I Do!: Christine Fernandez and Steven Schaffer, of Lindenhurst

Eight years after they met, Christine Fernandez and Steven Schaffer married in a beach ceremony at Sunken Meadow State Park, celebrating with 170 guests.

They met when Schaffer, 41, of Lindenhurst, a member of Laborers’ Local 1010 pavers and road builders, was bartending weekends at a tavern in Seaford and Fernandez and a group of friends stopped by. Fernandez, 32, of Seaford, and a pediatric dental office assistant, was nearly 10 years younger than Schaffer “so we took it slow and steady,” she said.

They hadn’t really talked about marriage, she said, so the proposal on Aug. 18, 2024, was a surprise. “We went to church that morning and he was acting really nervous, it wasn’t like him,” she said. “He wanted to take a walk, but it was a rainy day, and then it [the sky] opened up, so we went.”

While they walked at Sunken Meadow, Fernandez said Schaffer “was talking about our relationship and reminiscing. Then he got down on one knee. I was really surprised.”

“I loved how intimate it was,” Fernandez said. “It was just us, and that was really special.”

Schaffer had arranged for a photographer to document the moment, Fernandez said, but she was unobtrusive, hiding behind a bluff. They met with her for photos, Fernandez said, then celebrated with their families at a barbecue at Schaffer’s mom’s house.

Their wedding on Aug. 31, 2025, was officiated by Fernandez’s father, Pastor Frank Fernandez of Ascend Church in Dix Hills, and Schaffer’s pastor, Steven Iannuccilli of East Gate Church in Massapequa. Her sister, Julia Fernandez, was maid of honor and Darren Schaffer, the groom’s cousin, was best man.

The two are big beach people, Fernandez said, and chose the beach setting after attending a wedding there. “We loved the vibe and its location,” she said.

“It was everything I hoped for and prayed for, a lovely day filled with a lot of love,” Fernandez said. “I wish I could relive it. I can’t think of any hiccups at all.”