One might think Ashlie and Ethan’s wedding story was stolen right out of a fairy tale written about Addison County. The couple started out as high school sweethearts at MUHS in 2013. They stayed locally and now live together on a farm in Addison.
On a Saturday afternoon in early October 2017, Ashlie arrived home from work and Ethan said he had a surprise for her. She climbed onto the back of his four-wheeler and he blindfolded her. They drove a short distance to the far side of their barn and Ethan helped Ashlie dismount, still blindfolded. He told her to wait until the cue and at that moment she realized what was happening.
At his word, Ashlie removed the blindfold to find Ethan down on one knee in front of her, displaying a beautiful ring. To the left was her mom, sister and grandparents, all watching an videotaping the proposal. Behind Ethan were two demolition derby cars — his and hers — with a long wooden board spread between them. Painted on the board were the words “Will you Marry Me?” as well as prints of their three shared dogs’ paws.
Of course, she said yes!
As huge fans and committed participants of the Addison County Fair & Field Days, Ashlie and Ethan’s choice to get married at the fair gounds was easy and allowed them to really share their passions with their wedding guests. Both being heavily involved in the demolition derby, they chose to have a little fun with Ashlie’s entrance to the ceremony.
She hid one of her unsmashed derby cars on the far side of the fairgrounds where none of the guests could see it. Her father helped her (and her giant dress) get into the car and Ashlie looked at the straightaway between where she was parked and the ceremony site.
“I decided to hold the throttle to the floor and let the Camry scream,” she said. “I finally pulled up to the end of the aisle and shut the engine off. As I do this the whole crowd of 220 guests start cheering and hollering.”
That broke the ice. And evidently also the groom, who had confidently told Ashlie he wasn’t going to cry, but who was “blubbering” as she came down the isle.
“I will always have that image in my mind and cherish it forever,” she said.
Joining the couple and the wedding party at the alter were Ashlie and Ethan’s three dogs, Turbo, Rocky and Deliliah, who were each escorted by bridesmaids and stayed at the alter throughout the ceremony.
At the reception, the couple led their wedding party in a coordinated dance to “The Git Up,” by Blanco Brown, and did such a stellar job that everyone in attendance couldn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the night.
It was a wholly country wedding with a thousand tiny details that “all came together perfectly,” Ashlie said. Despite being horribly nervous and overwhelmed and stressed at times of the planning process, it all fell into place. The only thing Ashlie would advise doing differently is not stressing so much. “Don’t have so much anxiety that you can’t enjoy having the people you love the most surround you,” Ashlie says. “Just enjoy it! It will be over before you know it!”