Tears streamed down Ashley Traffie’s face on Saturday afternoon, tears of happiness that she may not experience again until her wedding day on May 27.
The 21-year-old New Ipswich resident had just received the news of a lifetime: Traffie’s dream wedding has become a reality, thanks to some help from the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge.
“I was in complete shock,” said Traffie, after hearing that she and her fiance, 22-year-old Airman Jake Peladeau, had won the cathedral’s “Happily Ever After for Heroes” wedding giveaway. “I’ve always dreamed of having an outdoor wedding and have wanted to get married [at the Cathedral] since I went there for my cousin’s wedding.”
The Cathedral of the Pines, a national memorial dedicated to those who have served the United States, announced in January that they would be giving away a free wedding package to a New Hampshire veteran and their spouse-to-be. Angela Wiltz, wedding coordinator at the cathedral, said that by the time everything is said and done, the package could be worth more than $10,000. Every part of the wedding has been donated or paid for by local organizations and people to this point, with the exception of food and hairdressing services.
The Cathedral had narrowed all submissions down to three finalists at the beginning of February, and had two rounds of voting through social media to confirm a winner, as during the first round two couples had tied.
“[Traffie] was quite literally what we were looking for when we put together this giveaway,” said Wiltz.
Traffie and Peladeau met through mutual friends in February of 2013 and began dating nine months later. Traffie said that she was immediately drawn in due to Peladeau’s personality, adding that he was different from many guys that she had met before.
“He was just so awesome, right from the beginning,” said Traffie. “We formed a great connection right away.”
“She’s the sweetest girl that I’ve ever met,” added Peladeau, commenting via telephone from the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, where he has been stationed since February of 2014.
Since Peladeau moved to Louisiana — leaving to complete basic training for the United States Air Force — the two have stayed strong despite having a long distance relationship. Traffie says she tries to go down to Louisiana every two to four months, with the two bridging the gaps with phone calls, text messages, and video-chatting.
“It’s been really hard on both of us, but we try to keep as busy as possible,” said Traffie, who is currently working at Pizza Haven in New Ipswich and is in pursuit of a nursing degree at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, Massachusetts. Traffie said Peladeau has typically worked two jobs to keep busy and currently works as a hydraulics mechanic on B-52 Bombers for the Air Force.
Peladeau said he knew he wanted to marry Traffie shortly after getting through basic training, as it felt like they had already been through a lot together.
The two were engaged in November of 2016. Traffie said the proposal was very romantic, as Peladeau brought her to the same spot that the two first declared their love to each other, a short hike out behind her house.
While a wedding is certainly a happy and romantic time, Traffie’s wedding planning over the past few months has been anything but. After the constraints of the couple’s budget set in, Traffie said the reality of her dream wedding began to fade away.
“Our outside ceremony turned into getting married in the wedding off-season to save money. Our guest list was trimmed down to family only and the search for a wedding photographer ended much like the previous endeavors,” said Traffie, in an essay submitted for the contest. “The only part of my dream wedding that has not changed is the man I will promise my life to.”
After winning the wedding giveaway, however, things have begun to look up for the couple.
Peladeau hopes that he and Traffie will be able to see each other at least one more time before the wedding, but at this point he is unsure if that will happen. While it “sucks” in between visits, knowing that his wife-to-be is months away from her dream wedding is enough to keep him excited and hopeful in the coming months.
“No matter what, it would have been a special day,” said Peladeau. “This wedding giveaway is such a blessing. It feels amazing.”
Traffie is also eager in anticipation for her wedding day. Not only will she be marrying the love of her life, she will be moving to Louisiana after the wedding so she can be with Peladeau every day for the rest of their lives.
“We want to thank all those who voted and give a special thanks to the Cathedral of the Pines for this giveaway,” said Traffie. “Because of this, I will be able to have the wedding of my dreams.”
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com.