Copeland, Berkery Wedding

This bride and groom both live very busy lives with Ashley working as a French Instructor with the Birmingham City School system as well as owning a wedding planning and bridal consulting business; while Jon works as a Systems Manager with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. With both having demanding jobs, it took the intervention of close friends during the March Madness of 2008 while watching the Final Four games. A mutual friend had a business card of Ashley’s headlined with the words “Bridal Consulting/Wedding Planning”, and gave it to Jon. Laughing at what it said Jon replied with “Thanks, but I don’t need a wedding planner!” That however, proved not to be true. He called Ashley the next day and the two have been inseparable ever since.

It was a winter evening on January 9, 2009 and Ashley was on her way to Jon’s house for their customary Friday night date. The craziness of the holiday rush was over and Ashley had no idea what awaited her that evening. Everything was going as usual when she arrived. Jon had fresh purple flowers and her favorite dinner in the oven. The two set outside with a glass of red wine and stargazed. Jon started bringing up old memories that they had shared together, laughing and reminiscing about a trip they took to the Ocoee. Jon stood up as though he was headed to inside for a second glass of wine. When Ashley stood up to follow him, he got down on one knee and with the ring upon her finger, he proposed. Completely taken by surprise, Ashley began screaming “Are you kidding?” Realizing that she had never said yes, she accepted. The evening ended at her parents’ house celebrating with family and friends and toasting the happy couple with champagne.

Having always dreamed of a barefoot beach wedding, Ashley went to work with the help of her wedding planner, Neki Garrett with Engaging Celebrations Wedding & Event Planning. Having a sentimental attachment from all the years of vacationing with her family, she chose El Matador Condos in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida for her wedding destination.

The bride was stunning in her designer Heidi Elnora, strapless, sheath gown with Italian silk chiffon overlay. The dress was detailed with slightly sheered straps, rouched waist and covered buttons. “Ashley Lea” was embroidered in purple on her lining along with 2 bonnet pieces from her childhood christening bonnet, and her veil was re-designed with tulle from Ashley’s mom’s veil.  For her shoes, she chose ivory and rhinestone flip flops. Her brilliant earrings held special value having been made from the diamonds from her mother’s engagement ring. For her something old and something blue, Ashley’s mother made a hanky from the remaining christening bonnet with her new initials monogrammed in blue, to be carried with her bouquet.

Jon wore white linen pants and a light blue linen shirt while his groomsmen wore khaki linen pants and white linen shirts from Old Navy. The bridesmaids wore dresses from Bella Bridesmaid in Homewood, Alabama. Blake and Anna Brooke Harris, children of their pastor Phillip Harris from Lawrenceville Church of God, served as ring bearer and flower girl. Ashley’s mom had smocked the flower girl’s dress.

In front of 150 guest Ashley Lea Copeland & Jonathan Thomas Berkery exchanged their vows under an alter that Jon and his father built from distressed wood. Capturing every detail was talented Jerrod Brown with Jerrod Brown Studios. Purple rose petals chosen by Vince Gray from Flower Stems lined the aisle against the shimmering white sand.

Following the ceremony, everyone headed to Z’s Fish House and Bar in The Destin Yacht Club for the reception. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres of bacon wrapped shrimp with chipotle orange BBQ, duck spring rolls with peanut sauce, sesame chicken skewers, mini crab cakes with remoulade sauce and bada bang shrimp. For dinner, multiple stations were set up such as a potato bar, crawfish etouffee, a carving station, with prime rib roast, silverdollar rolls with horseradish sauce, and a sushi station with California rolls, crunchy shrimp, and spicy tuna along with a pasta station and crudités. Guests had their choice of beer and wine from an open bar. A variety of desserts with cupcakes from Amy Royer and a pie table with apple, chocolate, pecan, key lime, cherry and coconut pies were made available by the very talented Donut Hole from Destin, Florida.

Videographer Jack Royer with Royer Productions seized every memorable moment as the wedding party and guest mingled throughout the night and finished with a surprising display of fireworks over the Destin Bridge at sunset, in honor of Billy Bow Legs weekend. DJ  Brian from Birmingham, Alabama played a variety of music from “All the Single Ladies” by Beyonce (for the tossing of the bouquet) to the last dance “Gotta Be Somebody” by Nickleback.

The newlyweds ran through a rejoicing crowd that lined the docks waving sparklers that lead to a carted boat by “Destin Cruise” driven by Captain Frank and his wife Charlotte. They treasured their time together with a romantic boat ride and champagne. Afterwards, Ashley and Jon stayed at the “over- the- top” Emerald Grande Resort in Destin, before heading out for 10 nights in Playa del Carmen, Mexico at The Royal Resort. The happy couple now reside in Homewood, Alabama, and are still busy as usual. •