Bride: Ashley + James

Aperture Photos – Covington, LA

Sliding into Love

-Liesel Schmidt

People joke all the time about sliding into each other’s DMs, but for Ashley Giambelluca and James Theriot, that was the very ice breaker that started their relationship. “Jimmy was out with his friends for his birthday, and I was out at the same place with a friend,” says Ashley, recalling the day in 2017 when they first laid eyes on one another. “He asked his friend about me, and I woke up the next morning to a message from him. He literally slid into my DMs!”

DMs became more than just casual conversation, and the two began dating. Over the course of the next three and a half years, Ashley and Jimmy fell deeper in love—and then it became official. “Our first date was at a rooftop bar in New Orleans, so Jimmy wanted to propose there; but due to COVID restrictions, he postponed the proposal,” says Ashley, recalling the events that led to the day her life changed forever. “He made several attempts over the next few months, but COVID was still a factor—he actually had the ring for eight months! He wanted it to be perfect and for our closest friends and family to be a part of this special moment, so fast forward to June 20, 2020, when it was finally a success! He had two of my girlfriends start a group message and pretend that we were all going out to eat dinner together. When Jimmy and I arrived at the Lakehouse, I saw a collage of pictures and a rose on a table in the courtyard. All I remember hearing was ‘Hey, baby;’ and as I turned around, I couldn’t hear anything else because I was in such disbelief that the man I had been waiting to marry finally asked! All of our family and friends were on the balcony, and they all came out crying and cheering for us. It was a day I’ll never forget! Especially for the fact that he flew my best friend in from Texas to celebrate with us.”

Just over a year later, on October 23, 2021, there was more celebrating as friends and family gathered at the Greystone in Mandeville to watch Ashley and Jimmy wed. Wearing a classic gown with long sleeves, a low back, sheer lace panels at the side, and lace embellishments, Ashley walked down the aisle to meet her beloved at the altar. After being pronounced man and wife, the newly married Theriots joined their guests for an onsite reception and a buffet dinner of delicious food that included a carving station, ahi tuna, crab bisque, chicken and sausage gumbo, shrimp and grits, bacon wrapped shrimp, a potato bar, a salad station, a pasta station, pork sliders, and crab cakes. Sweetening up the night, the couple cut into an all-white four-tier cake adorned with a cascade of lilies and roses, with layers of butter cream, lemon, white chocolate, and cream cheese. “We had so much food!” laughs Ashley, who works as a marketing director, while Jimmy works as a project manager.

With 200 guests, the reception was a full party—especially when the music started. “From the moment the band began playing, there wasn’t an empty spot on the dance floor,” Ashley says. “And after the second line was over and our guests lined up for the sendoff, Jimmy and I shared a last dance together—’Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ by Aerosmith. It’s one of our favorite memories of the night, just the two of us getting to spend the last couple of minutes together on the best night of our lives!”