Couple Swindled By Minister Gets Second Chance At Cape Wedding

YARMOUTH, MA – A couple who fell victim to an alleged con man posing as a minister got a second chance at a Cape Cod wedding. Ashley Veilleux and David Mellen were married Saturday on the same South Yarmouth beach where James Stern officiated their wedding Sept. 15, according to Boston.com.

But Stern, whose lengthy criminal record across four states includes identity fraud, credit card fraud and burglary, wasn't a real officiant, police say. The couple's wedding was invalid, and the man who married them was the prime suspect in the theft of their bridesmaids' credit cards.

Yarmouth police will charge Stern with larceny of $1,200 by false pretense and impersonating a public official. The 39-year-old, who was in custody in Rhode Island pending an appearance in 4th District Court on Halloween, will face charges in Barnstable District Court.

Stern was behind bars, but Veilleux and Mellen were still unmarried. Veilleux told Boston.com they gathered 13 family members and friends and the Rev. Elizabeth Zielinski – a real officiant who knows the couple from their home in Agawam – for a small ceremony two months later.

Zielinski married the couple for free and helped them enhance their original written vows. And the added touch of a sunset this time around was "absolutely perfect," Veilleux told Boston.com.

Previously: Mock Minister Who Ripped Off Bridesmaids Busted: Police

Fake Minister Stole Bridesmaids' Credit Cards On Cape Cod: Police

Photo Credit: Jordan Owens courtesy of Ashley Veilleux