ASHLAN & CHAZ
Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa Wedding
Ashlan Chandler & Chaz Denton both ran in the same circle while in school at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. While Ashlan had put Chaz in the friend zone, he knew one day he would marry her — so much so, that he had even mentioned it to his friends. After graduation, they reconnected at a football game and from then on, Chaz was officially marriage material.
A few years later, the couple and a group of friends planned a ski trip to Big Sky, Montana and while Chaz was a seasoned skier, it would be Ashlan’s first time on the slopes. The mix of freezing temps and countless falls proved too much for the newbie who quickly called it quits after day one, thwarting Chaz’s plans of a mountaintop proposal. Instead, he popped the question inside their warm toasty cabin, just to Ashlan’s liking. “I might not have skied the rest of the trip,” remembers Ashlan, “but you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.”
Not surprisingly, when it came time to find a venue for their destination wedding, warm weather-loving Ashlan headed South to Savannah, GA — a place she had vacationed in years past — to find her dream venue. With the help of her mom and sister, the trio set out to tour multiple properties, but by the time they reached The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, Ashlan was certain she had found her spot. “I fell in love with The Westin’s outdoor environment right by the river,” she remembers. “It had such a naturally beautiful feel that I knew it would be perfect for our day.” The couple planned for an October 1st wedding and invited 34 of their nearest and dearest to join them for an early Fall celebration.
With the wedding date set, Ashlan turned her focus to finding her gown and was surprised to find how easy that task would be. “It was the first dress I tried on,” she recalled. And while she didn’t stop there, visiting a handful of other boutiques over the next few days, it was the Phillipa gown from Sottero and Midgley that kept calling her back. The elegant design from The White Room featured a fit-and-flare silhouette with an illusion neckline and buttons down the back that she paired with a satin ribbon belt to accentuate her waist. Ashlan wore her hair in a half up-do to help secure her veil and left the rest down in loose curls. She turned to Kiwi Fleur to design her bouquet combining a variety of white roses, veronica and seeded eucalyptus, all tied with a blue ribbon to serve as her “something blue”.
Ashlan’s vision for a minimalistic fête with a natural color palette started with her bridesmaids’ attire, who wore Show Me Your Mumu dresses in a delicate shade of taupe and toted smaller versions of the bride’s all-white bouquet. Chaz and his groomsmen kept it casual in navy blue slacks and soft grey ties.
After the personalized ceremony, the crowd enjoyed cocktail hour with crispy duck spring rolls and miniature crab cakes. Ashlan kept the evening’s décor minimal with light grey gauze draped across the tables, while a mixture of white blooms and greenery accented the rustic tabletop lanterns, which were a lovely takeaway for guests at the end of the evening. Handwritten name cards inked on kraft paper and tied with a ribbon and eucalyptus sprig were placed at each seat.
An intimate dinner was served in the crisp autumn air with options of roasted chicken, gnocchi, or pan-roasted salmon for the main course. For dessert, the couple cut into their two-tiered naked buttercream cake from Baker’s Pride which offered up layers of strawberry cake or traditional white. Looking back on her wedding, Ashlan has one piece of advice for engaged couples, “Throughout the day, stop and remind yourself to remember the small moments. They will end up being the most special ones of all.”
SAVANNAH WEDDING VENDORS - Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa ll Photographer: Danielle George Photography ll Gown: Sottero and Midgley ll Dress Boutique: The White Room (Lebanon, TN) ll Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu ll Hair & Makeup: Jade Denton of Studio Seventeen 104 ll Floral Design: Kiwi Fleur ll Catering & Bar: The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa ll Cake: Baker’s Pride Bakery ll Invitations: Minted ll Lighting: JLK Events ll Ceremony & Reception Music: Billy Ball with JLK Events ll Officiant: Reverend Schulte
