Caroline Greif and Michael Goldstein were first introduced through mutual friends at the University of Maryland. After only two dates, Michael asked Caroline to his fraternity formal, which was scheduled for a month later. When she asked how he knew they would even be speaking to each other in a month, he simply responded with “I just know.” They have been together ever since.
The couple were in a long distance relationship when Michael proposed, and he tricked his then-girlfriend into thinking he had gone home after one of his visits. Caroline designs and produces events at Birch Event Design, and Michael conspired with her co-workers into thinking there was a last minute engagement party to plan. “I spent the morning planning my own engagement party,” Caroline describes. “I had a work meeting that afternoon, or so I thought, near my parents’ house and my father asked if I would stop by for a few minutes.” As she walked through the front door, she found rose petals leading through the foyer and up the stairs, where Michael stood waiting for her.
“I FELT LIKE A PRINCESS GETTING MARRIED IN HER FAIRYTALE WEDDING” CAROLINE GREIF
Since she designs and produces weddings on a daily basis, Caroline thought planning her own wedding would be a breeze. Ironically, the wedding planning process was quite difficult, as she was met with an overwhelming selection of possibilities and decisions to make. Eventually, Caroline chose to work with the glamour of Gotham Hall’s event space in New York City, keeping the wedding décor traditional and timeless with some modern elements mixed in.
The big day was nothing short of exciting, with the bride marrying the man of her dreams and Gotham Hall looking even better than she had originally envisioned. “On this picture perfect day, I felt like a princess getting married in her fairytale wedding,” says the bride. “The décor was breathtaking and vibrant, and the overall feeling was magical.”
They tented the Broadway side of Gotham Hall to accommodate a large guest list and pedestrians took pictures of the event, thinking there was someone famous in the midst. For the ceremony, the atmosphere was warm and loving–the perfect way to kick off the rest of the festivities.
During the reception, guests were treated to an endless array of meat and sushi, as well as a gigantic bar on the dance floor. Mini bottles of Patron with built-in straws and a selection of artisan desserts were even served on the dance floor itself. After the reception, the second floor of Gotham Hall was converted into a club, where the newlyweds continued to dance the night away with their friends.
The night came to a close as one might expect in New York City–the bride and groom were unable to hail a cab. “We were physically and mentally drained when the after-party ended around 3am,” says Caroline. “Without changing out of my wedding dress and Michael’s tuxedo, we walked the five blocks back to our hotel with our friends. Definitely a strange sight for a passerby to see–even in NYC.”
WEDDING TALENT
Location: Gotham Hall, New York, NY; Floral and Event Design, Planner, Linen: Birch Event Design, Brooklyn, NY; Rentals: Luxe Event Rentals & Decor, New York, NY; Lighting: Pegasus Lighting, Beaver Falls, PA
