PGN editor Jen Colletta has covered stories on marriage equality since her start at the paper more than five years ago.
Now, she’ll have the chance to experience her stories firsthand. Colletta, 27, and Ashlee Turturro, 29, got engaged April 14, on their six-year anniversary. Colletta is a native of Northeast Philadelphia and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from La Salle University. She began at PGN as a staff writer in 2007 and became editor this past September. Turturro is a native of Bronx, N.Y., and grew up in Levittown before moving to Northeast Philadelphia in 2010. She earned her associate’s degree in allied health from the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology and works as a certified medical assistant at Abington Memorial Hospital. The pair met in 2004 through mutual friends. “My first impression of her was an instant attraction,” Turturro said. “All I wanted was to find an excuse to talk to her and it took me several years to finally get that courage.” Colletta said she was equally intrigued by Turturro but it wasn’t until a friend’s party in 2007 that they hit it off, under some odd circumstances. “It was a decades-themed party and I was dressed as a hippie and she as a Ninja Turtle. She made her own costume and it was really funny and creative and caught my eye,” Colletta said. “As soon as we started talking, I was immediately drawn to her humor and couldn’t wait to learn more about her. And we started dating three weeks later.” In the past six years, Turturro said, their relationship has worked so well because of their different personalities and approaches. “You know what they say: Opposites attract,” she said. “We complement each other perfectly. She is the voice of reason to my wild ideas, and I’m the one who will take her hundreds of miles just to see the world’s largest roller skate. We make each other laugh and that keeps our relationship feeling new and strong.” Colletta agreed, saying their seeming opposite natures have helped shape their relationship. “She can be very spontaneous and adventurous whereas I’m a lot more cautious, so she’s helped me not be too grounded all the time, and I think I’ve helped her be grounded when she needs to be,” she said, adding that the couple also works to put any problems into focus. “I think it’s important to keep the big picture in mind as much as you can. All couples have ups and downs but when you remind yourself that you love one another and are both committed to making it work, it makes things a lot less daunting.” Turturro asked Colletta to marry her during a hike in Wissahickon Valley Park. To say she was nervous was an understatement. “The entire time during our hike, I was just rehearsing my proposal over and over. I have never been so nervous — I hadn’t slept in days. My mind raced with the what-ifs and the exciting planning ahead,” she said. “I had found the perfect ring and had changed my proposal idea over and over again, making sure everything would be perfect. Your engagement happens once, and I wanted hers to be unforgettable.” Colletta said she had a suspicion that a proposal may be coming but was still taken aback when it happened. “She had been acting way stressed and cleaning a lot. It was our anniversary so I had convinced myself she was either going to propose or buy me a puppy,” she said. “But, we hiked to the top of this overlook and had lunch and that’s where she asked. She asked if I ever thought I’d marry her and I said, ‘Of course,’ and then she said, ‘How about today?’ and pulled out the ring. So even though I was suspicious, it was still a shock, a wonderful shock, to have it happen.” The couple has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of well wishes since their engagement. “The amount of support we have from our friends and family is incredible, and I feel extremely lucky to have so much love in our life,” Turturro said. The two are waiting for the outcomes of the Proposition 8 and Defense of Marriage Act Supreme Court cases before deciding where to tie the knot. Although marriage wasn’t something she initially was focused on, Colletta said it felt more and more right for the couple to take that next step as each year passed. “We knew we want to spend our lives together, and we want to share that commitment to one another with our family and friends. Even though it won’t be legal in Pennsylvania, having that day to show everyone what we mean to one another and the future that we’re planning on having, as well as having a government in whichever jurisdiction we choose validate our relationship, means a lot to both of us.” “I’ve learned so much from our relationship,” Turturro added. “She’s made me who I am today and each day I wake up, I want to be better than the day before just for her. There is nothing more I want than to marry my best friend and the girl of my dreams. I’ve found my other half and the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, so it’s time to make it official.”