Edward Peterson and Ashley Dougherty smile after his surprise proposal at St. Norbert School in Paoli, where Ashley teaches pre‑K4.
When Catholic school teacher Edward Peterson decided to ask fellow teacher Ashley Dougherty to marry him, he recruited dozens of her young pupils to help pull off a surprise proposal.
Ed, 35, has taught at St. Laurence School in Upper Darby for 13 years. Ashley, 31, is in her third year of teaching pre-K4 (pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds) at St. Norbert School in Paoli.
Ed wanted the occasion to be memorable and meaningful. Given their families’ fervent faith and longtime devotion to Catholic education, it seemed fitting to involve Ashley’s school family.
With principal Mary Kay Hennessy’s blessing, Ed conspired with staff and students to carry out his secret plan on Nov. 19. His choice of dates was deliberate – it was their two-year anniversary as a couple.
In a recent interview, Ashley remembered her heart racing after Hennessy unexpectedly pulled her out of her classroom that day. “Did I do something wrong?” Ashley thought as they walked to the principal’s office.
No, it was a romantic ruse.
In her absence, Ashley’s co-workers rounded up dozens of current and former students and ushered them to her classroom. Sitting cross-legged on the reading rug, they squirmed as they eagerly awaited their teacher’s return. One little boy wore a serious expression as he held up a heart-covered sign that read: “Ashley, will you marry me? I love you.”
When Ashley re-entered the room, her jaw dropped in confusion. “Surprise!” one child shouted. The others erupted as Ed stepped forward.
“I didn’t get you a card this year,” he said, pulling a ring from his pocket, “but I got you a ring.” He dropped to one knee. “Will you marry me?”
Ashley said yes.
“I was shocked – I had no idea,” she recalled. Surrounded by “her people” in her classroom, Ed’s proposal was perfect. Her students were so excited to play a starring role in the secret scheme.
“It was amazing. You could see on their faces the joy in the moment,” Ashley said.
Edward Peterson kneels in Ashley Dougherty’s classroom as a student holds a poster asking, “Ashley, will you marry me?”
Like Ed, a growing number of people are nixing elaborate public proposals for more intimate, authentic experiences that reflect their unique relationships and values. Ed and Ashley are bound by their families’ deep Catholic school ties.
They are graduates of Immaculata University where the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) were instrumental in their formation as educators. The couple’s parents, grandparents, and other extended family are also proud products of Catholic education at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels.
“All their friends, all their connections, came from their time in Catholic schools,” Ed said. “I can see how deeply their lives were affected.”
Ashley’s mother, Bernadette Dougherty, is an Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Ed’s aunt, Sister Rosemary Peterson, IHM, spent 20 years as a school principal in Peru and is now director of St. Monica Early Learning Center in South Philadelphia.
Evan Peterson, Ed’s identical twin brother, also teaches at St. Laurence School, while Evan’s wife, Frances, is principal of Sacred Heart School in Havertown.
Family and friends will witness Ed and Ashley exchange vows at Our Lady of the Assumption Church near Wayne in April 2027. If their wedding is anything like their engagement, they can expect cheering from the pews.
Share this story