High school sweethearts to soulmates: An Elizabeth Township couple’s sweet love story leads to the altar
By TAYLOR BROWN
Senior Reporter
tbrown@yourmvi.com
Most brides dream about their wedding day.
Gina Antosz handed her fiancé Nick Algeri a color palette and let him take it from there.
“I was very much the opposite of a bridezilla,” she said. “I had a groomzilla instead.”
And she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Nick and Gina Algeri
From designing signage and invitations to curating a memorial table and prioritizing accessibility for elderly guests, Nick helped shape nearly every detail of their Oct. 18, 2025 wedding at the DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh– Washington Meadowlands, with careful attention to the details that would shape the day they promised each other forever.
But long before the tuxedos and sunset hues, their story began in a high school cafeteria.
Nick and Gina’s beloved dog, Hercules, was
front as center as they exchanged vows. Nick’s
dad, Rich, served as best man and officiant.
From friends to forever
They met in 2017.
There was nothing cinematic about it. Just teenagers, lunch trays and the beginning of something neither of them fully understood yet.
Many nights were spent at friends’ houses watching hockey games.
A semi-official date at OC Treats led to their first official dinner at Olive Garden Nick first told Gina he loved her in his
Gina (Antosz) Algeri is shown above with her bridesmaids.
black Chevy pickup truck while picking up pizza and Turner’s tea.
“They say when you know, you know,” she said. “And I knew back in 2017 at the age of 16 years old that this was the man I wanted to spend my forever with.”
Nick, an only child, entered Gina’s large family as she is the oldest of eight siblings.
Nick Algeri is shown sharing
a lighthearted moment with his groomsmen.
“He literally walked into mayhem,” she said.
Big family dinners. Noise. Chaos. Energy.
And somehow, in the middle of it all, he became her calm.
“He’s the type of home I missed out on growing up,” Gina said. “A safe space. One I could always depend on, even when we were just friends.”
The couple make their grand entrance waving their custom-made “Pittsburgh Wedding Towels.”
A beach tradition
Every year since 2018, the couple has taken a trip to Myrtle Beach — a place that holds special meaning for Gina. It was one of the first vacations she ever took, and now it’s where some of their most meaningful memories live.
Every year, they dance to Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” on the beach.
On Jan. 5, 2024, they arrived for their annual anniversary weekend. Gina had a feeling a proposal might happen at some point during the trip.
She didn’t expect it that night.
When Nick asked her to dance on the sand, she didn’t question it. It was tradition.
Nick wore a pin featuring
three of the most important
people he has lost: his grandfather Jim, his beloved Uncle Scott and family friend Ronald “Barno” Barnes.
Then he dropped to one knee.
Seven years after they started dating — though Gina jokingly says it should’ve been eight because she was “digging him way before he was digging me” — he asked her to marry him.
Down to the details
When it came time to plan their wedding, Gina had one main focus: marrying Nick.
He had a few more details in mind.
She gave him a list of colors and themes — navy tuxedos with sunset shades of
Nick’s father secretly had
custom black-and-gold Pittsburgh “wedding towels”
made for guests to twirl as
they entered.
orange, something outdoorsy, something that felt like fall — and trusted him to bring it together.
Nick designed the signage. The invitations. The details guests would see the moment they walked in.
They wanted the wedding to feel like a full weekend experience. Guests could park Friday and not leave until Sunday morning.
Accessibility was a priority. With a large extended family that includes many elderly loved ones, ADA accommodations were non-negotiable.
“We wanted it to be a onestop-shop,” Gina said.
On Oct. 18, 2025, about 90 guests gathered outdoors under 75-degree sunshine for their ceremony at the Double-Tree.
Danielle Grant, the venue’s coordinator, handled setup and décor, bringing their fall vision to life.
But the emotional touches, and some of the things that meant the most, came from Nick.
He created a memorial table honoring Pap Bill, Pap Joe, Pap Jim, Pap Francis, Jamie, Gram Nader, Uncle Mike, Uncle Scott, Barno and Itch.
The couple selected their wedding date without realizing it was Nick’s late grandfather Jim’s birthday — something that made the day even more meaningful.
Nick wore a pin featuring three of the most important people he has lost: his grandfather Jim, his beloved Uncle Scott and family friend Ronald “Barno” Barnes.
Gina carried her late grandfather Joe with her, hanging from her bouquet.
It wasn’t all heavy. Gina’s brother and uncle served as “beer bros,” tossing IC Light and White Claws to guests before the ceremony started.
As Nick waited for Gina, his aunt Lisa, who often says Nick is “her person,” walked the couple’s beloved dog, Hercules, down the aisle before Gina made her way forward to “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” sung by her grandfather.
The weight of memory and celebration filled the space at once.
Words that landed
They wrote their own vows — personal, emotional and far from traditional.
Though they wrote them separately, as they stood across from each other, they realized they had mirrored one another almost exactly — recapping their relationship beat for beat.
For Gina, one line stood out. “He mentioned promising my Pap Joe that he would always be the man Pap wanted for me,” she said.
Her grandfather had passed early in their relationship and never got to meet Nick, but in that moment, he felt present.
Mid-ceremony, the couple interlocked hands and reminded each other to pause — to soak in the laughter, the people, the music and the feeling of standing at the center of something bigger than themselves.
For them, saying “I do” was not the result of a single moment. It was everything that led up to them standing at the altar.
A black-and-gold Pittsburgh party
Their reception leaned traditional, but with personality woven throughout.
They flipped the grand entrance order and came out first to “Renegade” by Styx.
Nick’s father secretly had custom black-and-gold Pittsburgh “wedding towels” made for guests to twirl as they entered.
Each bridal party pair followed with their own song and dance.
The night included a table photo dash, money dance, garter and bouquet toss and a dance floor that rarely cleared.
Dinner featured herb-crusted chicken and honey glazed salmon with potatoes and green beans.
Neither of them are big on sweets, but they had plenty of them for guests. A three-tier, minimally-iced naked cake was created by Jackie & Sam’s Sweet Treats in Turtle Creek.
The traditional Pittsburgh wedding cookie table, by Nick’s aunt, Donna Yonkers, and family friend, Aunt Stacy, took up an entire corner, with hundreds of homemade cookies on long tables, decorated with sunflowers, candles, and black-and-gold accents.
There was no grand exit — just one more song, one more spin on the dance floor and a room full of people who weren’t quite ready to go home.
The same, only better
Married life feels familiar.
Some nights, it looks like the two of them standing side by side at the bathroom sink brushing their teeth before bed.
One night, Gina flicked water from her toothbrush at Nick just to irritate him. Naturally, he flicked back — except his toothbrush still had toothpaste on it.
“It stuck right to my forehead,” she said, laughing.
They still watch movies — and Gina still falls asleep. They play video games. Take small trips and quick adventures. Travel when they can. Dance in random parking lots.
They just returned from their seven-night “honey cruise” to the Bahamas with stops in Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, Tortola and Great Stirrup Cay, and eventually hope to build their dream home, grow their family and fill it with the same energy Nick once walked into.
For a couple who started at 16, their story isn’t about one sweeping moment. It was every small one.
And, occasionally, a little toothpaste on the forehead.
Gina is the daughter of Michelle (Tony) Roetter and Thomas Antosz of Baldwin. Nick is the son of Heather Gaydos of McKeesport and Rich (Betsy) Algeri of Elizabeth Township.
They live together in Elizabeth Township with their dog, Hercules.
Wedding details
Wedding date: Oct. 18, 2025
Ceremony/Reception: DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh- Washington Meadowlands
Officiant: Rich Algeri (grooms’ father)
Photographer/videographer: Laura, Joe (photo) and Andrew (video) with Bellagala
DJ: Steve Maffei Jr., Iron Aurora Entertainment
Bakery: Jackie & Sams Sweet Treats (Turtle Creek)
Florist: Lings Moments Dress: Maggie Sorttero Johanna (MB Bride in Greensburg- Cyndi)
Tuxedos: Men’s Warehouse
Wedding coordinator: Danielle Grant (DoubleTree) Jeweler: James Allen— New York
Hair/makeup: Over The Edge Salon, Thomas Deliman (hair) and Lauren Antosik (make-up)
Bridal Party: Tyra Antosz (maid of honor), Ashley Tancosh (maid of honor), Tara Hankinson, Bailey Antosz (sister of bride), Lindsey Shoultes, Cathy Roetter (grandmother of bride), India Dreschler, Leigha Hottinger, Rich Algeri (father of the groom and best man), Joseph Tkac (best man), Joel Boden, Gordon Weimer, Max Marraccini, Jason Stevans, Dalton Swearingen and Benjamin Hoffer (brother of groom)
Beer Bros: Nate Antosz (brother of bride) and Bill Roetter (uncle of bride)
