ORANGE : The Setting Was Grounds for Marriage

Week after week, over coffee, Barbara Robinson and John Beringer debated war, politics and religion. They should have known love wasn’t far behind.

Surrounded by friends and family, Beringer and Robinson were married Saturday in Cyrano’s Coffee House in Orange, where they had met just over four months ago.

“It’s not as impulsive as it sounds,” said Robinson, 45, a Superior Court clerk from Orange. “I just can’t think of anyone else in the world I’d rather be with than him.”

The relationship began brewing at a weekly coffeehouse discussion group. The group of about 20, ranging in age from 12 to 90, tackled a broad range of topics--everything from gays in the military to quantum mechanics.

Beringer 43, a professional mediator from Tustin, said he quickly became enchanted with Robinson’s passion and honesty when addressing the group.

“I loved watching her open up,” said Beringer, who helped found the group. “Her insights into things, the way her mind works, it’s really beautiful. She’s a remarkable lady.”

It was, alas, almost a relationship that didn’t happen. Robinson said had it not been for a friend who practically dragged her to the coffeehouse, she never would have gone.

Unexpectedly, Beringer and Robinson found the coffeehouse atmosphere a welcome relief from the bar scene, which they found superficial. With the aroma of coffee and compelling ideas in the air, Robinson and Beringer felt comfortable enough to be themselves.

“The dating scene can be so phony,” Beringer said. “I had really given up on dating, and dating services didn’t seem to work. But Cyrano’s was really special. It’s the place we met, and (it) allowed us to sustain our relationship.”

Robinson agreed: “There’s just so few places where you can sit and talk openly and honestly about how you feel.”

When the time came to plan the wedding, there was no doubt where it was going to be: Cyrano’s.

“We are terribly romantic, and that’s where we met and fell in love with each other,” Robinson said. “It’s a very special place to us.”

The couple plan to honeymoon in Laguna Beach. “We are just going to sit there and watch the sun set,” Beringer said.