Robin and Michael wed on October 8, 2022 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Short Hills, followed by a reception at Park Château Estate & Gardens in East Brunswick. They were high-school sweethearts (attending different schools in Northern New Jersey) who met at a hockey game during their freshman year in 2003.
They dated all four years of high school, but separated when they attended different colleges, and always remained great friends. They got back together in July 2020, 17 years after first meeting.
Michael proposed in 2021 at their favorite neighborhood restaurant, Augustino’s in Hoboken, followed by a surprise photoshoot on the Hudson River. Both their families were waiting at their Hoboken apartment to celebrate.
The couple loved the Park Château’s elegance and beauty, both inside and out, as well as the menu offerings. The venue delivered on Robin and Michael’s hope for a formal, glamorous wedding.
For their October wedding, the couple chose a color scheme of shades of purple and silver. The bridesmaids wore dark plum and the groomsmen donned black tuxes. The reception was black tie optional and all the guests embraced the glamour. Robin and Michael offered a black and white photobooth during the reception and gave picture frames as wedding favors.
The couple’s favorite Jersey Shore bar band, Pat Roddy Band, provided entertainment, with no shortage of Bruce Springsteen songs. The dance floor was packed the entire night.
For cocktail hour, guests enjoyed everything from a martini bar to a boardwalk station to a mac and cheese bar. For dinner, there were four options: Chateaubriand, chicken Château, sea bass and eggplant Napoleon. There were also several dessert stations with a wedding cake by Palermo.
Robin’s Sottero and Midgley Allen dress came from Seng Couture. The top was a boatneck style with three-quarter-length sleeves and an open back that was completely covered with Swarovski crystals and pearls. The bottom was a full ballgown with beautiful layers of tulle. She paired it with a cathedral-length veil that also had intricate beading at the bottom.
Riding in a Rolls-Royce from the church in Short Hills to the reception in East Brunswick. It was the couple’s first moment alone as husband and wife and they drank Champagne and talked about how beautiful the day was so far and how happy they felt.
Great food and great music.
Just go with it and have fun.
They spent two weeks in Italy, venturing to the Amalfi Coast, Florence and Rome.
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Short Hills
Msgr. Robert Harahan
Sottero and Midgley Allen
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