Asbury Park Berkeley Hotel Wedding Photos | Christina + Dave | Rock & Roll Wedding Photographer

Dave and Chrissy’s story is one of luck, love and happenstance. Many moons ago, Chrissy took a trip to the West Coast for creative inspiration (or something like that) and was introduced to Dave through a mutual friend. The two hit it off, thanks in part to their creative passion for art and design, Chrissy’s wit and humor and Dave’s sexy beard. But there was one small problem—Chrissy was a Jersey girl and her heart was on the East Coast. Dave, then living in Portland, was smitten by the fair-haired maiden and began a long-distance relationship that lasted more than half a decade. Eventually, Dave packed his bags and moved to the Garden State permanently, in an effort to permanently capture Chrissy’s heart. It worked.

The two tied the knot at one of the last vestiges of old Asbury Park, The Berkeley Hotel, a gorgeous beach-front venue that towers over the recently restored Asbury boardwalk. To be fair, I was excited for this wedding for two reasons: A) Dave and Chrissy are true friends and it was an honor to document their big day, and B) I have been dying to photograph a wedding in Asbury Park since I started this business, five years ago. Asbury has been my home away from home for close to two decades (back when it was a ghost town), and I love the balance of urban decay and modern beauty that permeate the city. We spent close to two hours running back and forth on golf carts capturing photos at the old Casino, the Paramount and, most importantly, the Silver Ball Pinball Museum (huge thank you for letting us in last minute).

The ceremony was a simple affair, presided over by Chrissy’s brother Daniel and featuring the most stunning set of groomsman and bridesmaids ever to cross my lens. In front of family and friends, Chrissy and Dave shared their vows and rings, and sealed the day with a kiss before jetting off to a raucous reception teeming with enough energy and emotion to bring the Jersey Shore to its knees. Highlights included an insane singalong to Danzig’s “Mother” that can hardly be explained to anyone who wasn’t there to bare witness, and a reprise of John McGuire’s legendary rendition of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” that can never be duplicated.

Chrissy and Dave, I raise a glass to you. Thanks for being such awesome, kind-hearted and beautiful friends. You guys rock.

Big thank you to Moses “I Will Cut Any Man That Crosses George” Cruz for killing it at the photo booth.

Scroll down past the photos to see “Sweet Caroline” in all its glory. Sorry for the crappy sound, but I had yet to master the art of manually adjusting the volume.