Ashley Aken & Ben Bower – 5/31/2025 – The Highland Manor
- Photography: Mae Murphy Photography
- Flowers: Alyssa Maldonado Designs
- Music: White Rose Entertainment
- Cake: Publix
- Hair & Makeup: LeJeune Hair & Makeup Artistry
- Draping: W Draping
- Videographer: Passenger Productions
- Officiant: Best Day Ever
From a chance meeting at a UCF football tailgate to a heartfelt proposal on her parents’ dock, Ashley and Ben’s love story is filled with serendipity, laughter, and devotion. Their wedding at The Highland Manor was a picture-perfect reflection of their classic style, complete with lush greenery, timeless details, and unforgettable personal touches. What began beneath the shade of a century-old oak tree and ended inside a historic mansion, their day was truly everything Ashley and Ben had dreamed of, and more.
Love Story & Proposal
How did you two meet?
We met at a UCF football tailgate that Ben was hosting. There was a long rain delay, and we ended up talking and being on a cornhole team together!
When did you know you had found “the one?”
We knew pretty quickly. Ben was in Tampa, and I was in Orlando, so we had to put in extra effort to see each other. I think doing that makes you realize pretty quickly if there is a future with that person. I knew Ben was the one when he drove to Orlando in the middle of the night to help me get to the hospital when I was sick.
Tell us about the proposal! Where did it happen and how did it go?
Ben had said that his family was in town, and he wanted our parents and grandparents to get dinner, but to meet at my parents’ house for drinks first. While there, he asked me if I wanted to see the turtles by the dock, knowing I would say yes. When we got to the end of the dock, that is when he asked me to marry him! My best friend flew in and also saw the whole thing. After celebrating with our families, we went to our favorite brewery down the street, where all our friends were waiting for us to keep the celebration going.
Was there a special meaning behind your engagement ring or the location of your proposal?
I had mentioned that I always thought getting engaged at my parents’ house would be special, and making sure that it was semi-private was important to me because I would be too shy in front of other people.
Wedding Planning Journey
What was your overall vision or theme for the wedding?
We knew we wanted a classic wedding style.
What made you choose The Highland Manor as your venue?
As soon as we walked in, there was something about The Highland Manor that we felt was special. Then, when we met Michele and she walked us through the space, we could really see ourselves spending our day there. Then came the ceremony space, and we immediately knew that was where we wanted to get married. With the long walkway and the beautiful grand oak tree, we got so excited. The Highland Manor fit what we were picturing so perfectly, with its classic style, and it also felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, but it’s right off the highway!
What were your top 3 priorities during the planning process?
We wanted to make a point to have fun with the process. We knew that stress would come, but we would only be engaged once, so that was very important to us! We also wanted to be very deliberate with our wedding vendors. Ben and I have been to many weddings together, so we already had an idea of who we wanted to use. This paid off because we absolutely loved every single vendor we chose. Lastly, we wanted to include our family as much as possible, because this was their big day too. During the planning process and being intentional on the day of, I think we did a good job of that!
Did you work with a planner or coordinate the wedding yourselves?
We coordinated the wedding ourselves, but that wasn’t the original plan. We definitely knew we wanted a day-of coordinator, and when we met with The Highland Manor and they said they provided day-of services, I was nervous that I was misunderstanding and they wouldn’t actually do all the day-of things I had in mind. It turns out they did more than I could have ever imagined, and I am forever thankful to the Events by Dubsdread team for executing a perfect day from start to finish.
How did you stay organized and manage stress during the planning process?
We had a lot of life changes throughout the engagement process; we bought a house, I graduated with my master’s degree, and our jobs had both picked up. So we knew that we had to take each task one at a time. Talking about all the things we were excited about and picturing all our friends and family in one room celebrating helped a lot. I also leaned on Ben a lot, and he did A LOT of the planning. He created many Excel spreadsheets, and we would both keep them up to date. We had a running to-do list that, whenever we had a couple of free hours, we would look at what we could check off.
Wedding Style & Details
Describe your wedding-day look: what you wear and why you chose it.
I wanted simple and classic. I wore a high-neck dress because I always knew that was what I wanted. I tried on all kinds of dresses, but that is what I ended up with. I wanted a little design to my veil. Initially, it was going to be a shorter one, but I was so glad that I chose the cathedral length. It made me feel so bridal and I loved the pictures! With our wedding being outside, in almost summer, I knew I wanted my hair up, but still elegant. I felt comfortable all day and night!
How did you choose your wedding colors, florals, and décor?
Green is our favorite color, and we knew that we wanted our colors to be green with white. I love natural colors, and we really leaned into that with our florals. I knew I wanted mostly baby’s breath with a little bit of greenery mixed in. For the décor, again, we wanted simple and classic; we didn’t want too much. Some of it was a matter of personal style, and some of it was about saving money where we could.
Were there any DIY or personalized elements you included?
Our absolute favorite was our guest book. We created a bound book of calendar pages with boxes for each day, so our guests could sign their names on their birthdays as well as their anniversaries for any married couples. We interspersed photos of us, and it now sits open on our coffee table. We love looking at it and texting people happy birthday/ happy anniversary! I found a template on Etsy.
We also loved our table numbers, which were photos of us in the background from our engagement shoot, and then the table number in front.
Lastly, we painted plates for each other to use at our head table during the reception. I painted Ben’s and Ben painted mine, and it was so much fun to write our wedding date and “best husband ever”-we made a date out of it!
Did you have a favorite vendor or must-have detail?
I cannot stress enough that every single one of our vendors was extraordinary and truly made the day perfect. Their talents were amazing, but they were all so wonderful to work with as people and would recommend any of them 100 times.
Additionally, we weren’t going to do the draping, but I am so glad we did! It made such a significant impact on the space!
Ceremony & Reception
Did you do a first look? Why or why not?
We weren’t going to do one, but then a couple of weeks before the wedding, we changed our minds. A big reason we did was that we wanted to be able to go to a little bit of the happy hour. I was nervous that it was going to take away from walking down the aisle, and it absolutely did not. Those moments together ended up being some of our favorite parts because we read letters to each other. It was so intimate and ended up being our favorite photos and video clips. It also helped get some of the nerves and emotions out.
What was the most memorable moment of the day?
The first look! Having that time together and then hanging out with everyone leading up to the ceremony was so special. Being announced as husband and wife was so surreal and special. Also, being able to talk to people at happy hour was so cool!
What songs did you choose for your ceremony, first dance, etc.?
- Ben walked down to “Take My Name” by Parmalee.
- Bridal Party: Simply the Best (Acoustic)
- Ashley walked down to: I Get to Love You by Ruelle
- Walk-out: Best Day of My Life by American Authors
- First dance: You by Dan and Shay
- Father-daughter: UCF Fight Song and My Little Girl by Tim McGraw
- Mother-son: Her Little Man by Jami Grooms
How did you make the reception fun and unique for your guests?
Doing the fight song with my dad, which led into our dance song, was so fun and special because it was such a huge part of my childhood. We also knew that our DJ was very important, and we picked a lot of “must play” songs because of our friends and family that we knew would be special for them.
Any “mishaps” that you laugh about today?
We honestly don’t know of any mishaps, which seems crazy to think, but everything was so perfect. We were ready to have to deal with mishaps too, but we never had to! Both Ben and I were stress-free the day of because we had the mindset to laugh off anything that went wrong!
Photo Tips
Do you have a favorite wedding photo? What’s the story behind it?
Yes! It’s a photo of Ben and me sitting in the guests’ seats after the ceremony with no one else around. I saw a photo like this on Pinterest just a week before and knew I wanted something similar. You can see the happiness and comfort in the picture of both of us.
There is also one of us walking up the aisle after being announced, and we were laughing and talking about how crazy that was. You can see the pure joy in both of us!
Any advice for couples on working with photographers?
You spend the most time with your photographer/videographer throughout the day. It is important to love the photos that they create, but it is equally important to like them as people. We had literally the BEST people with us that day, and it made it so special. Even when we were sweating while taking pictures, they made it fun and memorable! We ended up doing an engagement shoot and fell in love with our photos, which made us even more excited for our wedding photos. It was also fun to get nice pictures of each other that we could then use during the engagement process (website, bridal shower, wedding décor, etc.)
Advice & Reflection
If you could relive one moment, what would it be?
We truly loved the moment when we were announced as husband and wife and walked into the house, and then our family and bridal party followed us in behind. There was so much cheering, hugging and happiness in that room, and we were so excited for what was to come the rest of the day!
Is there anything you would change about your wedding/wedding day?
Both Ben and I really sat and thought about it, and we couldn’t think of a single thing!
What advice would you give to other couples planning a wedding?
There were a lot more emotions involved with wedding planning than we had anticipated. We were ready for all the tasks, but not the feelings that would come along with such a big life moment. Sitting with those emotions and letting yourself feel everything is important! Enjoy every part of it! There were many times that I just saw the long to-do list and just wanted to get it done and check it off, but I wish I had enjoyed the little things more. Ben and I still did a good job of enjoying it, but it goes by so fast and feeling that level of excitement was so special.
Anything you’d like to add?
We cut our cake into 12 slices and preserved each individual slice, and now every month on our “anniversary” we eat a slice, watch our video and celebrate another month of marriage. We’re 4 months in and have been loving it so much! Highly suggest!
