A Navy and Gold Themed Wedding at The Hempstead House in Sands Point, New York

Ashleigh Roux and Chaz O'Connell first met in the 10th grade. Though they attended different high schools and never heard of each other before, Ashleigh’s best friend happened to be dating one of Chaz’s friends. One night, their mutual group of buddies decided to meet at the movie theater, where the two teens crossed paths.

“Chaz and I ended up clicking, and that night was our first kiss,” Ashleigh remembers. “We were only 15 and had no idea this night would lead us to where we are now. I thought he was so cute, and I remember anxiously waiting for that first text after leaving the movie. Chaz asked me to be his girlfriend in October 2010. From that moment on, you would hardly ever see him and I apart.”

Six years later, the couple was finishing dinner at their favorite sushi restaurant and walked outside, where Chad decided to pop the question. “We had been talking about getting married for some time before, so I was expecting it but had no idea when he was going to do it,” Ashleigh adds. “It was the cutest thing when he was already on one knee and was struggling to get the ring box out of his pocket.”

The wedding planning process began with the couple selecting The Resort at Pelican Hill as the venue for their Southern California celebration. “We were set on getting married at this beautiful resort,” says Ashleigh. “Shortly after this, we got in touch with White Lilac Inc., who became our wedding planner. In short, they were amazing in every aspect. Our photographers, Kristi and Paul with KLK Photography, were a dream to work with as well. They are the sweetest people you will ever meet, and so good at what they do.”

Over a year later, when the wedding day arrived, the bride and groom awoke to a feeling of excitement, as they had decided not to see or speak to each other from the night before to the ceremony. It was an emotional experience to exchange personal vows, along with a choreographed first dance during the reception to one of their favorite songs. 

“Our reception was flower heaven,” describes the bride. “Everywhere you looked, there were flowers. The whole place smelled amazing. We had floating roses in the middle of the dance floor, huge garden arches throughout the room, beautiful crystal chandeliers, a bar that lit up the whole room, and a gorgeous hanging cake surrounded by more floating roses.”

As the night came to a close, Ashleigh realized how important it is to enjoy every second, as her perfect day was over before she knew it. “We were exhausted at the end of the night and will never forget sitting on the bed at 1 a.m. pulling out what seemed like 1,000 bobby pins from my up-do – which, by the way, was one of my favorite things that day. The whole day and night couldn’t have gone any better. We feel so blessed to have had such an amazing, unforgettable wedding day that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.”