A Snowy Winter Wedding
The Love Story of Ashley & Zac Crowe – January 18, 2013
Ahhh…. the charm of a Winter Wedding at Bella Sera with snowflakes, snow, bling and sparkles; something a spring or summer wedding cannot achieve. A special sky blue mystique on a crisp winter night was created with color splashed walls and ice blue water, much to the delight of all of the guests.
Ashley and Zac met at Legacy High School here in Colorado, and the rest is history. Zac is in the military, and it is really hard for him to find a day off, but he came home early one day to tell Ashley that he wanted to spend the day together and have a picnic lunch. Ashley was really excited.
They went to the park near their house, and Ashley said she remembers them moving to several different places because the bees were all over the grass. They finally sat down and had their picnic lunch, and as they were finishing up Zac asked if she wanted dessert. She said, “Yes, what did you make? “Then he reached in the picnic basket pulling out a ring!!!!!!!!!! He was on his knee…and asked “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”
Ashley was so shocked; the first words that came out of her mouth were “is that real?” Zac looked at her like, uhhh duh! And of course she said “YES!” while tackling him to the ground.
For our Bride…
Ashley said some of her most magical moments were getting ready with her mother Tina and putting her dress on. Ashley felt so blessed to have her mother and mother in law there and helping her get ready. While getting ready, she couldn’t have been more thankful for everyone taking care of her, from her family, to the Bella Sera. Then when she entered into the ceremony and saw her proud father standing there waiting for her. There were no words that could have described her feelings in that moment with her father and mother.
Then to have the most incredible young women in her bridal party: her maid of honor Samantha, and her sisters Bre and Emily standing by her side. When her little sis was bawling her eyes out; she felt like she really was so proud of her big sister. Another magical moment was during her last steps with her father, before she locked eyes with Zac, when she saw the unity candle with “Mom” written on it.
Her single most magical moment though, was when she and Zac met eye to eye, and all she could see was him. She said it was like time just stopped and she saw the most handsome husband standing before her eyes. Her heart was racing so fast and her breath was taken away like when she laid her eye on him for the first time.
They live in San Diego where Zac is stationed, and they love and miss the snow and winters in Colorado, so it was easy for both of them to decide on a winter wonderland theme for their wedding. They were unsure of the colors to choose, so her stepmother Tina stepped in and suggested a combination of dark brown and pool blue. She bought them fabric squares and they fell in love with them.
Ashley and Zac had the image of people walking into a room as if it was walking into a winter wonderland with crystals of blue. They wanted the room to be lit in a pool color so it gave their guests a crisp, cooling sensation when they stepped into the ceremony. We scheduled one Design Session for them when they were in town from California, and we worked to combine snowflakes and white aspen tree branches with crystals to create a magical winter wonderland feeling they were looking for.
Like many of our very special couples at Bella Sera, Ashley has had to overcome a very difficult tragedy. When she was 16, Ashley lost her mother, and her mother’s memorial reception was held at The Bella Sera. Ashley’s maid of honor Samantha reminded her of the Bella Sera and how exceptional it was; she knew it was where she wanted to have their wedding. We were honored, and just fell in love with this couple and their families.
The funniest part of their whole wedding was during the toasts. They were all very warming and special to hear. Ashley said it almost ended up being a “pass the microphone” line with everybody who wanted to speak after the best man/ maid of honor got their chance: from aunts and uncles to friends of both parties.
So many guests commented how beautiful Ashley looked in her dress, and how handsome and grownup Zac looked. They complimented them on how elegant the wedding was, and how they loved the decorations and overall pleasant experience of the reception and The Bella Sera staff. When Ashley walked into the reception room for the first time, she was speechless. She said It was just breathtaking and outstanding, and she could not have asked for anything more.
Ashley writes…
“Thank you to Bella Sera: our day went off without a hitch. Absolutely EVERYTHING was spectacular, and especially since we planned everything from California with you on email and the telephone. WE LOVE BELLA SERA SO MUCH AND ZAC AND I COULDN’T HAVE ASKED FOR A MORE INCREDIBLE SPECIAL DAY OF OUR LIVES!!”
For our Groom…
The most magical moments for Zac were when his father got to help him put on his tux and get him ready for the big day. His parents both told him how proud of him they were and how he has become such a caring and loving young man. Also to have his brother Jordan and his two close friends Jake and Ben by his side for the wedding. The mother son dance was also an unforgettable moment for him. However, the single most magical moment for Zac was when he get to see Ashley walk down the stairs in her beautiful dress. Not having a clue what she was going to look like and the nerves and anxiety running through him, made it even more memorable. It happened just as he planned, and the moment he saw her he got butterflies all over again as if it was the first time he ever laid eyes on her. Very magical!
THE WEDDING EXPERTS
Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal
Wedding Cake: Cakes by Karen
Wedding Flowers: Vickie’s Flowers
Wedding Photography: Mark Alison Photography
DJ: DJ Guy
Wedding Venue: The Bella Sera Event Center
Wedding Designer: Elisabeth Montoya – Bella Sera
Catering: Bella Sera Catering