*THE PRE-BEGINNING Our story begins with Scott and I growing up and attending the same high school in Delphos. He was two grades older than I was so we never really knew each other all that well. I used to have the biggest crush on him and would make my mom take me to Pat's Donuts and Kreme where Scott worked so I could go and see him. We chit chatted throughout high school and would text here and there but nothing ever really came out of it besides a little flirting at some parties we both happened to attend. Fast forward six years from high school and I am living in Columbus while Scott is living in Cincinnati. We had kept in touch here and there on occasion since our flirtatious high school days but nothing more than the occasional hello at the Rustic Cafe if we were both home for the holidays. Thanksgiving of 2017 comes around and we are all home for the holidays spending the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving at the Rustic. When I walk in Scott is talking with my cousin Trent (also one of Scott's brother's (Justin's) groomsman) and right away he notices me walk in (so he says). He proceeds to joke around with Trent about him asking me out on a date and Trent is not really into the idea and basically just laughs it off. After awhile Scott and I are next to each other at the bar and Scott asks if I had recently gotten a haircut. It was surprising that he had asked me that because 1) we hadn't seen each other in quite some time and 2) he was the first person to notice that I actually did get my hair cut just a week prior. We talked a little bit and caught up on each others lives at that moment but nothing else took place that night.

THE BEGINNING Just a month or so later I get a text from Scott asking if I had any plans for New Years Eve on the upcoming weekend. He told me he was visiting friends who lived in Columbus for it and that we should meet up if I was going to be in town. He had went to a NYE party but eventually later that night came and met up with me and a few of my friends at Pint House in the Short North. We spent the rest of the night together drinking and having a good time. When the morning came, he joked around about wanting to take me out on a real date and I liked the idea of that. No date offer ever came until the next time we saw each other, again at the Rustic Cafe, in January. We hung out together amongst our friends and ended up spending more time together. That night he offered to take me to breakfast the next day but it may have been the alcohol talking because when the morning came he said he was too hungover and had to get back to Cincinnati. A few weeks go by of us flirtatiously texting and him apologizing for backing out of the breakfast date and so we made plans for me to visit him in Cincinnati for the weekend. We had a great time together in Cincinnati and made our next plans for him to come visit me in Columbus in a few weeks. We went out in Columbus on a Sunday and visited several different restaurants and bars and had a great time. I may have told him then that I loved him drunkenly in an Uber (he hadn't even asked me to officially be his girlfriend yet!) but that didn't scare him away because just a few weeks following, he did ask me and of course I said yes. THE MIDDLE After officially establishing our relationship as a couple, Scott still lived in Cincinnati while I still lived in Columbus for about the next year and half. During this time we would make an effort to visit each other as often as possible, splitting the weekends on a semi-regular basis in Columbus and Cincinnati. After doing the whole semi-long distance relationship, Scott had mentioned getting transferred to a work-from-home position full time and that he would be able to move to Columbus. Shortly after that, he moved to Columbus and we got an apartment together. After living in Columbus together for another 2 years or so Scott decided that he wanted to make me his wife and bought a ring.

THE PROPOSAL His birthday weekend was coming up and I was making plans with his friends to come down to Columbus to surprise him. Little did I know, the plans "I" was making with Vince and all of his other friends were really being "planted" by Scott via his friends for his proposal. We went out to Condado that Saturday for lunch and it was supposed to be a surprise for Scott that his friends were there (of course he already knew they would be). When we got there he still acted surprised and everything that they came down (mission accomplished, or so I thought). The next plan "I" had lined up for the day was to walk over to another bar with all of his friends to go hangout at Land Grant. Scott mentioned that another friend of ours was down by the river and that we could just stop by there and grab them before we continued on our way. When we get to the river and say hi, Scott "notices" something across the river and asks me if I see it. I look over and see a group of around 30 of our friends and family holding a large banner that reads "Ashley Kroeger, will you marry me?". As I turn around to look at him he is down on one knee with the ring and asks me to be his wife.

After spending the morning at the salon the ladies headed over to Ashley’s parents house to finish getting ready. The ladies wore purple robes while Ashley wore a stunning white robe made from her mother’s wedding dress from when she married Ashley’s dad.  Back in Ashley’s light purple childhood bedroom she slipped into her showstopping fitted gown. It had a sleeveless lace bodice with a V neckline, AMAZING lace train and buttons all down the back. She wore her hair down in romantic curls with a beautiful jeweled gold hair piece and jeweled fingertip veil. Her shoes were simple white heels.  She wore a single diamond necklace and rose gold, jeweled drop earrings. Her look was finished by a sweet bouquet of white, mauve, and light purple flowers wrapped with a wrap also made from her mother’s wedding dress and charms to honor her late father, including a heart with “Love, Dad” etched in his handwriting.

To honor Ashley's dad and Scott's mom the couple opted to have the immediate family gather in a circle and sway to the song, Holes In The Floor Of Heaven.

Vendors
Wedding Dress | Henri's Bridal
Florist | Ivy Hutch 
Decorator | Plan on Jules 
Ceremony Venue | St. Johns Church
Reception Venue | Fort Jennings American Legion
Hair + Makeup | The Hair Chair
DJ | Fox Event Group
Videographer | Caleb Smith 
Cake | Baked To Perfection Bakery
Catering | Cooking Country Classics 
Bridemaid Dresses | https://shoprevelry.com/
Groomsmen Attire | Men's Wearhouse
Invitations | Magnet Street
Favors | https://24hourwristbands.com/custom-coolies