American Beauty Events Wedding | Berkeley Heights, NJ | Caitlin & Mike

November 18, 2021

On November 5th, I photographed Caitlin and Mike’s American Beauty Events wedding at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Berkeley Heights, NJ! Caitlin and Mike had a modern November wedding with beautiful Fall colors featuring a color palette of blush, burgundy, white, and silver. My happy couple thought of every detail for their special day and I loved capturing the two of them and their lively friends and families. This was a very special wedding to me as Caitlin was my 4th bride among her close friends that I had the honor of photographing over the past five years!

Caitlin and Mike knew one another for awhile before they began dating, he is friends with Caitlin’s older brother. They first met while working together in high school at an ice skating rink and it feels like they have known one another for forever. On November 5, 2016, they happened to both be at the same bar and reconnected. Now exactly 5 years from that date, they will be saying I do!

Their first date was memorable! They had planned to go to Surf Taco in New Brunswick for dinner, one of Mike’s favorite places followed by a movie. They pulled up to the restaurant only to find it was closed! After getting sandwiches from a food truck, they realized the movie theatre was also closed due to pipe bursting which caused a flood!

Engaged 04/14/2019, the proposal from Caitlin: “Christmas of 2018, my family had bought tickets for part of my dad’s gift to go see a Yankee game. It was for April 14th of the following year. It was both of my parents, Mike and I, my older brother and his wife, and my younger brother and his now fiancé. We all drove in together and had a great time during the drive over. I started drinking and tailgating, as we always do at any sporting event. I kept trying to get Mike to drink but he wasn’t for some reason and I kept yelling at him and making fun of him for not joining in the fun. We finally headed over to the stadium before the game began and my mom suggested taking a picture of the 6 of us (my siblings and I with our significant others). I LOVE pictures and documenting things so I was totally on board. My mom took my phone and snapped the pic. Afterward, I walked towards her to grab my phone. She told me to turn around and Mike was down on one knee. I was shocked. When it finally clicked what was happening, I walked away like it wasn’t happening! My mom had to push me back. I didn’t remember anything that he said but there is a video so I can go back to it. Then I hear my older brother in the background yell, “say yes damnit!” And we all started laughing.” Last Fall, I was lucky enough to meet these two in Asbury Park for their engagement session.

Their advice for couple’s currently planning their special day is to enjoy every second of it! Stick to your vision and if you want to rent the helicopter, rent the helicopter! Caitlin was most looking forward to having their large families together in the same room. And Mike couldn’t wait to stand at the alter, and through his tears, watching Cait walk down the aisle towards him. Now married, Caitlin’s dreams are to continue traveling and to start a family in the near future. She also cannot wait to have a house and to host holidays and parties with their families. Mike’s dreams are to have a house with children, a dog and a backyard! He would also like to continue traveling. He cannot wait to grow old with Caitlin and to one day sit on their front porch in rocking chairs just enjoying each other’s company.