Some love stories begin with a swipe, others with a blind date. For Will and Christie Attanasio, it started on a train ride to a WWE event — and ended up with a Halloween wedding straight out of their dreams.
The South Shore couple met in 2022, while traveling separately to Monday Night Raw at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Christie, an Oceanside native and lifelong wrestling fan, noticed Will, a Long Beach native, talking with other fans on the Long Island Rail Road and decided to introduce herself.
The two chatted on the way to the show, went their separate ways during the event and then found themselves in the same train car heading home.
They hit it off, and Christie soon invited Will to her family's annual Halloween party. Will embraced the invitation, picking up a pirate costume at Party City before heading to her house. He quickly became a fixture in her life — and earned the nickname “Will the Pirate” among her friends and family.
For Christie, the connection felt special from the beginning.
“Will’s kindness and genuine nature made me feel so comfortable,” she said. “We immediately realized we had so much in common.”
In April 2024, Will found a fitting way to propose, returning to the world of wrestling that brought them together. The couple traveled to Philadelphia for WrestleMania weekend, and Will hoped to involve one of Christie's favorite wrestlers, The Undertaker.
On April 4, outside The Fillmore in Philadelphia, Will got down on one knee on a chilly evening and asked Christie to marry him.
The couple tied the knot on Halloween in 2025 at Bourne Mansion in Oakdale, celebrating with a “hauntingly elegant” theme that perfectly reflected Christie's love for the holiday.
Guests were encouraged to dress up, with a costume contest adding to the fun. Pumpkins and spooky decorations filled the venue, including a 12-foot skeleton behind the DJ. Christie wore a black wedding dress, putting her own spin on traditional bridal style.
One of the day's most meaningful moments came when Christie's father officiated the ceremony. Having also married two of her brothers and their wives, he made the occasion even more special for the family.
Now, the Attanasios are looking forward to their next chapter together. After selling their Long Beach condo, they are under contract for a home in Oceanside, hoping to build a family near the communities they have loved since childhood.
Their love story recently took another turn when Will entered them in the America’s Favorite Couple competition, earning 9th place overall. The experience brought a wave of support from friends, family and fellow South Shore residents, giving the couple another reason to celebrate their relationship.
“Doing the competition has brought us closer together,” Will said. “I knew I loved her from the first time we hung out. Doing this has made my heart grow fonder.”
From a train ride and a pirate costume to a wedding filled with Halloween magic, Will and Christie have built a love story that is uniquely theirs — with plenty of South Shore pride and new adventures still to come.
