The Wedding Story of Ben Maupin and Ashley Underwood

Photos ByDimensions Photography

Written By

Date

February 24, 2016

The details

Ashley had a vision of a casual, but charming garden setting for her and Ben's wedding. She was also dreaming of having a "decadent menu with LOTS of options" (Aren't we all?) The moment they toured Mustard Seed Gardens in Noblesville, Indiana, Ashley knew she wanted it. The historic barn situated in the serene countryside was exactly what she had in mind. "It felt like home. It felt like some place that could house the memories we wanted to create. It was elegant, yet natural and organic," says Ashley. "The entire property was fitting from the inside of the Metsker House where we hung out before the ceremony, to the gazebo we were married under, to the cottage and garden area where our guests ate and drank before the reception, all the way to the barn where the reception was held."

When it came to the other component of her dream wedding—that decadent menu, Ashley and Ben designed their own menu that was reflective of their personal tastes. Hand-passed hors d'oeuvres circulated the venue's grounds accompanied by food stations. The food stations included a carving station with fresh veggies and aioli, a mashed potato bar, salad bar, followed by a huge spread for a dessert bar. With options like cookie sandwiches and pie-in-a-glass, guests didn't venture far from the dessert station! The personalization spilled over into the reception bar where Ben and Ashley offered their favorite local craft beer Dragonfly from Upland, and two signature cocktails—Smash Punch and Ben's Bourbon Revolver.

After eight months into wedding planning, Ashley hired wedding planner Marie Frey of FCCI Weddings to handle the remainder of the planning and hiring of the remaining vendors. She also hired Robin Herington, owner of The Wedding Lady as her florist. Together, the three ladies created a brilliant color scheme using charcoal gray, navy, beige, blush, dusty blue and gold accents. Ashley credits her planner and florist for creating most of the D.I.Y. elements of the wedding, but when it came to the guest favors, Ashley and Ben took over. "We are both avid cooks, so we came up with a special blend of seasonings and spices we combined and put in cute metal jars for guests to take home. We called it 'Bash Spice—The Perfect Blend'," says Ashley.

Ben and Ashley continued to express themselves in other elements from their wedding. Rather than a unity candle, they incorporated a tree planting ceremony into their wedding ceremony. They also displayed two large pieces of wood cut in the shape of the Hoosier State to use for guests to sign rather than the traditional guest book. And during social hour, guests were able to walk the Mustard Seed grounds and play yard games.

what we love

Refer back to the mashed potato bar and pie-in-a-glass. We love foodie weddings because at the end of the day, food, family, friends and fellowship is what makes a wedding! We also love seeing more and more brides plan a color scheme that doesn't rely on two complementary colors, but instead utilizes accents from several different shades to create a unique palette.

And then there's that dress! Of course, we have been seeing a lot of low-back, lace wedding dresses, but there are a few that really stand out! Ashley's dress was the creation of Anna Campbell, a gown designer from Australia. When she first fell in love with it (thanks to Google), she was disappointed that it was only available in Australia. Later, Ashley found out that Anna Campbell was starting to sell her designer gowns in the United States. However, she had to hunt for a dress shop that carried this line. Ashley's search took her all the way to Nashville, Tennessee where she purchased her dream dress—The Saasha at The Dress Theory. Not only do we love the fit-and-flare look and long train of her gown, but we love that Ben and Ashley road tripped together all the way to Nashville to get it!