Sandy-ravaged bar births lasting love

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Christina Peluso met her father-in-law before she met her husband.

Four years ago, Peluso was at Joey Harrison’s Surf Club in Ortley Beach where Joseph Pagliuca was bartending.

“Joe’s dad and uncle came in to see him and we all started talking and joking around,” she said.

Peluso quickly let slip that she thought the bartender was “cute,” and her future in-laws decided it was time to play wingmen. They encouraged her to give Pagliuca her phone number.

“At first, he thought it was fake, so he threw it in the garbage and came back later and asked if it was real,” Peluso said.

She assured him her interest was sincere and the two have been together ever since.

“Joe lives year round in Ortley Beach, one of the hardest hit areas from Hurricane Sandy,” Peluso said. “Although the storm took away the Surf Club, we will always appreciate the opportunity that we had to meet and fall in love there.”

On Nov. 18, 2013, Pagliuca took Peluso to dinner at his friend’s restaurant in Fairfield.

Pagliuca seemed nervous the entire ride there, his bride said. When they arrived at the restaurant, Peluso noticed that their car was the only one in the parking lot.

“He told me it was a slow night, which is why we were there, so his friend could spend more time with us,” Peluso said.

As they were escorted to their table, someone started playing a guitar and singing.

“I thought to myself, ‘That’s weird, why would they hire someone to play on a slow night?’ ” Peluso said.

She went to the rest room. When she returned, her husband was still behaving suspiciously.

Pagliuca took a long sip of his rum and coke and said, “Well, babe, I’m sure you know why we’re here. The restaurant isn’t open tonight, he opened just for us.”

Before their dinner arrived, Pagliuca was down on one knee and asked Peluso to marry him.

The couple celebrated that night with their families, whom Pagliuca had invited ahead of time to join them for dessert.

Their wedding date

Pagliuca was confident Peluso was “the one” after just a couple of dates.

“I knew from the moment I met Christina that I was going to do everything I could to spend time with her,” Pagliuca, 38, said. “She is absolutely beautiful and very fun-loving.”

Peluso let her husband pick their wedding date.

“We both wanted a summer wedding since we are teachers,” Peluso said.

Pagliuca has worked in the summer months as a bartender at the Jersey Shore for 20 years and from his experience, Father’s Day was always a slower day for bartenders.

“I picked that date — June 21 — because all the years in the bartending business, that was the one Sunday that life was kinda quiet at the Surf Club and most of my friends wouldn’t have to worry about taking a big day off of work,” he said.

The venue

The couple was married at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in South Orange. Their reception was held at the Park Savoy Estate in Florham Park.

“I did not want to have a gigantic wedding and I did not want to feel like I was in a wedding venue,” Peluso, 30, said. “From the moment I walked in to the Park Savoy, which was our first stop, I knew that it was the perfect place for me.”

The recently renovated estate features cozy fireplaces, ballrooms befit for the mansions of Newport, and floor-to-ceiling windows.

“The ballroom is gorgeous with all the amazing details on the ceiling,” Peluso said. “The grounds are also so spectacular.”

The newlyweds said although the venue can fit hundreds, it had an intimate and homey feel to it.

“I called my mom the minute we left and said, ‘This is the perfect place for my wedding. I promise you will love it!’ ”

What they splurged on

The couple’s biggest expense was the food at their venue.

Pagliuca wanted his guests to enjoy the Park Savoy as much as he and his wife had from their first visit, so they spared no expense when it came to the dining experience.

Where they saved

Peluso and Pagliuca live in Toms River and teach in Neptune Township. Peluso is a third grade teacher and Pagliuca teaches eighth grade algebra.

Although they spent the most on catering, they still managed to save on per-plate venue costs.

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