Jake and Lauren tied the knot at Battello on December 10, 2023.

Their Story

Jake and Lauren met in 2012 down the shore in the Long Beach Island area. “My parents purchased a summer home in Beach Haven and he was a local surfer boy,” says Lauren. “Summer romance!”

The Proposal

The couple got engaged in Jersey City on April 23, 2022. Jake, Lauren and three of their friends went out for drinks in downtown Jersey City.

“Little did I know it was all a plan to get me out the house,” says Lauren. “When we returned, our apartment had rose petals going up the stairs, our roof deck had a ‘Marry Me’ sign and next thing you know Jake was down on one knee.”

“A couple minutes later, both of our parents, family and friends all showed up to continue the celebration.”

Details of the Day

Jake and Lauren’s December wedding had a “city-chic winter” theme.

The colors were wintry, Lauren’s dress had a big bow, the bridesmaids wore a mix of burgundy reds in different textures (velvet, tulle, satin, sparkles, ruffles).

Jake wore a velvet black Jacket, and the groomsman wore black tuxes.

“For flowers we did a lot of greenery on the tables with a hint of red and white,” says Lauren. “Battello is one of those venues that doesn’t need too much and looks beautiful as is, since it overlooks the city. Battello had some Christmas decor that I opted to keep up (garland, wreaths on the window) that looked great and added to the atmosphere.”

Choosing the Venue

The couple chose Battello because they love Jersey City.

“We purchased our first home here in 2022 and this is home to us,” says Lauren. “I chose Battello for so many reasons: they have the best view that overlooks NYC, there food is awesome (guests are still talking about it!) I love there atmosphere and industrial vibe and their staff is incredible.”

“[Battello] is also a restaurant when they aren’t doing weddings, so it’s always nice that we can always go back!”

Favorite Moment

One of Lauren’s favorite moments was, “coming down the stairs in my mini party dress with Jake and saying to Jake ‘I can’t believe this is our wedding’ and just seeing all our family and friends having a great time.”

Detail They Couldn’t Live Without

The couple rented a vintage NYC cab that picked them up from the church and drove to Battello. “It just added so much detail into our photos,” says Lauren.

Advice for Couples

“Enjoy the process,” says Lauren. “I know wedding planning can be stressful…I would call my mom five times a day to complain or to vent about wedding stress, but in the end it was all worth it and I wouldn’t have changed a thing!”

Honeymoon

Jake and Lauren carried the winter theme into their honeymoon. They went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for five days. Some cool things they did included a six-hour snowmobile tour around Yellowstone National Park, an elk sleigh ride tour at the National Elk Refuge and a lot of eating and drinking with amazing scenery.