Sections
  • Home & Style
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Events Calendar
  • Food
  • Health
  • News & Politics
  • Longreads
  • Our Events
  • Parenting
  • Real Estate
  • Shopping
  • Things to Do
  • Travel
  • Weddings
Reader Favorites
  • 100 Best Restaurants
  • Takeout Guide
  • Quiz
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
Washington’s Best
  • Apartment Rentals
  • DC Travel Guide
  • Dentists
  • Doctors
  • Financial Advisers
  • Health Experts
  • Home Improvement Experts
  • Industry Leaders
  • Lawyers
  • Mortgage Professionals
  • Pet Care
  • Private Schools
  • Real Estate Agents
  • Restaurants
  • Retirement Communities
  • Wedding Vendors
More
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
© 2021 Washingtonian Media Inc.
Privacy Policy
All Rights Reserved
 Rss
Skip to content
Washingtonian.com
  • Search
  • Subscribe
  • Menu
  • News & Politics
  • Things to Do
  • Food
  • Health
  • Shopping
  • Home & Style
  • Real Estate
  • Weddings
  • Travel

  • 100 Best Restaurants
  • Takeout Guide
  • Quiz
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Trending Now in Weddings
  • Trend Alert
  • hashtag
  • Gowns
  • DC Wedding
  • Themed Wedding
Weddings

This Engaged Couple Channeled the French Countryside in Northern Virginia and The Results Were So Good

Written by Hayley Garrison Phillips
| Published on July 14, 2017
Tweet Share
Happy Bastille Day from this Utterly Adorable Engaged Couple Channeling the French Countryside in Northern Virginia

When you get engaged during a sunset drive up the coast of Monaco, it’s hard to follow it up with an engagement shoot stateside that captures the magic. Ashley Julyan and Dustin Harris managed to do just that with their playful French countryside engagement shoot at the L’Auberge Chez Francois in Northern Virginia, whose quaint chic setting brought out their playful personalities and echoed back to the moment she said yes. Images below from Audra Wrisley Photography.

Like B&G on Facebook | Follow B&G on Instagram

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
here is the document title

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
003_A&D

Everyone told them they needed to meet. When Ashley and Dustin were both recruited by Lockheed Martin, first it was their recruiter who was insistent they’d be perfect for one another. Then it was a coworker who suggested setting them up. By the time the two finally arranged to have their first date, Ashley was feeling so much pressure she cancelled because she was so nervous.

“Colleagues had been building up the need for us to meet for weeks, and our subsequent conversations had, by that point, confirmed that there was something worth pursuing,” they explain.

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

But Ashley bounced back, making up for her last-minute cancellation in the best way possible: she took Dustin to his first Washington Capitals game. Dustin had just moved from Virginia Tech up to DC and had never been to a professional hockey game, whereas Ashley had grown up right in Northern Virginia, and was even a competitive figure skater at one point. By the end of the game, Dustin was hooked on hockey, and, more importantly, Ashley.

“She was so beautiful. And, wow, a girl that can pull off drinking an extra dirty extra dry martini in heels and a Washington Capitals jersey… that’s someone to hold onto,” says Dustin.

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

In the Spring of 2016, six years into their relationship, Ashley and Dustin were on a two week vacation in France— a surprise gift for Ashley’s birthday. Dustin had been holding tight to the ring for a couple weeks with the intention to propose. He arranged for a private car to pick them up from their seaside villa in Nice and drive them up the coast at sunset to Monaco. All Ashley knew was that they would be having a nice dinner, drinks, and later a possibly a trip to the famous Monte Carlo Casino.

When they arrived in Monaco, they stopped for champagne at the Hotel de Paris, and, while strolling though the iconic Place du Casino square on their way to dinner, Dustin stopped and proposed in front of the crowd.

“It was a very Grace Kelly evening,” Ashley recalls.

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia
Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Ashley Julyan + Dustin Harris at L'Auberge Chez Francois | Audra Wrisley Photography French Engagement Shoot in Virginia

Given their romantic engagement in France, it would only make sense for the couple to pay homage to their Francophilia with a themed French countryside engagement shoot. They picked L’Auberge Chez Francois not only because of it’s beautiful rustic French feel, but because it was where Ashley’s parents had one of their first dates. The resulting shoot—filled with balloons, champagne toasts, and some amazing wardrobe changes—perfectly captured the joie de vivre the couple love.

Are You Engaged? (Congratulations!) Get Our Wedding Inspo Newsletter

Advice, inspiration, and ideas for your Washington wedding.

Or, see all of our newsletters. By signing up, you agree to our terms.
More: Audra Wrisley PhotographyEngagement ShootEngagementsFrench Inspired ShootNorthern VirginiaRestaurant EngagementVirginiaVirginia Engagement
Join the conversation!
Share Tweet
Hayley Garrison Phillips
Assistant Editor

Hayley is an Associate Editor at Washingtonian Weddings. Previously she was the the Style Editor at The Local Palate, a Southern food culture magazine based out of Charleston, South Carolina. You can follow her on instagram @wandertaste.

Most Popular in Weddings

1
clever-wedding-ideas

50 Clever Wedding Ideas to Make Your Big Day Stand Out

2
Wedding Hashtag Generator

Wedding Hashtag Generator: Having Trouble With Your Wedding Hashtag? There’s a Tool for That!

3

These Bachelor Dresses From Night One Are Giving Off Major Wedding Vibes

4

These Brides Married at Washington National Cathedral Following Senator John McCain’s Funeral

5
parisian-inspired-wedding-dolly-parton

The Band Learned a Beloved Dolly Parton Song for This Parisian-Inspired Wedding

Washingtonian Magazine

January 2021: Joe Town!

January 2021: Joe Town!

View Issue
Subscribe

Get Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Get Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Related

Seniors and Those With Health Concerns Are Now Eligible for the Covid Vaccine in Virginia

After Joining Capitol Protest, Virginia State Representative Says Critics Should Focus on “Colored Community” Instead

Virginia and Maryland Will Send DC 16,000 Additional Covid-Vaccine Doses

Virginia ABC Stores Will Close Early on Thanksgiving Eve

More from Weddings

parisian-inspired-wedding-dolly-parton

The Band Learned a Beloved Dolly Parton Song for This Parisian-Inspired Wedding

From Our Guide: Wedding Planners, Designers, Managers: What Do They Do?

Their Proposal Featured a U-Haul and an 8-Foot Raccoon Mural. Their Rustic Fall Wedding: Gorgeous Greenery, a Winery Setting, and More Raccoons.

This Couple’s Music-Inspired Wedding Included a Seating Chart Filled With Their Favorite Song Titles

These Elopement-Chic Dresses Are Perfect for Any Micro-Wedding

The Menu at This Micro-Wedding Was Printed on Acrylic Over Pressed Flowers

These Bachelor Dresses From Night One Are Giving Off Major Wedding Vibes

When This Couple’s Wedding Got Postponed, They Decided to Elope in the Shenandoah Foothills

© 2021 Washingtonian Media Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Washingtonian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Privacy Policy and Opt-Out
 Rss
Get the best news, delivered weekly.
By signing up, you agree to our terms.
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs