‘That’s How It’s Supposed To Be’: NJ Couple Weds In Midst Of Nor’easter

RED BANK, NJ — There's a saying that New Jersey resident Neil Hughes' grandpa would always come back to in times of change: "That's how it's supposed to be."

While Neil didn't know it at the time, it was this exact quote that would go on to embody one of the most magical days of his and Krista Calogero's lives — their wedding day.

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Originally set to take place at the Rum Runner in Sea Bright on Sept. 26, plans for the couple's wedding hit a roadblock when a massive nor'easter drenched the Jersey Shore, flooding the waterfront restaurant and blocking roads that guests would need to take to get there.

"It was a whirlwind," Krista said of the day during a phone call with Patch.

Despite the sudden turn of events and severe weather, Krista and Neil's wedding still came together as the perfect day they'd been envisioning with the help of friends, family and a local restaurant.

"It was a crazy day," Krista said. "The Rum Runner is where we had our first date and what we've been planning since we got engaged about two years ago. We had all our decorations set up the night before; we had flowers from In The Garden in the Highlands that were absolutely gorgeous. We went there, and we got everything ready."

Yet even as the soon-to-be-newlyweds prepared for their wedding, the incoming forecast promised heavy rain and winds for New Jersey – especially along the shore.

"There was kind of a looming feeling of 'What's the weather going to be like?'" Krista told Patch. "Neil grew up in Oceanport, so he's aware of the tides and how they can impact the weather. I was asking him, 'What do you think? Are we going to get lucky? Are we going to have to completely change our plan or cancel?'"

The couple was "hoping for the best," she said. Despite this, they were met with a call from the Rum Runner the next morning, as well as a video of the flood by the restaurant and road closures blocking anyone from getting inside.

"They [the restaurant] were doing everything they could to call me back and keep me updated, which was really amazing," Krista said. "But about an hour before we were supposed to get there, I was like, you know what? We're either gonna have to cancel, or we're gonna have to pivot and figure out something else."

From there, it was a joint effort of family and friends to bring the couple to their new wedding venue, which was, coincidentally, another place that the pair went to during their first date: Birravino in Red Bank.

"My sister-in-law, Julie, reached out to the restaurant, and she spoke to Bobby Rallo [the owner of Birravino], and he was absolutely amazing," Krista said. "I don't know how I can thank him enough for putting this together for us last minute."

Once their new venue was settled, it was a mad dash to take the couple's wedding setup planned for the Rum Runner and recreate it at Birravino.

Julie and her husband, Andrew, went to a local Michael's to get every bud vase they could find. The violinist rerouted to Red Bank. The photographer came to take pictures of the setup and ceremony.

Krista found a spot in the restaurant where she and Neil could say their "I do's," and her mother used a Birravino steak knife to cut flowers for a makeshift bouquet.

Yet through all the chaos of wedding planning and the sudden change in location, there was one phrase the couple kept coming back to — the very same quote Neil's grandpa used to say to him: "That's how it's supposed to be."

"I honestly don't know how it all came together, but I feel like just having our family and our really great friends, it all worked out and felt even more intimate and special," Krista said. "Everyone said they loved it, and the food at Birravino is the best Italian food ever."

"Overall, I just wanted to marry my best friend," she continued. "So we were happy with the way it turned out, and we said, you know what? That's how it's supposed to be."

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Lily Szabo Pannella. Patch regrets the error.