Above photo found on Ashley's personal blog: www.ashleysdailybucket.blogspot.com
In 2009, Ashley met Alden while living in her summer apartment complex in Provo Utah, appropriately named “Sparks.” Since Ashley would be returning home to Idaho in just a few months, the two began dating for fun, expecting nothing serious. However, by the end of the summer, Ashley and Alden had accidentally fallen in love.
(Anyone else have the song “Summer Lovin” from Grease stuck in his or her head)?
Since I’ve already given away the happy ending, let’s fast forward to the day Alden popped the question.
The couple maintained a long distance relationship through the Fall until Ashley moved to Laue, Hawaii, where Alden was finishing up school.
About a month later, Alden crafted up a magical proposal that Ashley described as “a complete fairytale”
At 5:45 AM, Alden showed up at Ashley’s place to wake her up and tell her to be ready in an hour. When he returned, he placed a blindfold over her eyes and took her for a thrilling moped ride. Then he carried Ashley on his back to their picnic blanket that was set up along the beautiful ocean shore. Just as the sun peaked over the horizon, Alden took off the blindfold, got down on one knee and asked Ashley to be his wife. 
Behind the bushes, close friends were watching and documenting the whole proposal and jumped out for a surprise celebration when she accepted.
“After the proposal we drove up the North Shore, had breakfast, watched a surfing competition and saw whales jumping in the ocean. Talk about magical!” recalls Ashley.
To read about the romantic proposal straight from the bride herself, check out the engagement post on her personal blog- Ashley’s Daily Bucket
Ashley and Alden planned their entire Rexburg, Idaho wedding together while living in Hawaii. Using inspirations from various websites like Wed Savvy, the couple planned a unique DIY style wedding with vintage flair.
Meet Ashley and Alden: the beautiful bride and handsome groom
At the top of their priority list was booking a fantastic photographer. Ashley, who previously worked for two professional photographers, knew that the right person would brilliantly capture all the special moments and emotions of the wedding which would last a lifetime. The couple knew they were in good hands when they hired the talented Justin Hackworth for the job.
It was a tasteful and timeless affair. Every detail had been thoughtfully designed to reflect Ashley and Alden’s unique personalities.
I loved Ashley’s description behind her “a & a” self-designed monogram on the lemonade jars. She explained how she intentionally made the “&” symbol very large between their initials to emphasize that life was no longer about each of them individually, it was about both of them together.
Ashley and Alden’s wedding looks and sounds like one of the most sincere and genuine displays of pure love that I’ve ever seen- untainted by over-the-top embellishments.
At the end of celebration, the large white balloons that whimsically decorated the reception were given to guests who released them up into the air as the new Mr. and Mrs. Aikele exited the venue hand in hand.
Thanks to these special moments, countless smiles and candid images from Justin Hackworth Photography, I honestly feel like I was a part of their memorable celebration.
