Bachendorf’s Bride: Eric and Ashley

bachendorf’s bride: eric and ashley PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATIAS EZCURRA PHOTOGRAPHY ERIC PULLED OFF THE PERFECT SURPRISE PROPOSAL FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND, ASHLEY, WITH HELP FROM HER THEIR DOG, PETE—AND THE BACHENDORF’S TEAM, WHO WAS THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

How did you meet and how long have you been together?

Ashley: We met on a dating app in January of 2019. We spent the first few weeks talking on the app and then on the phone. Eric took a trip with work to Mexico shortly after we started talking but kept in contact with me while away. Upon his return, we met up for our first official date for breakfast at BuzzBrews in Deep Ellum and have been going strong ever since.

How did he propose?

Ashley: My friends had been preparing me for every possible outing that could lead to a proposal for almost a year. We had talked about it many times, but Eric wanted to ensure that it was a surprise. Prior to going to dinner one night, Eric suggested that we take our dog to the park at White Rock Lake to tire him out. Eric drove and Pete, our miniSchnauzer, rode in my lap to the park. Once there, he smugly asked me if I noticed Pete’s tag. When I looked at the tag, he had engraved “Will you marry me?” on the back side. He also had one of his friends and former coworkers, whom I had never met, on hand to take pictures and then proceeded to get down on one knee and ask me to marry him. He successfully picked the one time I was not expecting a proposal to pop the question (and of course my hair, clothing and makeup were not photo ready)! We then went out to a celebratory dinner at Nick & Sam’s with the founder of Eric’s company and his wife. Eric: The riskiest part of the entire endeavor was the car ride to the dog park at White Rock Lake where Pete sat on Ashley’s lap for a 20-minute ride with the modified dog tag mere inches from her face. Fortunately, her lack of awareness worked to my advantage, and she didn’t notice anything the entire time. Ashley: Involving our dog Pete made it even more special knowing how much he means to me. Eric is my dream guy in so many ways, and knowing that he wanted to spend his life with me filled my heart with so much joy. I had no doubt that he was the one for me.

Tell us about the ring!

Ashley: It’s a cushion-cut, fancy intense yellow diamond set in platinum. I told Eric the cut and color I wanted but he designed it using design elements from multiple different rings inspired by Harry Winston and Tiffany’s. The Bachendorf’s team helped him improve upon their already timeless designs. Ultimately, he and the team combined the best parts of each, with a few additional elements, to make what is now my dream ring. Eric: I also bought a custom Louis Vuitton trunk box for her ring but because it was so big, there was no way to use it as part of the proposal. Dennis Deutsch, our sales associate at Bachendorf’s, was smart though and gave me a super compact flat ring box that allowed for easier concealment at the park. Once we got home, I then gave her the ring box as an engagement present, which LV then customized for her.

Unfortunately, it’s a rarely used item because Ashley almost never takes her ring off since she loves it so much.

Why did you choose to buy the ring at Bachendorf’s?

Ashley: Eric’s boss and his wife always raved about the amazing service and experience that Bachendorf’s had provided, and the CEO at Eric’s company was also a longtime client. The experience that Eric had working with Dennis, as well as with Don and Fallon at Bachendorf’s, has only reaffirmed his decision.

When was your wedding?

Eric: The wedding was held June 14th, 2022 in Maui, Hawaii. It was a small ceremony with only the bride’s parents present for the event. The ceremony took place at Plumeria Point at the Four Seasons in Wailea and was followed by an intimate dinner overlooking the ocean.

Did any cute or quirky things happen at the wedding or throughout the planning process?

Ashley: The wind was very strong during the ceremony. As I stood at the altar, the wind caught my veil and very nearly blew me over. Luckily, Eric was holding my hands and was able to keep me from toppling backwards!

What else should we know about you?

Ashley: I work as an anesthesiologist at UT Southwestern and Eric is VP of Sales Engineering at Alkami. We really enjoy travel; our most recent trip was our honeymoon in Bora Bora. We spend our free time golfing, working on projects around the house and taking our dog, Pete, to the park.

What’s next for you two?

We recently moved to Colleyville, Texas and are loving suburban life. We would love to start a family in the future, but for now we’re enjoying settling into married life.