magical A

Experience

BRIEANN WEST AND IAN ASHCROFT APRIL 12, 2019

By Celeste Edenloff

BrieAnn West and Ian Ashcroft currently live in Washington, D.C. BrieAnn is a 2006 graduate of Jefferson High School in Alexandria. Her parents and other family still live in the Alexandria area and she says she visits the area often.

BrieAnn is a judge advocate in the United States Army. She is attending Georgetown University Law Center for her Master of Laws in National Security Law and Cyber. Ian is a regional manager South Atlantic for Lazer Logistics.

BrieAnn answered the followed questions:

QHow/where did you meet?

AIan and I met in 2011 while working for Delta Air Lines at the Minneapolis airport. I was working as a gate agent and Ian was working in the tower as an operations coordinator. We both noticed each other on the moving walkway as I was coming in to work and he was leaving. I thought I was getting set up on a blind date with him, but it turned out to be someone else. Later, we finally met at a work happy hour and instantly clicked. Within a few weeks we were traveling to Okinawa, Japan to visit my cousin.

QWhat’s your proposal story?

AIan proposed to me in Tacoma, Washington at our favorite restaurant called Over the Moon Cafe. It’s a very small and intimate restaurant. At the tables they have little treasure boxes full of notes the diners leave – most of them are about love and life.

QWhen and where did you get married?

AWe were legally married in Alexandria at my parents house on Lake L’Homme Dieu in August of 2018. They have large windows overlooking the lake. We traveled to Alexandria for our engagement party, but ended up surprising close family by having my mom officiate our wedding before the party started.

Our official wedding was April 12, 2019 at Walt Disney World. We were married in Canada Terrace in Epcot in front of a waterfall at 9 a.m. After the ceremony and pictures in the park, we took everyone over to Abracadabar, a magical themed venue on the Boardwalk where we had our pre-reception and a roaming magician. For our reception, we opted to have lunch at the Attic in the Boardwalk Inn Resort, where Mickey and Minnie joined us to celebrate. We took a few-hour break and then everyone met back at 7 p.m. for an evening reception in Epcot to watch fireworks at the UK Lochside. Afterward, we surprised everyone with a “ride mixin” where we were escorted onto Soarin’ – a ride that replicates a hang gliding experience overlooking many of the wonders of the world.

QHow did you decide that location?

ADisney has always been a source of joy and fun in my life. When we got engaged and started talking venues, we originally discussed getting married on a pirate ship in San Diego. Then I started dreaming bigger and realized that Disney offered wedding packages that are full of possibility. We had our choice of locations in the parks, at resorts, or in the Wedding Pavilion, but we really wanted a park venue. Epcot is our favorite park because of the world showcase. We liked Canada Terrace because it had a very whimsical feel, but also included a waterfall in the background.

QWhat was your favorite part of your wedding day?

AAll of it. Honestly, the entire experience was so magical and everything was seamless. Incorporating in entertainment for our guests was very important, so having the magician, our special guests Mickey and Minnie, fireworks and a ride mix-in was more than we could have hoped for. Disney Fairytale Weddings did a great job of handling all of the details. It was a day that I hope many of our guests will never forget because of all of the fun we were able to experience together, on a day that is so important for us. And, it was stress free.

QWhat advice do you have for newly engaged couples?

AYour wedding is about celebrating your love, with people you love, and should include doing things you love. If you and your fiance have something you are passionate about, include those details in your event. It’s about making memories that last a lifetime. Don’t stress about the small things, hire a day-of coordinator and make sure to include room in your budget for a talented photographer and videographer. Most importantly - HAVE FUN!