Danielle and DJ’s wedding at Battello in Jersey City was definitely a highlight of the Summer! They were the adventurous couple that first introduced us to the awesome hiking trail in Sloatsburg for their engagement session. We knew they were going to be super fun to work with on their wedding day!

Both bride an groom prepped at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Jersey City and held their ceremony at Saint John the Baptist Church. This was an extremely special place for the couple to get married because Danielle had all of her sacraments held there AND her parents and friends were married there. The ceremony was a traditional and classic Catholic mass with Filipino elements, such as the veil and cord ceremony. There were also many special tributes to Danielle’s father.

The couple hails from Hoboken, so choosing Battello as their venue was not only the modern, urban & industrial vibe they wanted, but also close to home.
The wedding as a whole was “elegant and industrial-chic.” The personal flowers were white with greenery and the centerpieces were similar with hints of blush. The overall color scheme was blue and grey. The bride’s dress was from Kleinfeld Bridal, the bridesmaid dresses were Azazie and the groom’s suit was from Indochino.

This Battello wedding was planned meticulously by Sarah Prinz of Honeycomb and Prince, who was phenomenal and a breeze to work with. Jason Jani SCE Event Group was the DJ and he’s one of the most professional, fun guys out there. We know if he’s leading the party it’s ALWAYS going to be a good time.

Another noteworthy, traditional element was that toward the end of the night, just after we took some night shots of the couple in front of the glistening New York City skyline, was the Filipino “money dance”! The couple was given sashes and a crown to wear that were made entirely out of bills and guests took turns adding more money onto them. It was so fun and made for great photos!

Tell us about yourselves!

“We love hiking (as you know!) and doing anything outdoors.”

Q & A

Q1: Let’s start at the beginning. How did you two first meet?

DJ: Danielle and I met on the popular dating app known as Bumble. Initially we were reluctant to tell people that was how we met, only to find out that most people now meet that way. Our first date was at a Portuguese Restaurant in Jersey City called Broa, only for it to be full. With both of us being spontaneous and able to eat anything, we went to a Ramen place instead with our Portuguese wine!

Q2: What makes your relationship special? Tell us some things that you both value in your time together. (example: pushing each other to new limits, love to travel, huge comic book fans, foodies, etc.) What makes your relationship unique?

DJ: Our relationship is special because we push each other to make the other person better. Having a completely opposite personality and upbringing (Danielle being an extrovert raised in the city and DJ being an introvert raised on a farm), we’ve shown each other our strengths can help the other’s weaknesses. We share some common hobbies in traveling, hiking, and cooking. As Danielle has more experience traveling the world (she’s traveled to 30 countries before turning 30 years old!), she pushes me to new places and expeditions. Meanwhile, I teach her how to cook complex meals and improve her skiing.

Q3: How did you know your partner was the one? When did you first know this in your relationship? (these may often be the same moment, but aren’t always)

DJ: I knew that Danielle was the one early on in the relationship. Actually, the very first night I met her I spoke to my mom about how amazing of a person she was. Achieving so much at such a young age, it motivated me to strive for more the way she had.

Danielle: I knew DJ was the one early on in the relationship as well but it was solidified after facing the biggest challenge of my life – the passing of my father. DJ was extremely supportive and even though I was definitely difficult at times, he showed me grace, patience, and love. I knew we could go through anything after that!

Q4: Give us all the details about the proposal. How and where did it happen? Was it a surprise? What was the planning process?

DJ: Living in Hoboken for the past couple of years, Pier A has made an impression on us with its open views of downtown Manhattan. Also being a 1 square mile town, it was easy to convince her to walk down on a beautiful night. The only problem was that the restaurant isn’t along the water and I had to hope that her navigation skills couldn’t detect that. She noticed and wondered why we were walking the opposite direction but luckily that faded and we were at the corner of the park where I got on one knee and proposed. It took me awhile to plan the process due to COVID and the uncertainty of what would be open. The weather turned out amazing that night and having a nightcap at Monroe’s with my brother Sean and his wife Taylor made it a great experience.

Q5: We’re all about the bling… Tell us all about that ring!

Danielle: The ring is exactly what I wanted and I never told DJ – I would talk about the ring style with his sister-in-law Taylor! It’s a beautiful solitaire round diamond with 4 prong setting and pave diamonds around the petit band. I haven’t worn any rings traditionally, so when DJ wanted to know my size without asking me out right, he was trying to find rings in my jewelry box. He didn’t find any and had to guess my size. Luckily enough, with the help of his brother Sean and sister-in-law Taylor, the ring was a perfect fit.

Q6: What are you most excited about when it comes to your wedding planning?

DJ: I am really excited to taste the food at Battello and be involved in the final steps in making this wedding beautiful.

Danielle: I am extremely excited to have all of our family and friends gathered together in a party that we planned ourselves!

 

 

 

VENDOR NOTES

Venue / Battello
Prep Hotel / DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Jersey City
Florist / JR Floral Design
Videographer / Project 8
DJ / SCE Event Group – Jason Jani
Makeup Artist + Hair Stylist / La Belle Visage
Dress / Kleinfeld Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses / Azazie
Suit / Indochino
Photobooth / The Booth Bros
Planner / Honeycomb and Prince – Sarah Prinz
Guest Transportation / Academy Bus
Wedding Party Transportation / Eye to Eye
Invitations / Truly Inspired Paper Co.