. So the overall theme I wanted to portray is just elegance and beauty with a lot of flowers! My vendors nailed it with the colors, the theme and the stunning flowers! When we first saw it, we were blown away with the beauty! It was exactly what we wanted!” – Ashlea

“We truly had the best vendors for our special day! From our wedding planner Mona Dunlap, to our awesome team of Ann Marie with Taylor Square and Matthew Lynn with Lynn Productions guiding us throughout the day, they made it a breeze with their direction and such a fun day for us! Even Wagnolia Bells who helped with our fur babies throughout the day and pampered them! Our flowers by Garden District were incredible and our cake by Cakes by Mom and Me was amazing! I could list all of my vendors and brag on all of them! They all were so wonderful and everything was beautiful!” – Ashlea

“The best advice someone gave me was to make sure you don’t get separated too much at your reception, or think you have to greet every guest! It can be overwhelming talking to a lot of guests and it’s very easy to talk the night away and realize that you have been talking this whole time! So Tyler and I made sure we really didn’t separate and spent about an hour talking and greeting our guests! Then we hit the dance floor and danced the night away with each other and our friends!” – Ashlea

“The best advice I can give to another bride (and I am sure every bride says this), is to try not to stress about things! Everything is going to work out in the end and there might be little things that mess up, but no one is going to know that besides you! Enjoy every second of your wedding day because it flies by in a second! Take a moment to look around and take it all in. It’s a day that you’ve waited for your whole life and then before you know it, it’s over! So enjoy every second you can with your new husband!” – Ashlea

Lead Photographer: Ann-Marie Wyatt | Second Shooter: Mackenzie Rue | Dress: Maggie Louise | Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids | Tux: Joseph A. Bank | Cakes: Cakes by Mom and Me | Venue: The Columns | Coordinator: Mona Dunlap | Flowers: Garden District | Invitations: Menage Stationery | Rentals: White Door Events | Band: Infinity Show Band | Rehearsal Venue: Balinese Ballroom | Videographer: Lynn Productions | Caterer: CFY Catering | Hair: Rende Baker & Karissa Dickerson | Makeup: Ashley Parsons and Isabella Allen | Preparation Accommodations: The Peabody | Pet Chaperones: Wagnolia Bells | Valet: Southern Valet of Memphis | Car Rental: Ila Vivian Rentals

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About the artistS

Taylor Square Photography is a fine art wedding studio serving the Southeastern United States and beyond. We are passionate about creating thought-provoking photographs for wonderful people.

Together, as a team of 4, Ann-Marie encourages her team to capture what means most to their clients, while honoring their day as they designed it.

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