Hazlet Nursing Care Center Hosts Wedding Ceremony Amid Pandemic

HAZLET, NJ - When Wendy Donoughue and Anthony “Tony” Wasneuski met on the outdoor patio of Anchor Care & Rehabilitation Center last January, little did they know the pair would marry in the same spot nine months later.

Donoughue, a self-described “Jersey Girl” and Tony, a native Staten Islander and former Soho art dealer, tied the knot at the Hazlet nursing care facility surrounded by friends and family during a quaint courtyard ceremony on Oct. 9.

The wedding took place on the bride’s birthday and was officiated by Jesse Hynes, Esq. Facility staff assisted in all the details of the celebration, with music provided by nurse Zito Quiambao’s band BZ Signal.

Administrator of the Anchor Care & Rehabilitation Center Chaim Ribiat described the event as a ceremony that was as important for residents and staffers as it was for the happy couple:

“Our residents and front-line hero staff have experienced a great deal of heartache over the past several months,” Ribiat said. “The marriage of Wendy and Anthony came at the right time as it underscored just how contagious the positive spirit of two people can be and, in turn, the role a loving community can play in making the plans of two individuals come true.”

According to Wasneuski, the two became fast friends just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with Wasneuski recalling immediately taking to Donoughue's good looks. Donoughue says she loves Wasneuski’s intelligence and their conversations.

“I never thought I would fall in love again,” Wasneuski said. “Yet today, I can’t imagine being without my new bride. I love buying her presents and picking flowers for her.”

As for Donoughue, she says she enjoys her conversations with Wasneuski and making him laugh.

“Every member of the Excelsior Care Group family is devoted to providing the highest level of medical care and structured social activities to all of our residents,” said Isaac Wiener, Chief Operating Officer of Excelsior, a firm that manages Anchor Care. “That said, Wendy’s and Tony’s wedding hangs a lantern on our staff’s commitment to embracing the needs, wants and desires of our residents and to providing a warm and friendly environment that allows each resident to live their lives to the fullest.”

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