(NewsNation Now) — Pittsburgh newlyweds rang in their wedding hours before Punxsutawney Phil made his winter weather prediction.
Tara Trapani and Nathan Haupt met in middle school but the pair eventually lost touch. Trapani told NewsNation that she kept thinking she wanted to find someone “just like Nathan.”
The pair reunited and the rest is history. The duo decided to get married in Gobbler’s Knob before Punxsutawney Phil made up his mind about the weather. While the groundhog’s predictions aren’t always accurate from a meteorological perspective, the sense of community steeped in tradition that has grown around the annual event overshadows accuracy.
“It is Pennsylvania and we are from Pennsylvania. It’s traditional, but not traditional at the same time,” Trapani said. “And the 2-2-22 just kind of added icing to the cake.”
“Pennsylvanians love to keep their antique institutions going, riding around buggies and horses and Groundhog Day and we’re honored to be a part of it,” said Haupt.
The pair said their families weren’t surprised they chose Gobbler’s Knob as their wedding venue.
“They weren’t as surprised as you might imagine,” Trapani said. “We were pretty a nontraditional couple. We like to have fun. We like to think outside of the box.”
According to records dating back to 1887, Phil has predicted winter more than 100 times. Ten years were lost because no records were kept, organizers said. At more than 130 years old, Phil could qualify as the couple’s something old.
Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day 2022, signaling six more weeks of winter. Only time will tell if this prediction is right.