Meet Ashley Chitwood of Overlandpark, KS

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Chitwood.

Hi Ashley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Ashley Chitwood, I am 25 years old and a mother to a beautiful little boy Decklyn. I started rewind and replay kc a little over a year ago. I am not sure how far back in my story I should go, however I will tell you a little bit about myself! I was raised in a small town called Louisburg, Kansas. I take pride in being able to say this is where I was raised. From a young age I was taught that hard work pays off, and that no matter where life takes you, you can always come home. When I started Rewind and Replay KC, I was a soon to be bride just trying to work a little extra to pay for my wedding, I started assisting my best friend Cassidy Drury with some of her weddings. She asked me to do behind the scenes video content for her and she was amazed by the shots I was able to achieve with just my IPhone and some slight editing in lightroom. She told me all about how content creation was taking off in the wedding industry and that she would help me create a business if I was interested. Of course I said yes and that I would love to partner with her (who doesn’t want to work with their bestie?!). I started working along side Cassidy with the weddings she already had booked and I would record content and behind the scenes for those brides. I found myself loving the wedding industry more and more everyday! There are so many parts to the wedding day that I would be so ecstatic for, each wedding day gave me so much excitement for my special day I was planning. However, 3 months before I was to say “I Do” myself, my engagement ended. I was then a single mother with nowhere to go. However, like I said earlier I was taught that “you can always come home.” So that is exactly what I did. My 18 month old son and I moved into my mother and step fathers house, in my little home town. Cassidy and I worked a wedding 2 weeks after my engagement ended. I never thought I would find so much sadness in such a beautiful moment. I won’t lie to you, I felt this way for a couple of those very very hot weddings we worked that June. I no longer cried watching a mother help their daughter into their wedding dress, or behind the camera seeing someones father sob and tell their little girl how beautiful they were, or at the vows shared between two people promising to love one another for all time. However, I knew this would be temporary, I just had to keep going and work hard. Not just with weddings, but in life. In the last year I have faced some of the toughest battles in my life. My uncle took his own life, my engagement ended, I lost a grandmother, I became a full time single parent, and my son was diagnosed with Autism, all while I was trying to provide and work hard to survive. I say all of this because through all of these tragic events and emotionally hard work days, I slowly started to heal, and find joy in the beautiful things life had given me. I would not have been able to do this without the support of God, my family, co-workers, and friends. Without them, and all the times they pushed me; I wouldn’t be where I am at today. Today I am a full time graphic designer for a company and for fun, I get to see people who are in love, start the rest of their lives together. There is nothing I love more than showing up to a wedding and seeing the bride light up to see me, or hearing all about how they met, watching a bride smile at her ring after seeing herself in her wedding dress, and last but not least; seeing two people surrounded by all of the people that love and support them so much. Seeing the joy and love run through a bride and grooms face on their wedding day is so powerful.

I am so lucky to have the life that I have now. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. During the hardest year of my life, I still pushed through, and worked through my pain. I leaned on those around me when I felt weak. During that year of healing, I got to hear my son speak for the first time, I got to make amazing memories working with my best friend, I got nominated for an award for Wed KC, I booked five solo weddings within the first 3 months of my new journey in the wedding industry, and most importantly; I was shown by my clients how love should look and feel. Each wedding is so unique and personal, I am just so honored to be part of such a special day and give them something to help remember all the amazing moments during their day.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I covered a lot of this in the last answer oops! I just kept going! I think trying to fall out of love with someone while working in an industry that comes from two people being so in love with each other, was the hardest part. Of course that is until I learned to love myself and the life God has given me!

I think something I also struggled with was working a full time 9-5. job and then spending my weekends working 6-13 hours on my feet with gear, and then having hours of footage and editing to make all while trying to be a parent to a child with special needs. My “kid free” weekends are booked months in advance with weddings, so the feeling of being burnt out a lot and missing on family events. I am very family oriented and I have missed many get togethers however at the same time I get be part of a new family’s journey so it kind of makes up for it!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I get to show the fun and upbeat parts of your wedding day. Reactions and fun moments you might miss while being pulled in 15 different directions. I would say my style of shooting is more fun and creative than your normal classy videographer. I am like a first time mother who documents every second and moment of their newborns day except its a wedding. I am getting the detail shots, but also the funny things your wedding party is saying or doing while supporting you. Capturing loved ones reactions to your vows and first kiss. Capturing a smile and voice in a small clip to cherish forever. I have had very serious weddings, and also very fun weddings, where all have had their amazing unique story to tell. I get to show the wedding day from start to finish at a lower cost and access to raw footage and edited footage. Not to add all the tiktoks we have to film too!

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Make sure you have a great support system, push yourself out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to take chances. Last but not least, hold your head high and don’t let fear keep you from going down the path he intended you to be on. One thing I wish I knew when I was starting out is that you’re not just investing into a company, you’re investing in yourself and having that change of mindset changed my entire outlook as a business owner and as an individual.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rewindandreplaykc?igsh=MXJIc2d3MHM5MGJveA%3D&utm_-source=ar
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Rewind-And-Replay-KC-61558700143562/
• Other: rewindandreplaykc@gmail.com