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Exclusive Look Inside the Situation’s Wedding!
Posted on December 05, 2018 by New Jersey Bride
There was a “hitchuation” on Thursday, November 1, 2018, and fans of MTV’s Jersey Shore know exactly what we’re talking about. That’s when Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, 36, from Manalapan, married his long-time love Lauren Pesce, 33, of Holmdel, and altered his trademark must-do ritual of GTL from “gym, tan, laundry” to “gym, tan, Lauren.” Now that’s true love, Jersey-style!
The wedding was nothing short of spectacular. After Mike proposed on Valentine’s Day 2018 while filming an episode of Jersey Shore in Miami and surprising Lauren, who wasn’t expecting the on-air proposal, the couple got busy searching for their dream venue. Initially thinking they’d have a destination wedding since nothing in New Jersey was catching their eye, they stumbled upon the Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains. “It was just so ornate and unique,” Lauren says. “The Plaza Hotel in New York is one of our favorite hotels ever. And the Legacy Castle is like the Plaza Hotel—but on steroids,” Lauren says.
The wedding had an elegant Great Gatsby feel, with all-white flowers, black-and-gold details, and super-chic décor with guests in tuxedos and long gowns. Lauren wore a traditional long-sleeved lace gown by Pronovias for the ceremony, formal pictures and first dance, then changed into a sleeveless jeweled gown by Stephen Yearick for the cake cutting and the rest of the night. “It was the total opposite from my ceremony dress,” she adds. With a change in hairstyle, Lauren was ready to party.
The couple chose Thursday, November 1, 2018, as their wedding date for multiple reasons. “Obviously it was Jerzday, which is a holiday in our house,” Lauren says. But a Thursday night also provided privacy that a weekend wedding wouldn’t have offered. “And once I realized it was All Saint’s Day, I was sold,” Lauren says.
The bridal party was both a family affair—and Jersey Shore reunion. Lauren had two bridesmaids: Sister Michelle was her maid of honor and sister Melissa was her matron of honor. Jenny “JWoww” Farley’s daughter Meilani and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s daughter Giovanna were the flower girls (see Snooki’s wedding here and JWoww’s wedding here). Instead of groomsmen, Mike had “best men,” who were castmates Pauly DelVecchio, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, Vinny Guadagnino and Mike’s brother Marc. Lauren’s nephews Nicholas and Luca were ring bearers. The only original cast member missing was Sammi Giancola, who was invited but sent a gift instead.
Lauren’s favorite details were the flowers and candlelight during the ceremony. “I just wanted it to be perfect, so when I saw how amazing it was, I was blown away.” The highlight was a super-chic all-white fresh flower wall created by Arcadia Floral. Mike’s must-have was that Lauren got everything she wanted. “If she said she wanted something, I wanted to make sure that it happened,” Mike says. “With the help of everyone, it was a flawless wedding.”
When it came to the music selections, Mike was in charge. “We came out to an epic song—the classic Godfather waltz done by a live band—and then when we got to the dance floor, they played ‘Young and Beautiful’ by Lana Del Rey for our first dance. It was really beautiful. Everyone was shocked by the music selections.”
The boys changed into custom red track suits and had a surprise for Lauren: “There was a groomsmen dance and performance at the wedding that was special so she’d remember this day forever,” Mike says.
What was the hardest detail for Lauren to arrange? The shoes, of course! “I’m a really big shoe person, so that’s what I probably spent the most time on,” Lauren admits. “Formal shoes are hard to track down in the right size with the exact details you want.” She wore white satin Manolo Blahniks with a baby-blue buckle for the ceremony that had to be ordererd from Europe because they were sold out everywhere in the U.S. She then changed into Christian Louboutin sparkly pumps for the reception, which were an extension of her dress. Mike wore black patent-leather Christian Louboutins with a gold-caged heel that tied together the entire black-and-gold vision of the wedding. “I’m obsessed with his shoes!” Lauren says.
So for the confident, always-in-charge Sitch, were there any wedding jitters? “Yes, there actually were,” Mike says. “It was the biggest day of my life. I’ve been in T.V. for over 10 years. I’ve been in front of millions of people on Dancing with the Stars and Jersey Shore and lots of different stages, but on this particular day I was most nervous to make sure my bride was happy and that she got everything she wanted.” And that she did!
For now, Mike and Lauren are enjoying their time as Mr. and Mrs. Sorrentino and are looking forward to getting away to a spa resort out West before January, when Mike has to begin his prison sentence for tax evasion. Luckily for us, we’ll get to see more of the wedding—and that groomsmen dance!—on an upcoming episode of Jersey Shore.
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Wondering which vendors Mike and Lauren used at their wedding? We’ve got them here for you:
PHOTOGRAPHER Anthony Serrantonio
VENUE The Legacy Castle, Pompton Plains
EVENT PLANNER 5th Avenue Weddings & Events, NYC
FLOWERS Arcadia Floral, Oradell
BRIDE’S GOWNS Pronovias and Stephen Yearick, from Castle Couture, Manalapan
BRIDE’S SHOES Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin
HAIR Senada Kanaqi Ceka in NYC
MAKEUP Lauren Demalio
RINGS Layna Friedman
TUXEDOS Robbie’s NYC
GROOM’S SHOES Christian Louboutin
BRIDESMAID ROBES weddingprepgals.com
BLACK SWEATSUITS customizedgirl.com
RED TRACK SUITS sweatsedo.com
INVITATIONS & MENU CARDS Katherine Elizabeth Events, Red Bank
CAKE Confections of a Rock Star, Asbury Park
BAND Starlight Music, NYC
ENTERTAINMENT Magic Moments, Paramus
GRAPHICS Bombshell Graphics, Fairfield
ROLLS-ROYCE Cloud 9 Exotics, NYC
CANDLE FAVORS Custom Candle Co.
MACARONS FAVORS The Vintage Cake, Atlantic Highlands
FOOD TRUCKS Valducci’s and Cannoli World
REHEARSAL DINNER Rails Steakhouse, Towaco
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