ashley1978

I married the LOVE OF MY LIFE in Las Vegas, it was March 20, 2001 and we went all alone, by ourselves. It was our first vacation together and we went there PLANNING to get married. We DID have a NICE wedding, I wore a GORGEOUS white Jasmine wedding gown, with a pearl and diamond tiara. He wore a nice rented black tuxedo, looking handsome as ever. Thinking about the whole day STILL makes me smile. We woke up in Vegas the second day of our vacation. We got dressed (not formally yet) and aclled a cab to be “taken downtown to the courthouse”. We waited and occasionally took a nervous glance at one another. We rode downtown in the cab listening to the cabbie’s tale of woe and how he came to be a cabbie in Vegas. All the while he tried to convince us NOT to get married. We were determined to do what we had come to do, we paid and thanked the man and headed into the courthouse. Not having the slightest clue on how to proceed we asked a very helpful security gaurd who smiled and gave us the grand tour to the clerk of courts office where we bought our 50 dollar wedding license. Now, all we had to do was find a chapel. Should’nt be TOO HARD in Vegas!

Well, we both decided ahead of time that we did not want Elvis or Liberace to marry us, so we went about looking for something fairly “normal”. We found a cute lil place not far from the Strip but far enough. The chapel was very “white church in the country looking” and the people were GREAT. We booked our “all inclusive pictures and flowers wedding package” for 5:00 PM. It was now noon. I needed to go and find a way to get my dress pressed as it was in shambles after the flight (the plane had NO closet space for my dress to be hung)! I went about doing this, and showering, he took a nap. We barely spoke the whole time in the room. I think we were both very much in deep thought. At 4:45 my BOYFRIEND and father of our first son called to me from the room as I was doing my hair. “Ash, we have to GO, NOW”! I asked if he got us a ride, he called a limo. Good job babe.

We walked out of our room, and down to the casino floor. I wished I could just shrink and hide, EVERYONE was staring, people would stop to look and comment on how gorgeous I looked, and handsome he was, and how beautiful the gown was. I had NEVER been SO self-conscious in my life. I kept fidgeting, he told me to stop, it made me think of the movie “Pretty Woman” as the scenario was EXACTLY the same, well I was’nt a hooker and he for sure was no million dollar man! We waited outside at the cab stand for our Limo, now even MORE people stared and commented, and it made me feel pretty and yet like disappearing at the same time. He finally arrives and ushers us into the Limo. WE are on our way.

We pull up to the chapel, “last chance to bail” my beloved says. I look at him and we kiss, then both exhale and the Limo guy says he will wait. We head in, we “check in” and are taken to a cute little room all made up with flowers on the pews and stained glass windows. The pews are empty, it makes me sad for about two seconds until I remember WHY I am there and WHAT I am doing. Then nothing else matters. THe ceremony is traditional, we screw up our “lines” and giggle, “You may kiss the bride” I AM HIS BRIDE!! I was SO happy, yet had tears in my eyes. He looked GREAT. It STILL ranks number one on “The best days of my life” scale.

Well, that being over and done with we head out for a nice night. Not knowing Vegas like we do now (we go every year twice since the wedding) we looked for a “fancy” restaurant and ended up paying a FORTUNE for dinner. But thats what you do right? Well, then we gambled a little, and got a lil drunk, all the while in our wedding attire (my dress needed a CLEANING after a night of dragging the train along the Strip) We went to the Stratospere and took in the view from the TOP. It was SO romantic. Even though NO ONE was with us, I would NOT do it over differently I swear to that.

But, as for renewing our vows, that IS something I want to do different. I want to have EVERYONE we love there, and I want to go to the SAME place in Vegas, so we will do that (as we’ve talked about it ALOT) but this time our moms will be there, family, friends, mostly our KIDS. We wanted to do it this year (2006) as it was our FIVE year anniversary and we ALWAYS said thats what we were doing. Well, we were in a jam, we moved twice in a month and I am pregnant (due any day now BUT was at 8 mnths on anniversary day) and we just bought a SEMI-Truck and flatbed trailer, so we COULD NOT afford to go right now, we are going in August BUT not to do our vows. This is PRETTY high on my priority list though, as my mom lives in Arizona now so I want to get to her place too. 2 birds with one stone and all that. Well, thats all I guess. I HOPE one day this WILL be done! I am going to make it so SPECIAL for him, and everyone else!