Heather & Matthew | Waterside Restaurant & Catering | North Bergen, NJ

Stunning Skyline Views

Matt and I met on a dating site, which is surprising because I am usually a little hesitant about dating sites. We met for drinks and hit it off right away. I am a pre-k teacher and Matt is a sales rep. For our two year anniversary, he surprised me with Billy Joel tickets. During the song “She’s Always a Woman to Me,” Matt asked a lady nearby to take a photo of us. He whispered to the lady that it was actually recording a video and he got down on one knee and proposed. Of course, I said yes!

On our second date, we walked along Boulevard East in Weekhawkin, NJ, which has an incredible view of the city. So after the proposal, we knew we wanted to check out Waterside Restaurant, which is right by Boulevard East and shares the same amazing view.  We didn’t set up a formal meeting, but just popped by to look at the place, and Shantal Videla, wedding coordinator, was so accommodating right away. Meeting with her really sealed the deal for us.

We were married in the same church my parents got married in, which is only a few miles away from Waterside. Matt surprised me with a memoriam candle for my dad with his name engraved on it. My two brothers walked me down the aisle and the priest lit the candle and read a poem in his honor.

From the moment our guests got to cocktail hour, everyone was raving about the skyline view! We had several food stations, such as a pasta station with classics like penne alla vodka and baked ziti and a carving station with flank steak and pork loin. The big hit of the night was the baby lamb chops! Everyone went crazy over them. Shantal made a special plate for me and Matt upstairs, which was great because we got a chance to eat before meeting everyone downstairs.

We chose our ballroom décor to complement the bridesmaids’ dresses, which were begonia and fuchsia. Our centerpieces were clear vases filled with ivory and fuschia colored flowers with clear rocks at the bottom, each surrounded by flower petals.

Everyone loved our DJ. He played a variety of music that people of all ages could relate to. Matt was happily surprised when his mom, who usually does not dance at weddings, was up dancing and having the time of her life.

For dinner, we offered a choice of chicken francese with lemon butter sauce, chateaubriand with bordelaise sauce, or Chilean sea bass. Everything was delicious. For dessert, we had our three-tier wedding cake and passed desserts came to every table.

First and foremost, thank you to my amazing mom, without her we couldn’t have had the wedding of our dreams at such a beautiful place. And another thank you to Matt’s parents for their loving encouragement and support. And to my dad, every day leading up to our wedding was cold and rainy, and somehow our wedding day was beautiful and 80 degrees; we know you had something to do with that. A special shout out to our bridal party for helping us with everything. Thank you to Shantal and Waterside for helping us plan our unforgettable wedding.

Waterside Restaurant & Catering
7800 B River Road, North Bergen, NJ 07047
201.861.7767, watersiderestaurantandcatering.com