Labor Day weekend of 2018, Ashley was in Key West for a bachelorette weekend. Dean had been out to sea for a month and was on a port call with his US Coast Guard unit out of San Diego. The group of bachelorettes went into a bar called Irish Kevin's to see a 90's band. Dean came over and bought Ashley and her friends drinks. They had more drinks, danced, exchanged numbers, kept in touch, and went on one amazing vacation together. Eight months later Ashley packed up her life in Charleston, South Carolina and moved to San Diego, California to be with Dean, and you know the rest of the story.