Azalea Lodge at Mead Garden Real Wedding: Ashlyn Witzke and Matt Sullivan 

At Dubsdread Catering we love being dedicated members of the team that makes your big day your best day. While we are masters at the planning and executing the behind-the-scenes work, we know our clients have their own unique perspective on their event. We thank recent couple Ashlyn Witzke and Matt Sullivan for graciously sharing their experience to benefit others.

BRIDE AND GROOM: Ashlyn Witzke and Matt Sullivan
WEDDING DATE: February 3, 2023
VENUE: Azalea Lodge at Mead Botanical Garden
EVENT COORDINATOR: Peighton Ballant, Wedding and Event Coordinator

VENDORS: 

PHOTOGRAPHER: Sydney Morman Photography
FLORIST: Rozay Bouquet
DJ: Our DJ Rocks
Check out our Vendor Profile 
DESSERT: Jeremiah's Italian Ice and Insomnia Cookies
VIDEO: Uptown Selfies
HAIR/MAKEUP: LeJeune Artistry

ONE YEAR OUT:

How/where did you get engaged? 
Matt popped the question at a vineyard in Montecarlo, Italy called fattoria di Montechiari. After the owner gave us a tour of the vineyard, we enjoyed a wine tasting and charcuterie board. As the lunch came to a close, Matt's aunt and mom insisted we get one more family photo. As we stood on the patio, I wondered why the family was not standing on the side that allowed the beautiful mountain view to be behind us in the picture. Someone told me to turn around, and Matt was on one knee! I was so surprised, and of course, excited to say, "YES!" to my middle school sweetheart. I found out later that this was a spontaneous ask, planned by Matt while we were at the vineyard, which made it all the more romantic. 

What are you most excited about for your wedding day?
If we had to pick one thing, we are most excited to have all of our friends and family together in one place. We are also excited about the "little things" that will make the day special and really feel like our own.

What aspect are you excited to plan the most? (Ceremony, food & beverages, photographer, DJ)
In college, Matt and I went to a handful of music festivals, and we had so much fun. So, we are excited to make the reception an awesome party and dance the night away with all the people we love!

A FEW MONTHS OUT / PLANNING PROCESS:

How do you feel the planning is going?
The wedding planning process has gone pretty smoothly for us! We definitely think having a longer engagement helped make the process less stressful. We got engaged in September of 2021 and our wedding is in February of 2023, so after our biggest vendors were booked earlier this year, we were able to really take our time with the rest of the planning and enjoy being engaged! 

What have you found to be more difficult than you expected?
Honestly, the hardest part has been making the decisions for all the little details. For years you add to your wedding Pinterest board, but when it comes down to finalizing things like your colors, decor, invites, signage, etc., you find that there are many good options, and it can be SO hard to pick just one! This is where my bridal party and close family members have been the most helpful, and I’m so thankful to have them to bounce ideas off of.

What has been more fun about the process than you expected?
I was most surprised by the enjoyment I found in designing the save-the-dates, bridal shower invites, and wedding ceremony/reception invites. It has been fun to let my creative side show and really personalize these small details. Plus, I love sending and receiving physical mail!

WEDDING DAY:

What was the best, most memorable part of your big day?
We both agree that the best part of our day was by far the first look. We were so anxious leading up to that moment, but once we saw each other, our nerves disappeared! We shared love letters with each other during our first look. It was really special to do that with just the two of us without feeling like we had to cater our words or reactions to an audience. 

If you could change one or two things about your event, what would they be? 
Our day went almost perfectly. A few little things did not go 100% according to plan, but that’s bound to happen no matter how much planning you do, and every couple should mentally prepare for that! If I could go back, I would have liked to be at the venue/bridal suite earlier. We got there at 1:30 p.m. for a 5 p.m. ceremony. We had our first look at 3 p.m., and even that did not feel like much time at all. From the moment the girls and I got to the venue, it was go, go, go. It would have been nice to be able to hang out, chat, have a glass of champagne, before everything began. I think part of the reason we felt short of time was due to our large families and wedding party size which meant photos took a lot more time.

Is there any advice you would give other couples planning their event that you wish some-one had told you?
A lot of people say this, but it cannot be said enough, remember the day is about you two! Don’t worry about traditions or what others will think about certain details of the event because at the end of the day, it is only about YOU TWO! We did many unconventional things and we had so many people tell us how “us” the wedding was and how much they enjoyed that. One other really important piece of advice for the day of is to make an effort to stick with your partner and not let guests and wedding parties take you away from each other –again, the day is for you two! At our engagement party, we realized we barely spent time with each other because we were trying to mingle with everyone there. We wanted to make sure our wedding reception was time spent together, and that’s what we did. If we got separated on the dance floor, it wasn't long until one of us went to find the other. We have zero regrets doing this because when we look back on our wedding day, we remember having the best time with EACH OTHER. When your main focus of the day is having fun together, it's bound to be the best day ever.

We had the best day ever. We cannot thank the whole Dubsdread Catering team for making our dream day come true! Even though I didn’t see her much the day of my wedding as we were both running around, our coordinator Peighton gave me so much support leading up to the wedding and I know things would not have gone half as smoothly without her hard work.

Photos courtesy of the bride, groom, Alyssa Bosford (matron of honor who took the engagement photos for us), and Sydney Morgan Photography.

When you book a wedding with Dubsdread Catering at one of our exclusive venues, we provide wedding coordination at no additional charge. Our coordinators become dedicated members of your team bringing experience and expertise to help you execute your vision. Contact them today via our Contact Us page to make our team your team in making your dreams come true.