Former Survivor: Palau and Survivor: Guatemala castaway Stephenie LaGrossa has gotten married, wedding longtime boyfriend Michael Ward in a Friday ceremony in Seaside Heights, NJ, the same Jersey Shore town in which they first met.
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According to People, the wedding had a beach theme and included candles, fans, and drink stirrers with "Life's a Beach" printed on them. "We're huge beach people," 26-year-old LaGrossa told the magazine. "He loves to surf. I love the beach. We wanted to definitely have something on the beach."
Ward, a 33-year-old high school history teacher, had proposed to LaGrossa in December 2005. The couple first met when Ward, who spends his summers working as a lifeguard, rented an apartment in the Seaside Heights family beach house originally built by LaGrossa's great-grandfather. After becoming good friends, they began dating eight years ago.
Survivor: Palau winner Tom Westman and Survivor: Guatemala winner Danni Boatwright (who defeated LaGrossa in Guatemala's lopsided 6-1 final jury vote) were reportedly among the wedding guests.
LaGrossa, a former pharmaceutical sales representative who grew up in the Philadelphia area and graduated from Monmouth University, currently works as a model and makes personal appearances. She currently lives in Toms River, NJ.