New

A Perfect Match: An Elegant Wedding in Maidens, VA

On September 1, 2020, Ashley and Harrison found themselves in similar but different situations. Harrison was recently divorced with a short string of bad dates. Ashley had been on a very long string of bad dates. But then, one day, Ashley decided to forego her Netflix queue, and Harrison skipped his solo bike ride long enough to log into Match.com for “something to do.” Ashley “winked” at Harrison, and then Harrison sent Ashley a long email. Ashley sent Harrison a long email back. That day was their first September One.

After a few days of long emailing, and then, Facetiming for a few weeks, Harrison and Ashley had their very first date at a sushi restaurant. Sparks flew for them both and on September 1, 2022, Harrison got down on one knee and proposed to Ashley in a fancy steakhouse on a cruise ship in the Caribbean in front of both of their mothers. That day was their second September One.

Now, Ashley and Harrison are living happily ever after with two incredible boys and two fur kids. See all the romantic details from their wedding day captured by Renee Jean Photography.

Bride: Ashley Harris, 42

Groom: Harrison Gichini, 45

Photography By: Renee Jean Photography

Place of Residence: Leesburg, VA 

Wedding Date: September 1, 2023

Wedding Location: The Estate at River Run in Maidens, VA

Wedding Theme/Motif/Inspiration: Dusty rose (bridesmaid dresses), white, gold, navy blue (groomsmen)

Honeymoon Destination: We went on the Carnival Celebration out of Miami, FL, on a two-week, back-to-back cruise! We first went to Cozumel, Mexico; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Roatan, Honduras, for six days. We then got back on the same ship for eight days and sailed to Curacao, Aruba, and Bonaire.

Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 005
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 006
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 022
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 028
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 031
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 034
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 042
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 043
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 046
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 050
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 071

Briefly tell us about your wedding experience and how the both of you felt on your big day. 

At the wedding, Harrison, his two sons (Brayden and Gavin), and I (Ashley) all poured sand during a sand ceremony that solidified our lives together as one family. It was beautiful. Also, Harrison is Kenyan. During the reception, his father and stepmother did a traditional blessing of the marriage, while Harrison’s mother and aunts conducted a Kenyan dance ceremony that welcomed me (Ashley) into their family and introduced me (Ashley) to Kenyan tradition. 

Aside from the wedding day, we had a hell of a wedding weekend with family and friends. We got in a few days early to rent an Airbnb that would allow us to connect with our entire wedding party for a game, pizza, and drinks night. This really brought everyone together and connected everyone for a fun-filled weekend.

We are so grateful that it came together to be the most special day we had experienced in our relationship and are so grateful for the venue, vendors, family, and friends who showed up to support us. It was beyond a special day, and we will forever be delighted by how it all turned out! 

Advice to couples: Put yourself in your guests’ shoes when planning, but honor your and your partner’s shoes more! 

Wedding song, and the significance of the song: 

We made a mash-up using 5 songs that are really special to us and whose words truly embodied the way that we feel about each other, the histories that brought us to each other, and the future that we will have together.  We created a dance routine to accompany the mash-up and it was one of the most special things that we did together in celebration of our marriage. When any of the songs come on, we still get tears in our eyes, and we still practice our dance moves we created! 

  • “Always & Forever” by Heatwave
  • “Lessons” by Eric Roberson
  • “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran 
  • “Forever” by Chris Brown 
  • “Ngeta” by Arrow Buoy 

What are you most looking forward to as a married couple? 

We are so thrilled to be married. We found each other later in life and are delighted that God has blessed us with the ability to continue our strong friendship and our strong romance for the rest of our lives! We look forward to continuing to hold hands, travel on cruise ships and everywhere else, support each other through thick and then, and all of the fun Starbucks adventures together. We are blessed to continue to raise our 12 year old and 14 year old boys (Harrison’s biological children). We have purchased a home together, and are welcoming a little girl to the world, expected in March 2025!  

Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 094
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 084
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 093
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 097
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 075
Ashley & Harrison -Renee Jean Photography – 104

We wish the happy couple a lifetime of wedded bliss!

Additional Event Information

We've featured the below wedding pros, but we don't know much about them yet. Featured below? Click here to get started.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *