Meet Ashley + the team

I love that planning events allows me to combine both my passions and my strengths. Designing a vision, telling a story and orchestrating a performance all while collaborating with people from all walks of life. I find great satisfaction seeing how happy each client is with the end result of the events we plan. Additionally, and most noteworthy, the relationships that we form with many of our clients last a lifetime.

I have been coordinating weddings and events for over 15 years and have been working for myself for 7 years. I have been on the consulting team of over ten four-five star restaurants on both the East and West Coast.  I began my career in the hospitality industry in New York City and after moving to the west coast, I began to plan special events.  Being influenced by some of the best in the business, I learned quickly the standard of quality acceptable when planning once in a lifetime events. I gathered these experiences and returned to the East Coast to continue planning weddings and special events.

I find inspiration in many places – my love of a good story, fine art, nature, landscape design, yoga, different cultures and music. Will your event be inspired by the Three Tenors, classical guitar, Run DMC, Faith Hill, Springsteen, Jack Johnson, solo Cello or The Cure?  I work closely with my clients, getting to know them well, to determine how they want their event to feel – the experience they want to give their guests.

I grew up as a serious ballet student only to later head onto an acting conservatory. I was raised by actors and spent my weekends in the theatre, getting my Equity and SAG card before I could drive. I later toured the country and worked in many of the country’s most reputable theaters. My experience in the theater and the arts greatly influences my life and will always be my first love.

My favorite moment of a wedding is right before you walk down the aisle. If given an unlimited budget I would milk the ceremony making it as fabulous as possible with a full symphony, lighting spectacular, a few great performances and chuck full of meaningful content to truly reflect the importance and sweetness of the moment. Many thanks for taking the time to visit our website! We look forward to hearing from you!

Photo by: Bruce Plotkin

 

PAIGE PARNESS Lead Event Planner

I graduated from Fairfield University with a double major in marketing and management. I fell in love with the town of Fairfield during college and decided to stay post graduation. I currently live in Fairfield, CT with my 1 year old son, Ethan, my baby girl, Kayla and husband, Todd.

A planner and organized person by nature, I love to get involved in every detail of events and enjoy seeing them come to life after months of preparation! I’ve always enjoyed helping family and friends out with their events as a hobby and it’s a dream come true to be able to help couples plan their own wedding day.

I have more than a decade of experience as a marketing event manager for a well known spirits company. I have planned well over a hundred small to very large events to launch new products, both domestically and internationally. I am accustom to walking into new environments, with new people and making an event happen perfectly despite any unforeseen challenges.

I love the adrenaline rush and competitive side of things, and enjoy kickboxing and bootcamps when I get the chance to work out. Running with my Black Lab, hitting the beach and playing with my son are my favorite ways to relax and snuggling up to a good book is always a luxury!

Can’t wait to meet you and learn more about what you have in store for your event or wedding day.

Photo by Bruce Plotkin

 

 

JULIA D’AGOSTINO Assistant to Ashley Douglass

While I currently reside in Trumbull, CT, I have lived in Boston, Baltimore, and even in Auckland, New Zealand for I love traveling around wherever the wind takes me, no matter how much weight I’m carrying on my back from my photography gear!

I am about to graduate Loyola University of Maryland in Baltimore and with an interdisciplinary major in Journalism and Photography. I work for Loyola’s Athletic Communication’s team and photograph every home-game day event for every sport. I also devote weekly time to Loyola’s Relay for Life Event Committee, as well as, Loyola’s Spoon University chapter.

Fun Fact – I also work a bit for the talents of Melani Lust Photography. It’s been great learning about special events and in particular weddings, from these two vendor perspectives.

Ashley Douglass Events keeps me quite busy doing anything from research on a client’s behalf, to packing welcome bags, to helping begin planning on their 2017 and even 2018 events! The amount of varied work that passes by an event planners desk in a day is startling and Ashley catches the balls like no one else. I am very much looking forward to our 2017 Spring to Fall season, which will be my second season with ADE – its going to be our best one yet with so much gorgeousness in store I can hardly contain myself.

 

SARA FAWCETT Event Manager

Sara has been with ADE for six years, using her calm-under-pressure personality to help clients, brides and grooms have a fantastic day without worry.  She is industrious, remembers every detail large and small, and thinks of ways to fix problems before they arise.

Sara resides in Greenwich, CT with her son Lucas and her hubby James. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Connecticut. When she is not helping on events, she is in graduate school at Fairfield University, earning her Master’s in Special Education.

Community service has always been something close to her heart. Today, she does a lot of volunteering by participating in marathons and events to raise money for various research and organizations such as Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, CancerCare, Stamford Hospital and the American Red Cross. As a side note, she is also a master baker and has even taken a few course at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

Photo by: Melani Lust Photography

 

 

 

RACHEL EMMANUELLE Team member 

I am a recent graduate from Fairfield University with a degree in both Communications and English literature. I was a member of Fairfield University Student Association and the Relay For Life committee all four years of college, as well as working as a Building Manager at Fairfield’s campus center. When I’m not busy, I can be found at the beach with my friends or trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

I had been an intern with ADE the Summer before my Senior year in college. I’m so happy to be seeing events come to life many weekends over the warmer months. I planned events on Fairfield’s campus since my freshmen year and love continuing to learn everything about the industry. My career goal is to eventually own my own event planning company and create beautiful weddings and events, and strong relationships with my clients, just like Ashley Douglass Events.

Photo by Bruce Plotkin

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOLLY NATHANIEL Team member 

I graduated Miami University in Ohio in 2016 with a degree in Business and a focus on entrepreneurship. I was born in Ithaca, New York but I have lived in Columbus, Ohio since I was 5 and recently moved to the big Apple! I am happy to call myself a New Yorker!

My career goal is pretty much to be doing exactly what Ashley does. I have always had the idea of wedding planning as a career, but I used to be believe it was an unrealistic aspiration like saying, “I want to be a princess when I grow up.” But, a few summers ago I was fortunate to have an incredible internship experience with Joelle Marie Events in Florence, Italy. I realized that not only was this career possible, it was the only career that would suit me. I am a super organized, planning freak. My agenda is my most prized possession and I am always looking towards what’s coming up in the future.

My favorite thing to do in my free time is read. I split my reading time between my love for nerdy books, like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, and my love for a great romance novel. I do have a quirky habit of reading entire books in one sitting because I am too impatient to wait to find out the ending. On top of reading, I love to travel. I am always adding new places I have to visit to my never-ending bucket list.

I am in love with event days because they are similar to reading and travel in that you walk into a whole new world and it’s been created from scratch. Seeing hour one of set up to the final result, it’s thrilling to see the details unfold. People come together and put their best foot forward, creating something magical. I love it!