Inside USMNT Goalie Matt Turner's ‘Timeless, Romantic’ Wedding to Former Cheerleader Ashley Herron in Boston! (Exclusive)

After privately tying the knot in 2022, the couple held a second celebration with all of their family and friends on May 24: "We are beyond thrilled," Turner tells PEOPLE

Matt Turner and his wife Ashley said "I do" all over again — this time, with their family and friends by their side.

After privately tying the knot back in May 2022, the U.S. Men's National Team goalkeeper and the former NFL cheerleader celebrated their wedding at the State Room in Boston on Friday, May 24. They welcomed 215 guests including professional soccer players Rob Holding, Brandon Bye, Andrew Farrell, DeJuan Jones and Henry Kessler.

The couple — who got engaged in February 2022 — tells PEOPLE that they chose Massachusetts' capital city as the location for their nuptials because it's where they first met and fell in love. At the time, Matt was playing for New England Revolution, and Ashley was a member of the New England Patriots cheerleading squad.

"So many great memories were had in Boston," Ashley says. "We bought our first house in Boston, which we still have to this day. It’s also in between where both our families live."

For the couple, their special day was a long time coming. Though they always dreamed of having "a big wedding celebration," Matt's busy soccer career and commitments proved challenging. In addition to playing for USMNT, Matt is a goalkeeper for the Premier League club Nottingham Forest in England. "He gets little time off. Things like the World Cup took precedence — rightfully so," Ashley explains of their decision to postpone their wedding plans.

Keen to make things official, however, they instead held a small ceremony in Boston two years ago, right before moving to London, where Matt would be playing for Arsenal at the time.

Related: USMNT Star Matt Turner Hands Toddler Son Off to Pregnant Wife in Stands: 'Cheering Dada On'

"It was at sunrise overlooking the Boston harbor in honor of our son who was about to be born. His name is Easton, which means sun rising in the east, and for us, the East Coast will always be home and sunrises always mean a new beginning," Ashley tells PEOPLE of their private nuptials. "It was symbolic and perfect for us."

When it finally came time to hold their dream wedding this year, the couple planned the event around three key words: "Timeless, because love is always and forever; romantic, because we’re two passionate and loving people who believe in fate and magic; and spirited, because to us it symbolizes the value of life and being surrounded by good energy," Ashley explains.

Wanting to take advantage of the rare opportunity of having all of their loved ones together in one place, they opted for a three-day affair that kicked off with a welcome reception at Capo in South Boston — the restaurant where Matt and Ashley first met — on Friday and concluded with a farewell brunch at the Boston Harbor Hotel on Sunday.

Ashley, who has a background in event planning, decided to handle all of the wedding arrangements herself.

"As tempting as it was to consider hiring a planner, I wanted to have full transparency into what was going on and have the ability to review contracts, negotiate and work with individuals so I knew exactly what to expect," she explains, before conceding, "But planning a wedding from abroad and with two babies under 2 definitely made the process a little more stressful. But it was my first project after having my daughter, and it was fun getting back into event planning."

The couple's biggest priority for the wedding was making sure their two kids — Easton, and daughter Everley, born in September 2023 — were an integral part of everything. "They are our lives, and so that spoke to a lot of our decisions in the wedding process," Ashley notes.

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During the ceremony — which was officiated by Matt's best friend from childhood, Vincent Macaluso, the pair exchanged handwritten vows. Ashley walked down the aisle to a piano rendition of "A Million Dreams" — her son's favorite bedtime song — followed by an instrumental version of Taylor Swift's "Invisible String."

She wore a Berta Bridal Couture dress featuring a ballgown silhouette, sheer sleeves, an open back and details such as floral appliqués and 3D rosettes. She accessorized with a pair of Jimmy Choo crystal-embellished satin sandals with a block heel and drop pearl-and-diamond earrings that her father gave her grandmother as a gift decades ago.

In a sentimental touch, Ashley also wore a veil with her son and daughter's heartbeats embroidered on it, along with a sentence in Matt's handwriting from one of the first notes he ever wrote to her.

Her hair was styled by The Bridal Bar and her bridal glam was overseen by Erica Wright of Glam Done Right.

Related: U.S. Women's Soccer Goalie Casey Murphy Is Married: See Photos from Her ‘Romantic Winter’ Wedding! (Exclusive)

For the reception, which featured flower arrangements by Market Floral Studio, Ashley changed into what she calls her "something blue," a corseted scoop-neck gown with cascading gathered tiers and side pockets, designed by Victoria Salisbury.

Matt sported a custom tailored tuxedo by Nota Bene Bespoke with personal messages on the inside of the jacket. The athlete also wore Louboutin shoes, a Rolex watch and a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet.

Following the reception, Matt and Ashley hosted a cocktail hour with passed hors d'oeuvres, a champagne tower provided by Chic Party Carts and three signature cocktails including the "Easton Sunrises," featuring tequila with a splash of grenadine and orange juice.

A three-course dinner followed, with a menu that included surf and turf, roasted chicken and a Mediterranean-inspired vegetarian plate. For dessert, guests enjoyed slices of the three-tier wedding cake, covered in white fondant with a cascading waterfall design and pearl embellishments. The cake featured layers of vanilla with strawberry buttercream and devil's food cake with Oreo cookie buttercream.

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Once the dancing got underway, Ashley and Matt shared their first dance to "Your Bones" by Chelsea Cutler. During the party, guests left the couple messages via an audio guest book inside of a replica of a red London phone booth, custom built by Dragonfly Designs.

Looking back on their special day, Ashley tells PEOPLE the long-awaited wedding was everything they hoped for and envisioned. "It was an accumulation of celebration on all the dreams that have come true thus far — finding each other, having our babies, playing in the World Cup — and will continue to come true as we build this life together," she explains.

She says she feels like "the luckiest person in the world" to have such a "supportive" partner as Matt. "Our relationship is built off of love, trust and appreciation for one another. We want what is best for one another, we communicate and we respect each other," she notes.

Matt tells PEOPLE he feels grateful to have a "life partner" in Ashley. "I found the person who makes me better, holds me accountable, but also helps me to have fun and enjoy life even more," he says. "Being married is special because you are a team and you are giving yourself to that person intimately and totally. When you can have that much trust in someone, it’s an amazing feeling."

"We’ve obviously been through a lot of changes in the last few years, and it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but we’ve never had expectations for our partners in our heads that we didn’t express to them out loud," he adds. "That’s a huge strength of our relationship."

The couple plans to enjoy a short honeymoon in Nantucket before Matt leaves to join USMNT ahead of Copa América and a busy summer schedule of matches.

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