A bachelorette cruise first brought Jillian and Ashley Mazza together. Ashley’s friend was marrying Jillian’s older brother, and they were both in the bridal party. “We walked onto the ship as perfect strangers and walked off best friends,” Ashley shares. “It was a surprise to no one when we ventured from best friends into lovers—and for us, the two always appeared to be the same.”
After about two years together, Jillian proposed to Ashley on Palm Beach Island. She gathered all of their friends for an elaborate picnic on the sand with “Marry Me” lights and all. Fast forward another two years into their engagement, and it was Ashley’s turn to propose. She picked up their favorite Japanese takeout and put the ring box inside. “She opened the container, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so shocked,” Ashley says of Jillian’s reaction. “It was so intimate and special—and so us.”
Not wanting to get married at a country club, the couple toured The Howey Mansion in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida, and immediately knew it was their venue. Authenticity was very important to their aesthetic. Roots To Stems understood their romantic, vintage vision, while Gypsy Lemon lensed every moment. And Rosebud Calligraphy set the tone with a beautiful invitation suite.
The brides both chose the first wedding dresses they’d ever tried on. Jillian wore a Grace Loves Lace look, while Ashley went with an off-the-shoulder Blue Willow by Anne Barge dress from Pink Petal Bridal. On the day-of, they got ready with makeup artist Stephanie Ruiz, and their daughter, Avarey, sweetly matched her mothers in white.
On February 9, 2024, Jillian and Ashley wed at golden hour on the mansion’s steps, surrounded by flowers from In Bloom. “I thought my ankles were going to give out,” Ashley laughs. “Everything just happens so fast, like one minute you’re doing your hair and makeup, putting on your dress, and taking a million photos, and then the next, it’s time to walk down the aisle. The whole morning felt like five minutes, and then that walk down the aisle and waiting to see Jillian felt like seven hours. Once she was up there with me and we were holding hands, I was at peace.”
At the reception, the newlyweds shared a first dance to “You And Me” by Lifehouse and were inseparable the whole night. They enjoyed a delicious meal by Arthur’s Catering at their sweethearts’ table, before cutting their cake from Morgan Hunter Desserts.
DJ Staz of Our DJ Rocks kept the dance floor alive. “I loved our private last dance—dancing barefoot together in our wedding dresses, all alone in this beautiful historic mansion that we’ll now always remember as that special place we got married,” Ashley shares.
For their big exit, the pair got in a 1947 Cadillac convertible and drove into wedded bliss. Ashley concludes, “Even though it was the end of the night, it felt like such a monumental way to start our new beginning as wife and wife.”
