Christina And Mike’s Wedding: Go Big Or Go Home (With Photos)

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Christina DeGiulio is Stef’s best friend. They were sorority sisters at Hofstra University. This weekend Christina married Michael Laterza. Helaine and I were thrilled to jet back east and attend.

We were promised a big Italian wedding. Promise kept! To me it meant warm and close knit families ready to have a great time.

The service was held at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Jersey City. The church was finished in 1877 (here’s the original New York Times story from its dedication) and is magnificent in detail and size. Though the neighborhood surrounding the church has fallen on hard times, somehow this church has been maintained in the pristine condition befitting its past.

The silver-colored hammered granite from the Hallowell quarries in Maine highlights the door jambs, windows, buttress caps and cornices. The interior of the Gothic church features ribbed vaulting, with sixteen granite columns support the clerestory walls, a nave of 86 feet, side aisles, channel, side chapels, woodwork of black walnut and white ash, and stained glass windows, but no transept. The extreme length of the church is 272 feet and the extreme width is 138 feet; the spire rises to a height of 225 feet with a base 33 feet square. – New Jersey City University

It was a fear among the bridesmaids someone would stumble while walking the long aisle or catch a heel in the floor mounted heating grates! Fear unfounded.

Christina was beautiful. Mike beamed.

Here’s a wedding hint. Always marry someone who’s aunt and uncle own an amazing restaurant on the water in Liberty State Park with a killer view of Manhattan! Christina’s aunt and uncle own Liberty House and it was the perfect venue.

The cocktail hour was accompanied by three appetizer stations with pasta, sushi and fresh mozzarella. The waitstaff carried even more appetizers through the room. On top of that there was a long table in the center of the room with more appetizers.

I can’t remember exactly when, but at some point I realized there was a full meal to follow. And all this with the Manhattan skyline shining through the windows.

We moved upstairs for dinner. The dancing started as soon as we walked in and never stopped. This was fully a party crowd!

The food was fab including a huge steak as the entree. How I waddled back to the hotel afterward is beyond me.

This was our second wedding in less than a month. First Rachel and Aram, now Christina and Mike. It’s tough to remember two parties that were more fun and surroundings more amazing.

(Do yourself a favor and watch the video fullscreen)

6 thoughts on “Christina And Mike’s Wedding: Go Big Or Go Home (With Photos)”

  1. Simply gorgeous photos. Even more beautiful video. Like I’ve mentioned before, Geoff, your wedding photos capture the soul of the event. Stef looked lovely! So glad you all had a good time. I’m betting Christina and Mike will adore this amazing photo gift!!!

  2. Beautiful. Something about weddings that makes me feel good regardless of not knowing all those smiling faces. The inside of this church reminds me of St Mary’s in New Haven, I remember attending as a child. The original church was built in 1834. It burned down in 1848. The current church at 5 Hillhouse Avenue was dedicated in 1874.

  3. Next up is Stef’s wedding??? Will you be that composed taking pictures then????
    You do fantastic work–just need to slow down the video a bit.
    Was Stef in the wedding—? I couldn’t tell.
    I have a new step gr.dgt in law, named Stef–also, as of this past June.
    Is Liberty Park where one parks to get the Ferry for Ellis Island and the Lady Liberty??

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