Ashley and John were both attending West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. Throughout their years of attending school, they had shared many mutual friends but nothing had sparked…yet. Finally in August of 2018, in their senior year at Logan Rapp’s back-to-school party, something ignite and sparks began to fly. John showed up at the party with his puppy, Luna, and Ashley immediately went over to meet the adorable fur-baby. It seemed at that moment that the stars aligned. Ashley and John ended up spending the entire night talking on the back porch under a romantic sky full of stars. The next Sunday, John invited Ashley over to his house and they watched movie after movie while eating their weight in Chinese food. Ashley said that it was during this date she decided she “was going to marry this man.” Soon after they graduated in the spring, Ashley and John took the next step in their relationship and moved in together. They have been adventuring together ever since!

When we asked Ashley and John when they knew marriage was the next chapter in their love story, Ashley shared a beautiful thought with us. She explains, “It wasn’t a big ah-ha moment, but more so the collection of many small moments that led us to want to get married. It was when we were cooking together when we would get home from work. It was when we were curling up on the couch to watch the new episode of Yellowstone while John drank a glass of whiskey, and I drank my wine. It was when we would dance in the kitchen for hours after returning home from an evening out. It was when we would take Luna out for a walk or to play fetch. It’s in the mundane tasks of life that are a little more exciting because we’re doing them together. I love John for his servant’s heart and ability to help anyone in need. He’s also extremely handy when it comes to projects. He is amazing with kids, and I can’t wait to watch him with our future children.”

John added, “I love Ashley for her ability to be empathetic towards others and her selflessness. She is the best dog mom to Luna, and I know she’ll be even greater with our own kids someday.”

Ashley and John both enjoy anything that has to do with being outdoors. They have always loved hiking through state and national forests. Within the last year, they have also picked up backpacking. Dolly Sods Wilderness has quickly become one of their favorite spots to visit. In fact, this location is where John proposed to Ashley! When the lake warms up, you can catch them out on their kayaks with Luna, their 5-year-old Lab mix who is always with them! They love to pack a cooler with lunch and some ice-cold beers and spend the entire day out there.

Once winter rolls around, they spend every day they both have off from work at Wisp Resort snowboarding. They enjoy the friendly competition of racing each other down the mountain (although John isn’t a huge fan of Ashley always beating him)! The gym is also a huge part of their lives and working out together always brings out their fun competitive sides. They are both very active so that on the weekends they can go out to their favorite restaurants and breweries to enjoy all the good food and beer. They also like to find new breweries to try in every place they travel to! It’s a bonus if the destination happens to be dog-friendly so they can bring Luna with them; they always love adventuring together with their Luna Bear.

Above everything else, Ashley and John value respect, honesty, and family. Respect is very big in their household. They respect each other’s feelings, emotions, and opinions, and they recognize that even though their thoughts may differ, they still love each other regardless. Respect and honesty go hand in hand, and Ashley and John both feel although this is a staple in any relationship, it is very important to them. Honesty and respect allow them to have intimate, important, deep conversations without hurting each other. Family is also extremely important to them. They believe that when you marry an individual, you aren’t just marrying that person but also their family. Ashley and John feel they lucked out with the family they are each gaining from their marriage.

We love to tour the grounds of every venue we film at. This allows our team to scope out the most stunning spots for family pictures and a portrait session with you and your spouse!