Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Disney Wedding Wednesday starring Billy & Ashley Ricker

When I first heard about this amazing wedding on the Disbrides group on Facebook, I knew immediately I had to share it with all of you! So many things about this wedding just stood out to me! Not only were Ashley & Billy so creative in planning their ceremony, they had so much emotion put into it and showed in their pictures! I loved that they got married at the Fort Wilderness Campground at Walt Disney World, it was something I had yet to see! Their total budget for EVERYTHING (Venue, reception, dress, etc) was only $10,000. Which may sound like a lot to many of you, but for a wedding on Disney property and with everything they did, it is AMAZING! I hope you enjoy learning about their story as much as I have!




HOW DID YOU TWO MEET?
We actually met in high school. I was friends with his sister and it's funny because we started out not really liking each other at all. But we were 15 and 16 so after a couple months of teasing each other we finally started dating 😍


TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR LOVE STORY.
We have been together for 16 years. I can honestly say we have the everlasting kind of love. Finish each other sentences, knows what the other is going say before they say it, he is my best friend and we have been through so much basically growing up together. But when I am weak, he is strong and visa versa, he really is the love of my life and I feel extremely blessed to have him as my husband.


TELL ME ABOUT THE PROPOSAL There wasn't an actual proposal. We just looked at each other one day and realized it was about time we make it official!


WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GET MARRIED AT WALT DISNEY'S FORT WILDERNESS CAMPGROUND?
A lot of thought went into having our wedding at the Fort Wilderness Campground. We have both been coming to the Fort Wilderness since we were kids. My husbands grandparents were original campers at the Fort when it opened in 1971. Billy, my husband camped there and with his parents since he was really little. I had come to Disney with my dad a couple times a year growing up, and we had stayed there a couple times as well.
We bought our camper in 2005 and Fort Wilderness was one of our first trips. We go all the time and absolutely love it. My husbands grandfather passed away and so did my brother who loved camping there as well, so for us, we just have a real emotional attachment to it. It was really the only place we actually wanted to get married.


HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT PLANNING YOUR WEDDING THERE?
Well, I called the Disney Fairytale Wedding Coordinators and they informed me that they didn't have a package that was based on getting married behind your campsite. She basically told me that she couldn't tell me yes but that she couldn't tell me no either. We decided we wanted to keep it small and intimate. We invited our immediate family and rented 3 cabins and 3 campsites. I also had other family staying at various Disney resorts.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LOVE FOR DISNEY AND INCORPORATING THAT INTO YOUR WEDDING.
We LOVE Disney!! My mother in law is the real Disney lover but my sister-in-law and I have inherited it from her I guess. I think when you grow up in Florida, it is just something that is bred into you! Then you either love it or hate it when you grow up! My husband likes Disney but he LOVES the Fort Wilderness Campground! Our daughter, as well as myself love them both!! My biggest fear was that she would like Nickelodeon shows better than Disney but she's a Disney Lover!!


WHAT WAS YOUR WEDDING DATE?
November 7, 2015

I SEE IN YOUR PICTURES YOU HAD SO MANY DETAILS THAT HAD A LOT OF SENTIMENT, EXPLAIN SOME OF THAT TO US.
We have a lost a lot of relatives who should have been there with us, so we wanted to find a way to honor and remember them. My mom had a frame and she just sprayed it and glued some twine to the back and we hung our loved ones pictures from it. My brother passed away in 2013 and I wanted to do everything I could to do to make it feel like he was there with us. He would have been walking with the groomsman so instead I had his little brother walk for him and he had 2 boutonnieres instead of one. One for him and one for our brother. My sister and I both had charms with his picture in it hanging from our bouquets. We got him a Camouflage Groomsmen beer coolie with his name on it with w beer in it, as well as a Chicago Bears shot glass, full of course, and Ranch Sunflower seeds..which I could never have a bag without him taking 1/2.
I also had my designer take one of his pink ties I had and cut out a heart out of the fabric and used the heart where my bustle snapped. She also made pink ribbons that our family could all wear.


WHERE DID YOU COME UP WITH ALL THE OTHER DETAILS THAT WENT INTO YOUR WEDDING?
We knew that since we were doing it at our campsite, basically that it had to be very simple and I found these purple mason jars and I absolutely fell in love with. We just went from there. Purple, burlap, and lace was really what we tried to stick with.
The isle was something my husband and I came up with. He said he could precut the wood at home and then reassemble it the morning of the wedding so that's exactly what the did. The hay bails was the only thing I could think of that was inexpensive and it looked cute! The wood discs with the mason jars with babies breath on the isle was something I saw on Pinterest and I just loved it so much!


DID YOU HAND MAKE ANYTHING? My mom made my bouquet, which I loved! She also made all the bridesmaids bouquets the morning of the wedding. I made all the boutonnière's, the ring box, all the chalkboards we used. My husband made the arch we got married under. He cut my wooden discs for the asks as well.



WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE WEDDING?
My favorite part was everything! Lol, Right before our pastor announced us husband and wife, the Magic Kingdom boat was pulling into the campground to pickup or drop off and the boat laid on the horn and it was so loud echoing through the campground! Everyone was like "what is that" and started laughing.


DOES YOUR HUSBAND LOVE DISNEY AS MUCH AS YOU DO? 
He loves the Fort Wilderness Campground...he likes Disney but not like I do 😍


WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU INCORPORATE DISNEY INTO YOUR EVERY DAY LIFE?
Well we have an almost 4 year old little girl, so Disney basically is a part of our every day life.

ANY FUTURE DISNEY PLANS IN THE WORKS?
Yes actually we just got back from camping and going to the Magic Kingdom for our little honeymoon. And we are going back the end of July- August 2nd for our daughters 4th birthday!!

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER FUTURE DISNEY BRIDES?
The only thing I can say is if something doesn't go like it is supposed to, just let it go 😍 The day goes by so fast enjoying every minute is important, even if something doesn't go as originally planned!



Check out their other beautiful wedding pictures taken by evegreendale.com






















































2 comments:

  1. It was a special day. I think you should do what you want for your special day. This was magical. Love our Ashley and our new son-in-law. I might do this for our 25th and renew our vows.

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