Ashley Rene 

October 28th, 2023 at St. Catharine Church + Mozart’s Bakery and Event Space, Downtown Columbus

AR: How did you two meet?

S: We met as all happy couples do, on Tinder. We were both living in Ashland and he was cute and I swiped right. I sent the first hello and he responded with a gif of a breaching whale and the words “whale hello there.” I never thought I’d find my husband on Tinder of all places, but I feel very lucky that I found him.

N: In the wastelands of Tinder, it seemed like it was a long shot but it threw me off. At the time we were in Ashland as I was working towards finishing my degree and she taught. I consulted with one of my good friends, sent her a gif of a emerging whale that said, “whale hello there” and now we are married. 

AR: What was your first date? 

S: Our first date was on April Fool’s Day, which is perfect for us because we love to make each other laugh. We went to a brewery in Ashland called Uniontown. He picked me up and the song playing in his car was “Just the Girl” by The Click Five, which is one of my favorite songs. I remember he had a very sweet nervous laugh and he was a true gentleman. The next day I was going out of town for Easter and he asked me to swing by where he worked so he could give me a hug goodbye and wish me a safe trip. I knew then this was going to last.

N: No joke, but our first date was on April Fool’s Day. We went to a brewery in Ashland and had several hours of great conversations. Everything just seemed to click into place at once. I had a late 2000s playlist in the car that was on when I picked her up and it turned out “Just the Girl” by the Click Five was playing and ended up being our entrance song. 

AR: How did your proposal happen?

S: We’d talked about getting engaged for awhile and I knew it was coming soon. It was late September and both he and I had bad weeks, so I wanted to treat myself to a manicure (and also scope out nail salons for when he did propose). Before my nail appointment he came over and dropped to one knee, saying how we’d both had a bad week and deserved something happy. It definitely took me by surprise and was very sweet.

N: I knew I was going to propose sometime after she took her new job, I just wasn’t sure when. I had come off a tough week of work and classes in my last semester of college, and she also had a busy week at work and I knew that was the perfect time. We both needed something happy in our lives that week and I popped the question. We weren’t dressed up, we hadn’t gone anywhere at that point. But I figured that was the best time to do it, and most importantly she said yes. 

AR: What do you remember most from your wedding day?

S: Seeing him for the first time when walking down the aisle is the first thing that comes to mind. I’m a rather fast walker and it was a short aisle, so I was told by multiple people to walk much slower than I normally would. But when I saw him smiling at the altar I might have walked a little too quickly. I had to stop myself midway and slow down to savor the moment, but all I wanted to do was be next to him.

N: I had butterflies in my stomach about messing something up in the ceremony or beforehand. But after I stood up at the front watching everyone walk in and as the doors were shutting I felt calm. We decided to wait to see each other for the first time as she was walking in. When the doors opened for the first time and I saw how gorgeous she looked I felt calm. It was just comforting to have my forever at my side experiencing this moment with me and it put me at ease for the rest of the day. We said “I do” and all the weight fell off my shoulders and I was able to truly enjoy the day with our loved ones.