Kaitlyn Astel and Greg Cavanaugh are a Jersey City couple who got married in Cedar Grove this past May. This pair loves to travel, be active, and partake in fun activities — Greg actually proposed to Kaitlyn in 2020 while on a hot air balloon ride in Asbury. The Hoboken Girl had the chance to talk with this local couple about all of the details that went into their engagement and recent wedding. Read on to learn more about Kaitlyn and Greg and their local NJ love story.
The Hoboken Girl: What do you both do for a living?
KA + GC: Kaitlyn is a construction project manager at Turner & Townsend, and Greg is a civil engineer for Stantec.
HG: What city do you both live in + for how long have you lived there?
KA + GC: We currently live together in Dixon Mills in Jersey City, since March of 2020.
Read More: This Union City Couple Met at Saku + Got Engaged at the Weehawken Waterfront
HG: When/where did you and your partner meet?
KA + GC: We met at a party while attending Stevens Institute of Technology in 2013. Greg saw Kaitlyn playing beer pong from across the room and knew he just had to introduce himself.
HG: Was there an instant connection/chemistry between you two?
KA + GC: There was an instant “friendship” connection from the start. We had a lot of the same friend groups between athletics and sharing the same civil engineering major, so we were always either hanging out together at parties or doing schoolwork/studying together in the library.
HG: How long have you been together?
KA + GC: Greg asked Kaitlyn out officially in July of 2015 — he planned a surprise rooftop dinner date at 800 Madison Street, where he lived at the time, and served a penne vodka chicken dish that he made from scratch and homemade sangria.
HG: When was the moment you knew you were meant to marry each other?
KA + GC: After the first (of multiple) beer pong tournaments we won as partners. The first win was at Wicked Wolf in 2017 — we went home $250 richer and with a huge Yuengling cooler on wheels that we still use to this day when we host.
HG: Tell us about your proposal.
KA + GC: On October 10th, 2020, Greg pulled off a 12-hour marathon engagement. First, he started the day by giving Kaitlyn a scrapbook he made of their history together, then he sent her on a 10-clue scavenger hunt down memory lane around Hoboken to all of their favorite spots over the last 7 years, then he sent her to a much-needed nail appointment, followed by a hot air balloon ride in Asbury, New Jersey (where he popped the question), and ended with a fun dinner celebration with both families.
HG: How surprised were you? Were you expecting it?
KA + GC: By this time we had been together for over 5 years and lived together, so I definitely knew an engagement was coming, however, I wasn’t sure when or how. The night prior to the engagement, I definitely had no idea what the next day had in store, and throughout the day as the various events were unfolding, I certainly had no idea that the actual proposal was going to be on a hot air balloon ride!
HG: How long was your engagement?
KA + GC: Just over a year and a half — from 10/10/20 to 5/29/22.
HG: Where did you get married + why that venue?
KA + GC: We got married at il Tulipano in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. We knew we wanted an outdoor ceremony on site with an outdoor cocktail hour, and this venue provided a stunning location for both of these. Also, the ballroom dance floor was huge, which was a must!
(Photo credit: Contemporary Image Photography)
HG: How many people did you have at your wedding?
KA + GC: 150 guests, with 25+ being alumni/faculty from Stevens.
HG: What was your favorite moment of the day?
KA + GC: For the ceremony, we did not want to write/read our own vows, so instead we chose to write each other a letter describing what we love most about one another. The officiant printed these letters and had us read each others’ aloud for the first time in front of everyone. It was a beautiful way to share how we feel about each other in the presence of our friends and family.
(Photo credit: Contemporary Image Photography)
HG: Did you work with a wedding planner?
KA + GC: We did not work with a wedding planner — we luckily had the full-time help of Kaitlyn’s amazing mom (thank goodness!).
See More: The Best Wedding Venues in Essex County
HG: Any advice for couples planning a wedding locally or in general?
KA + GC: You must enjoy the process! If you spend the whole time thinking about the planning as extra work, then it will feel like work. We tried to use wedding planning as an excuse to have fun. If we had to visit the venue to figure something out, we would also plan to get dinner with our parents or do an activity. Whenever we finished a task like sending out the invites, we would celebrate with a bottle of wine. Anything to make the tasks light and fun will improve the experience of the whole process and help to not take anything too seriously.
(Photo credit: Contemporary Image Photography)
HG: What are you looking forward to most as a married couple?
KA + GC: We love to travel and be active (we just got back from our honeymoon in the Maldives where we got SCUBA certified and swam with whale sharks!). We are most looking forward to exploring new places around the world together while enjoying each other’s company. This next year, we are also going to apply and try to get on the CBS show The Amazing Race as newlyweds, fingers crossed.
