After months of planning Drane and St. Louis Cardinal David Eckstein
experience their fairytale wedding at one of the most magical places on earth.
By Andrea Haney
Photos by Phyllis Redman

One year ago I Do For Brides featured actress Ashley Drane in our Summer 2005 issue. This summer Drane graces our cover again—only this time she has husband/pro baseball player David Eckstein by her side. Last summer’s issue revealed pre-wedding details on their upcoming nuptials at one of the most magical places on earth—Disney’s™ Yacht and Beach Club Resort. Now we delve into what actually happened on that very enchanting day in Walt Disney World™.

Both growing up in the suburbs of Orlando, Fla., the pair had mutual acquaintances. Although they’d never met one another, Drane listened to her friends and, needing a date to a premier, uncharacteristically asked her publicist to contact the head of media relations at the Anaheim Angels, where Eckstein was playing at the time.

“Tim Mead told me he gets these requests all the time,” Eckstein says. “He said there was something different about this one and that her publicist described her as angelic. I asked him if he thought I should call and his answer was ‘yes’.”

The couple arranged to meet prior to the premier. It was the only night both had free and what Ashley didn’t tell him was that it was her birthday.“I didn’t want him to know it was my birthday the night we met!”Drane exclaims. For Drane the night was more than just a date. When she was ten, Drane’s teacher told her that her golden year would be her 22nd. Not only was it her 22nd birthday when she met Eckstein, it was September 22, 2003, and his baseball number was and still is 22.

A year and a half later Eckstein proposed.Uncertain and nervous about how he wanted to pop the question, Eckstein incorporated two of Drane’s loves: Disney™ and Alice in Wonderland.After leading her to a gorgeous suite at Disney’s™ Grand Floridian Resort and Spa complete with Alice in Wonderland pillows, Eckstein presented Drane with what she thought was just a thoughtful gift.When she opened the Cheshire cat purse she discovered a ring box in the bottom. The love of her life was down on one knee and the purse was tossed aside—that is with the ring still inside. “I was so excited I threw the purse down to hug David,” Drane says smiling. “David was like, aren’t you going to look at the ring?”

After much planning and finding time between their demanding careers, Drane and Eckstein married on November 26, 2005. Drane says thanks to the help of Disney™ and wedding planner Michelle Borr, planning the wedding was much easier than expected.

“Disney really has it down to a science,”Drane says. “They just made it so much more beautiful than anything I had imagined. My mom did so much too. Planning a wedding out of town, my mom was a huge help.”

The couple exchanged vows in Eckstein’s family parish, All Souls Parish Catholic in Orlando, Fla. Drane greeted her groom in a stunning A-line gown featuring a cathedral length train custom designed by Melissa Sweet.

“It was amazing to work with Melissa Sweet,”Drane says. “I liked the style on one dress and the beading on another dress, so she was able to incorporate the two into a perfect gown. The dress was very ‘Disneyesc’— what I think about when I envision Cinderella in her carriage.”

Drane chose elegant, light blue dresses from Melissa Sweet’s cocktail collection for her five bridesmaids. “I chose something I felt like the girls would be able to wear again and something they would be comfortable in.” After being pronounced husband and wife, Drane and
Eckstein exited the church on a runner that read: “And They Lived Happily Ever After.”

Following the ceremony, Disney’s™ charter buses transported over 300 guests to the reception site. The yacht club featured hues of baby blue and white inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The starlit ceiling and elegant floral decor set the perfect tone for their fairytale wedding. Each table contained gorgeous, tall vases filled with white roses, votive candles and a unique Disney™ place card (some guests were seated at the “Finding Nemo” table).

The couple personalized the reception by including some of their favorite menu selections. In addition to chef-attended food stations, each guest was served a signature “Ecks-O”drink, Drane and Eckstein’s version of their favorite Hawaiian cocktail, the lava flow. Guests were also treated to churros and Mickey Mouse™ ice cream bars, both of which the couple grew up enjoying at Disney World™. Keeping with the something for everyone theme, there was even a separate buffet for the kids.

The beautiful,“present box”wedding cake featured a different flavor in each of its five tiers. The vibrant,“Mad Hatters” groom’s cake featured three tiers highlighted in red, yellow, green, blue and white.

Instead of a guest book Drane and Eckstein had a photo booth set up so that each guest could have their picture taken and posted to a message board. Here, everyone wrote their well wishes to the couple next to their picture.

Drane and Eckstein shared their first dance as husband and wife to When I Fall in Love by Celine Dion and Clive Griffin. “I was so excited to be able to call David my husband that day,” Drane says.

The newlyweds spent seven days in Maui and Waialua, Hawaii. After that the couple stayed at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nev. for four days. “We’re big kids at heart, and neither one of us had ever been,” Drane says about their additional honeymoon in Vegas.

Now that the wedding is over Drane and Eckstein are equally involved in their careers. With three residences in St. Louis, Los Angeles and Orlando the newlyweds see each other as much as possible. “I support David 100 percent, and he supports me too,”Drane says. “We both really want to reach our goals, and we know the time apart and the traveling will not be this way forever. We are not together everyday, but for us the honeymoon never ends!” Eckstein is

currently employed by the St. Louis Cardinals and Drane is actively pursuing her acting career. You can still see her on Disney’s™ That’s So Raven and Jeff Foxworthy’s Blue Collar TV.

“More than anything marriage has just made me feel so much more settled,” Drane says. “I just feel different about things that used to be stressful. The most important thing in my life now is my husband. David is my dream guy. If I made a list of all the things I could want in a perfect guy, I could check every box!”

“I’m excited about spending the rest of my life with Ashley,” Eckstein says. “I love everything about her. She’s perfect, she’s caring, loving, has great morals, and I’m just extremely lucky to have found her, or lucky that she found me!”