A late lunch led to love for Anthony and Cristina.
They met outside Yianni’s Café in Ocean City, where Anthony was set to grab a bite with his parents and sister Amanda. Cristina and Amanda, former co-workers, recognized one another and quickly began catching up.
The group invited Cristina and her friend to join them for lunch. Collectively, they continued the conversation at a Somers Point bar. Anthony and Cristina soon realized they shared much in common, starting with the medical profession. Cristina is a pediatric physical therapist from Middletown, NJ. Anthony, from Voorhees, is a Navy Corpsman specializing in orthopedics and sports medicine. He works with the Navy football team in Annapolis, Md.
Their bond grew gradually and steadily. Eventually, Anthony proposed in the couple’s shared apartment after welcoming Cristina home to a delicious chicken parmigiana dinner. “It’s the one and only meal I’ve cooked,” he said with a laugh. Anthony professed his love then dropped to a knee.
“I’m in my scrubs and he’s all dressed up with a fresh haircut with candles on the table and dinner going,” Cristina recalled. “Of course, I said yes.”
Their wedding venue search focused on an idea shared by many couples: “We were looking for something on the water that was relatively affordable,” the groom said. They also wanted a venue that could host the ceremony and reception.
The couple discovered precisely what they sought in the Ocean City Yacht Club, known for great sunsets with its west-facing banquet space on the bay. They made an appointment with Nobil Catering owner and wedding planner Bill McGinnity, whose multi-year partnership with the Ocean City Yacht Club has produced one spectacular wedding after another.
Anthony said Ocean City Yacht Club “sells itself” with floor-to-ceiling windows
that make every view worthy of a social media post. Bill sold them on the menu and experience. Said Cristina: “The taste testing was phenomenal. Bill is magical with food. Everything he brought out to try, we were like ‘Oh my gosh! Yes, yes, yes!’ And we didn’t need an outside wedding planner because Bill knows what he’s doing. He was crucial. He made sure the whole day was perfect.”
The couple wanted their 115 guests socializing and mingling as much as possible. Their solution? A cocktail-style reception. It all began with a late-afternoon ceremony. The couple exchanged vows as sunbeams streamed through the windows.
The Nobil Catering staff then went to work. They seamlessly flipped the room from ceremony to reception in minutes.
The reception began with a classic cocktail hour replete with butler-served hors d’oeuvres. Each guest was assigned a seat for formalities like the bridal party entrance and first dance. However, for the next two hours, guests were invited to mingle as butlers served more delicious hors d’oeuvres. Guests who preferred a plated meal at their seat could choose between a carving station and pasta station.
DJ Dave Nase of Elite Entertainment kept the crowd on its feet. “People couldn’t leave the dance floor,” Cristina said. “He put together an amazing playlist.”
Before the couple retired for the evening to the Scarborough Inn, the Ocean City Yacht Club’s private deck offered a secluded spot to share a reflective moment as the last songs played.
“Having a few minutes to ourselves away from the chaos was very memorable,” Cristina said. “We held hands, listened to the music and looked back through the windows of the yacht club. I just kept saying ‘Oh my gosh! This was the perfect night!”
