Make Me Fab’s bride of the year for 2021 wasn’t only adored by her now-husband Peter. But every vendor she had on her team just loved her as well! So when the votes were tallied and Ashley was the favorite as voted on by You, we couldn’t have been more excited for her. Ashley is clearly stunning, but she is also a pure genuine soul and always made US feel like we were a special part of HER day! She gets to have her hair redone, a makeup lesson with our team, all the makeup and hair products we used to create her look, plus a photoshoot to be featured as one of our bridal beauty box collections available for sale at bridalbeautykits.com. The date is set for May 6th so be sure to watch our Instagram at @makemefabny and @alaynecurtissbridalbeauty as we recreate Ashley’s wedding day beauty routine and photoshoot with photographer Rob Spring.
So here is Ashley and Peter’s meeting, love story, planning process and final result. We are sure you will fall in love with this sweet couple too!
THE ENGAGEMENT:
Peter and I crossed paths at a mutual friend’s wedding. Peter was friends with the groom, and I was friends with the Bride. We never actually spoke to one another at the wedding just made eye contact. I apparently left quite the impression because 1 month later, we were at an event in White Plains, NY where Peter remembered me and gained the courage to introduce himself. We exchanged numbers and went on our first date the following day, October 9th, 2018. We met for dinner at The Irish Bank in Hartsdale NY. We sat at a small table by the bar where we talked and made simple conversation getting to know one another. Little did I know at that time, I was sitting across from the love of my life. After the date was over, like a gentleman, Peter walked me to my car, opened the door, and gave me a hug goodbye. He started walking down the street back to his apartment when I noticed that I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye just yet!
I drove my car up next to him, rolled down the window, and asked if he would like a ride home, it was raining so I knew he was going to say YES. Not even half a mile later, we were outside his apartment. I pulled over across the street next to a little park, before he went to get out of the car, he asked if he could kiss me goodnight and of course, I said YES. I never believed in love at first sight, but during that moment it became very clear that it was 100% the real thing. Fast forward a year and a half later, on 3/8/2020 Peter made the decision to ask me the most important question of our lives. He brought me back to that very same spot where we had our first kiss, the first time I fell in love and the last time I would have a first kiss. At that little park right across the street from now our apartment, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and of course, I said YES. He walked me down the street to The Irish Bank to have a celebratory drink because it was the bar we had our first date at, and as soon as I walked through the door, all my friends and family were screaming, “Surprise.’ I was the luckiest girl in the world that day.
THE VENUE: Inn at Erlowest, Lake George, NY
The Inn at Erlowest was on the top of our venue list because it was in Lake George, NY, and for its history, ambiance, and amazing views you get of the lake. Peter’s family has been vacationing in Lake George since Peter was little, and his parents ended up retiring in a beautiful lakefront property they get to call home.
Lake George is such a sentimental place to Peter and his family so getting married on the lake was a no-brainer. Peter and I drove three hours from Westchester NY to tour the property and as soon as we got out of the car, I said to Peter, “No need to look further, I’m in love with this place already”. Peter said, “Ashley, this is our first venue tour”. I didn’t care when you know you know. We also finally got to my wedding coordinator, LeAnna, who accommodated us quickly and was an absolute pleasure to work with. After meeting and looking at the whole property, LeAnna gave us some dates that were available in 2021, and July 4th sounded great.
FLORIST: Blooms Wedding & Event Design Studio
Nicole and Suzanne were such a pleasure to work with and made picking out flowers a piece of cake. My whole theme for our wedding was Clean and Classy, which meant I wanted white flowers and greenery only. Our entire planning sessions took place via Zoom and FaceTime calls because Covid-19 was so bad. It was so hard to visualize and see something that we couldn’t see in person, so I put all my faith in both Nicole and Suzanne. My wedding day was the first time I got to see my bridal bouquet and bridesmaids’ bouquet and they were perfect. They nailed my Clean & Classy request.
ENTERTAINMENT: Music Man Entertainment
Mike Garrasi was such a pleasure to work with throughout the whole process of wedding planning and of course, was a huge impact on our wedding day. Peter and I wanted to do things less traditional for our wedding and Mike was open to hearing all our crazy ideas. On the day of our wedding, he was outstanding in making sure it went exactly how we planned. All our guests were up and dancing the whole time and the party never stopped.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Rob Spring Photography
Rob & Sarah are the dynamic duos you want to capture every moment and detail of your wedding day. I couldn’t have imagined choosing anyone different to capture the most important day of my life. I luckily got to experience both Rob and Sarah in a Boudoir photoshoot and Peter & I worked with Sarah for our engagement sessions. Their work is just amazing and worth every penny. They will do anything to get the perfect shot.
BEAUTY: Make Me Fab and Alayne Curtiss Bridal Beauty
Hair and Make-up are the most important thing to a bride on her wedding day. Well, it was the most important thing to me :), but with living 3 hours away from where you’re getting married, how does one make such an important discussion when choosing a company they have never heard of before. I honestly had no idea about make-me fabulous until Peter and I chose our wedding venue. Leanna who was our wedding coordinator handed me a sheet of paper with many options to choose from. Make Me Fabulous was first on the list, so naturally, I checked them out first. The only thing I had to go off of was what I saw on the @makemefabny Instagram page & website. Which was enough for me, because I signed the contract a few weeks later. I didn’t meet anyone from Make Me Fab until my first trial along with planning my Boudoir photoshoot with Rob Spring photography right after, so I was putting all my faith into Alayne that day. The trial experience was amazing and such a fun day, and after I saw the final look I was totally impressed!! Alayne outdid herself. I was so obsessed with my hair and make-up, I drove 3 hours to just get a haircut a few weeks later, and again so Alayne could work her magic for my engagement session. Fast forward to July 4th, 2021, My Wedding day. The one day where I wanted to look and feel like a princess was not a stress for me because I had THE BEST out there, and that was the team at Make Me Fab. My bridesmaids looked stunning and a huge shout out to Alayne Curtiss for making me look absolutely gorgeous (words of my husband, Peter Keating) for the best day of my life. Alayne was spectacular. I wish I lived closer to Saratoga so I could get my hair and make-up done every chance I had, they are that good.
THE WEDDING DAY:
July 4th, 2021 was the most perfect day of the year and the weather could not have been any better. The sun finally came shining through after raining for five straight days prior. The morning flew by as all the girls were getting ready, dancing, laughing, and taking tons of pictures at the Inn. The guys, on the other hand, were getting ready at Peters’s parent’s house and taking their family boat up the lake to the venue to meet me for our first look, which took place on the dock where the view was just breathtaking. The ceremony took place on the North Point at the Inn at Erlowest where all 172 guests sat comfortably with plenty of room to spare. Peter and I were lucky to be able to get married by Monsignor Philip Hill, who was a long-time friend of the Keating Family. It was so special to be married by a close friend as well as getting a dispensation from the Catholic Church for our wedding to be recognized as a Catholic Marriage. Peter and I had the best day of our lives, all thanks to THE DREAM TEAM. Leanne and Lori from the Erlowest, Rob Spring and Sarah, Alayne Curtis and the bridal squad, Nicole and Suzanne from Blooms Wedding & Design, and Mike Garassi our DJ. Thanks to all of you, our wedding was a hit.
THE HONEYMOON:
Peter and I both were able to take a full month off for our honeymoon. We decided to stay in the US for the first part of our honeymoon by eating our way through Chicago, then headed straight to Florida for some sunshine. We headed back for a weekend to attend one of our best friend’s weddings then hopped on a plane again the next day to head to St. Lucia for 10 Days. Jade Mountain in St. Lucia is a place everyone should experience at least once in their life, the views were breathtaking, the beaches were incredible, and the food was prepared by a five star chef on the roof of the resort where you can see more than one shooting star happen in a night.
LOOKING BACK AT THE DAY:
I wish I can do it all over again. It was the most perfect day and the most memorable day so far in my life. One significant memory I have of the day is standing on the north point at The Erlowest, where our ceremony took place, looking into my husband’s eyes with all our closest friends and family watching and just saying to myself “I am the luckiest girl in the world” it was a picture perfect moment that I will never forget. About 10 seconds later, the
Minnehaha came up so close to the point right in the middle of the ceremony, blowing the horn with all the passengers screaming and waving at us. That too was a pretty awesome moment not everyone gets to experience on their wedding day.
THE DRESS: A Little Something White – Darien, CT
I have to finish this story with, The DRESS. On July 4th, 202, it was time to start looking for a dress. I had such a fun experience looking for my dream gown. My mom and grandma were there every steps of the way during this process, they both are my biggest supporters as well as my biggest critics. I tried on every style wedding dress under the sun just for fun and OMG we had a blast. From sexy styles to ball gowns, every dress I tried on was beautiful, but in my head, I knew exactly what I wanted. A clean, classy form fitting dress that fit me like a glove. After going to countless bridal boutiques, I found my dress, the most perfect dress, by designer Kelly Faetanini at A Little Something White in Darien, CT.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE:
Enjoy being happily married together, and starting a family in the near future. With Peter being a firefighter and myself as an Occupational Therapist, we both have occupations that allow us to spend quality time together, go on vacations & getaways and of course, save to buy the house of our dreams.
~Ashley Keating