(Photo by Anthony Jenkins)
Ashley and Sarah White first met online through Facebook Dating in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m pretty sure Sarah was the only person who responded to me at all, and she only messaged a couple of people,” Ashley says.
After long conversations getting to know each other, their first date was on her birthday at Sarah’s home.
“I walked into her house and Sarah was doing a puzzle,” Ashley remembers.
Then, after the date, Ashley began “feeling off.”
“I had no sense of taste or smell and when I told Sarah that, she thought I was joking around,” she says.
It wasn’t long before Sarah was sick, as well, and they decided to quarantine together over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
“It’s a very, very quick way to find out if you like somebody,” Ashley says.
They spent their quarantine playing board games and as they recovered, testing out their slowly returning taste and smell.
In May 2021, the Lutz couple got engaged.
“When I met Sarah, that was it; I knew right away,” Ashley says.
With COVID still rampant, they decided to get married in a quick ceremony in August 2021 and then went bowling.
“We just wanted to get the marriage portion done,” Ashley explains. “Besides, I had to get her to marry me before we went bowling and she saw how terrible a bowler I am.”
They decided to have their big party with friends and family at a later date.
They finally had their wedding party this past summer, on July 16, at Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa. The LGBTQ-affirming church has served the area for more than 50 years.
It was great to bring everyone together to celebrate, they say, including some coworkers they’d never met in person before.
Their theme was “fire and ice,” which featured deep red and light blue decorations.
“It’s been our little joke about each other,” Ashley says. “She’s very fire. I’m very ice. She’s hot. I’m cold.”
Since they don’t drink, they had a coffee hour, rather than a happy hour, and had Mr. Coffee Concierge make iced coffees for their guests.
They also hired Pasta Chef Catering to set up a pasta station for the event.
“It was so great how everything pulled together,” Ashley says.
From the beginning, the couple found they had a lot in common. They have similar backgrounds and values. They’re both first responders and in their conversations, they clicked.
“A lot of it was intellect,” Sarah says. “The fact that you could have a conversation and it flowed.”
She adds, “Everything just fell into place like a puzzle.”
Now, they’re starting a business together, White Knight Organizing, which offers professional office and home organizing, as well as packing and unpacking for moves. Sarah handles the digital marketing for the company while Ashley handles other aspects.
“It’s a good balance of working together but not on top of each other,” Ashley notes.
Engagement Date: May 16, 2021
Marriage Date: Aug. 16, 2021
Wedding Date: July 16, 2022
Wedding Venue: MCC Tampa
Wedding theme/colors: Fire and Ice; Deep red and light blue
Officiant: Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw
Cake Bakery: Samantha Compton
Photographer: Anthony Jenkins
DJ: In The House Productions
Caterer: Pasta Chef Catering
Coffee Hour: Mr. Coffee Concierge
Wedding Planner: Prodigy Event Planning
Hair/Makeup: Amy Short
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