Before Their Park Pavilion Wedding, This Couple Ate Pizza on the Boardwalk

Before their Park Pavilion wedding, Hunter, Tom and their wedding party headed to the boardwalk. Tommy, one of Tom’s groomsmen, knew how much Hunter wanted to take pictures of the couple eating pizza on the boardwalk in their wedding outfits, so he volunteered to stand in line. “Since it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the boardwalk was packed and he got the slices in perfect timing to get the photos,” says Hunter. The group also took playful shots in front of arcade games.

Hunter & Tom’s Story

For Hunter Smith and Tom Scerbo, Seaside Heights has long been a special spot—so much so that they decided to tie the knot in nearby Seaside Park and take a series of fun wedding-day photos on the famed Seaside Heights boardwalk. “Getting our licenses and driving to the boardwalk with friends to walk around, and then turning 21 and soaking in the boardwalk nightlife—it’s always been a favorite place for us and we were eager to have it take even more importance in our story,” says Hunter. The couple met in high school while on the Ocean County YMCA swim team. “I can always count on him to keep situations light but support me in everything I do every day,” says Hunter.

The Proposal

Once Tom proposed at a barbecue with friends and family in August 2020, the couple was ready to plan the next chapter of their love story in their favorite Shore spot.

Soaking in the Shore

Hunter and Tom decided to rent a beach house with their family and friends in Seaside Park for the weekend of the wedding. “It was so much fun to have everyone under one roof for the weekend, especially with getting ready,” says Hunter. They even hosted the rehearsal dinner at the house.

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Boardwalk Fun

Before their ceremony, Hunter, Tom and their wedding party headed to the boardwalk. Tommy, one of Tom’s groomsmen, knew how much Hunter wanted to take pictures of the couple eating pizza on the boardwalk in their wedding outfits, so he volunteered to stand in line. “Since it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the boardwalk was packed and he got the slices in perfect timing to get the photos,” says Hunter. The group also took playful shots in front of arcade games. “We will treasure the photos and the memories for years to come,” says Hunter.

Their Park Pavilion Wedding

“We wanted a quintessential Jersey Shore wedding,” says Hunter. For their big day on May 21, 2022, at Park Pavilion in Seaside Park, they went for a “relaxed-fun” celebration with bright flowers. “Definitely the beach vibe and overlooking the beach and boardwalk was my favorite thing,” says Hunter about her 140-guest wedding. Located right below their venue is the Sawmill pizzeria, a nostalgic spot for the couple where they’d often meet before a night out with friends.

The Menu

The couple opted for an all-night buffet complete with boardwalk pizza and a fresh raw bar. “We liked how casual it felt and just like one big party,” says Hunter. “People could snack or eat all throughout the night.” Instead of a cake, each guest received a mini “bundtini” from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Special Details

The couple leaned into the beach theme with a surfboard seating chart and a cornhole-game guest book. In lieu of favors, Hunter and Tom, who both work in healthcare (she’s an occupational therapist and he’s a physical therapist), made a donation to Interfaith Neighbors, an Asbury Park-based charity that helps improve quality of life for Monmouth County residents.

Advice

“Do things you like,” says Hunter. “I remember feeling pressured at times to do what’s ‘traditional’ and not what we had pictured or wanted. We look back at our wedding weekend and can’t not smile when we think of the fun that was had by all.”

Honeymoon

The Scerbos, both now 30, sailed around the British Virgin Islands with five friends before heading home to Neptune.