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Home · Weddings

Bridal Bliss: Ashley and Melvin's New Orleans Wedding

After making their long distance love last, Melvin and Ashley knew they were soul mates. When it was time to pop the question, he asked his 10-year-old daughter to help him pull off the surprise.  Just wait until you hear how smooth the proposal was – read on for details and Nawlins’ wedding photos!

By Charli Penn · July 15, 2015October 27, 2020
01
Southern Charm

Melvin recieved a little help from his daughter when it came time to ask Ashley to be his wife. “He told us he was going to take us on a date and that he wanted to show her how a guy is supposed to treat a lady,” she recalls. Aww! See their lovely New Orleans wedding day.

Courtney Dellafiora
02
Welcome Wagon!

To kick off their wedding weekend, the bride and groom threw a “Welcome to New Orleans” party for their guests. Of course, the bride and groom were perfectly dressed for the occasion.

03
It’s Party Time

There was even a custom cake to get guests into the spirit of celebration.

04
That’s The One

“My ceremony dress was a Maggie Sottero dress,” says Ashley. “It was the very first wedding dress I tried on. I saw it in a magazine, searched for it, and tried it on. I didn’t buy it immediately. I tried other dresses but ended up going back to that one.”

Courtney Dellafiora
05
Just To Be With You

“I know this will sound extremely cliché but I knew the first night I met her that she was The One,” says Melvin. “Her beauty initially caught my attention. She stood out in a room full of women that night at the lounge. It was like she radiated. She had smooth, dark, seemingly flawless skin, long hair and she was the best dressed in the room. But once I started talking to her, she was so down to earth, intelligent and fun. It just made me want to be around her all the time.”

Courtney Dellafiora
06
White Hot

The bride carried a lovely bouquet made of a soft cascade with white mini phalaenopsis orchids, white mini callas, white dendrobium orchids, ivory roses, and frilled tulips.

Courtney Dellafiora
07
Mr. Cool

“He is a nice person,” Ashley shares. “I mean a really nice person. Kind of like those people that are so nice that you wish you could be as nice as them. Yeah, that’s him. He’s so thoughtful and caring. He’s the type of man that would see me getting ready to cook and say, ‘Baby you’ve had a long day, why don’t you take a nap and I’ll cook dinner.’ And, he’s fun. He’s cool, but not too cool for school (I mean he wears onesie pajamas with me!).”

Courtney Dellafiora
08
The Only Man For Me

“The weekend we met up in Atlanta he treated me like an absolute queen,” says  Ashley of her first romantic rendezvous with Melvin. “He made me feel like I was the most beautiful person in every room we entered. He was catering, affectionate, sweet and everything I had never experienced before. He was very expressive. It was so overwhelming at first that it was a bit uncomfortable, but as the weekend went on, I fell head over heels for him because of the man he showed me he was.”

Courtney Dellafiora
09
A Total Keeper

“The three things that solidified my decision: she is a God-fearing woman, she makes me a better man, and she treats my daughter like her own (and my daughter absolutely loves her),” Melvin shares.

Courtney Dellafiora
10
Totally Smitten

“I love her personality!” Melvin shares. “I love his big heart,” adds his lovely bride.

Courtney Dellafiora
11
Best Friends

“I put this relationship in the hands of God and let him direct my path,” says Ashley. “I prayed about this relationship the entire time because I was tired of being with the wrong person. I asked God to lead the way and make it clear whether or not this man was for me. I said yes because my husband is a wonderful man. He is the only man who has ever made me feel as loved as my father loves me, and that’s a hard shoe to fill. He balances me and allows me to balance him. He walks beside me in all of my journeys, encourages me, comforts me. He is truly my best friend.”

Courtney Dellafiora
12
Uniquely Beautiful

We just love this floral and brooch bag. So unique!

Courtney Dellafiora
13
Dressed To Impress

“For the groomsman we we were going for something sophisticated and sexy,” says Ashley. “I picked and my husband approved.”

Courtney Dellafiora
14
Make ‘Em Blush

Ashley’s bridesmaids were pretty in pink in their blush Lazaro gowns.

Courtney Dellafiora
15
This Is The Place

“I knew before I was engaged that I wanted to have my ceremony under a tent and the reception at Mardi Gras World,” says Ashley. “Luckily Mardi Gras World had a tent. The Grand Mansion where we had the party was definitely the icing on the cake and I looked no further after seeing it. I loved that the ceremony and dinner spaces were blank slates that I can customize to my own taste.”

Courtney Dellafiora
16
That Special Moment

Ashley walked down the aisle to John Legend’s “All Of Me.” “Looking into her eyes at the altar I was thinking, I can’t believe I’m the person marrying this wonderful woman in front of me,” adds the groom.

Courtney Dellafiora
17
Fromy My Heart To Yours

“We wrote our own vows,” says Ashley. “I also wrote vows to his daughter and he wrote vows to my two younger brothers.”

Courtney Dellafiora
18
Woman Of His Dreams

“I had given up on finding love and I thought that I would never find the woman of my dreams before I met Ashley,” Melvin admits.

Courtney Dellafiora
19
Never Say Never

“Never in a million years did I think I would find love across the country on a random vacation at the time I did,” says Ashley. “I found it when I stopped looking and when I decided to just live and let God bring me a husband.”

Courtney Dellafiora
20
A Formal Affair

“The formal dinner was in a grand ballroom just a few feet from the ceremony,” says Ashley. “It was A-MAZ-ING! When the guests entered they signed in at the guest table and were then directed to search for their name and seating assignment that was etched into two 10’ tall white mirrors. When you walked into the room it was jaw dropping.”

Courtney Dellafiora
21
It’s All About The Details

“The entire place was piped and draped with ivory draping, the tables were decorated with purple linens, candles, candelabras, purple orchids, and clear and silver plate settings,” says the bride.

Courtney Dellafiora
22
The First Dance

The couple must be huge John Legend fans because they even chose one of his romantic hit for their first dance, “You and I (Nobody in the World)”

Courtney Dellafiora
23
Timeless Elegance

“I wanted a wedding that was unforgettable with lots of traditional elements and lots of surprises,” says the bride. “We were definitely able to achieve that with the décor, location and entertainment. Whenever I was asked what theme I wanted I would say ‘timeless extravagance.’”

Courtney Dellafiora
24
Total Elegance

“Although the dinner was buffet style there was a dinner menu placed at each setting too,” says Ashley who refused to skimp on a single detail for her big day.

Courtney Dellafiora
25
Get It While You Can

“We had a six tier cake with our initials on it,” Ashley describes. “The flavors were almond, vanilla and chocolate. It was pretty fancy. Each tier was different. We didn’t go too crazy on the flavors but we wanted a really good cake. And good it was, because there was not one slice left over.”

Courtney Dellafiora
26
Details To Die For

“The sweetheart table was to die for,” says the bride. “It was a mirrored table with tons of candles and flowers cascading off of the table, a huge sweetheart sofa, two very large flower arrangements, two more 10’ white mirrors behind the sofa, and a chandelier hanging directly above us. There were lots of uplights and spotlights that set the ambiance of the room.”

Courtney Dellafiora
27
Life Is Grand

A grand groom’s cake for a true sports fan.

Courtney Dellafiora
28
A Southern Girl

“She is smart as hell with an amazing career, and one of the most selfless people I know who is extremely family oriented,” says Melvin. “She is a southern girl from New Orleans so she definitely has that ‘ride or die’ factor (in a good way) and knows how to treat a man, and she is fun, fun, fun!”

Courtney Dellafiora
29
Outfit Swap

We’re used to seeing the bride swap gowns, but it’s not often that we see the groom make an outfit change. Melvin swapped his tuxedo jacket during the reception. We love it!

Courtney Dellafiora
30
Party On!

Ashley, Melvin and their guests partied the night away.

Courtney Dellafiora
31
Come One, Come All

Three-hundred and fifty guests were in attendance for the couple’s big wedding weekend in NOLA.

32
Happy Wife, Happy Life

“It made me extremely happy to see my wife the happiest I had ever seen her,” says Melvin.

Courtney Dellafiora
33
Let’s Do It Again

“It was more than I could have ever imagined,” says Ashley. “It is a day that I replay in my head over and over and over again. I wish I could experience that day all over again.”

Courtney Dellafiora
34
Share Their Love

Join us as we congratulate the bride and groom on their marital bliss and don’t forget to leave the happy couple a little comment love below. Want to see your wedding featured in Bridal Bliss?

Courtney Dellafiora

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