Call it fate, call it destiny, call it pure luck — but since the day they were born it seemed like Kateri Norton and Robert Hendrickson were meant to be together
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Call it fate, call it destiny, call it pure luck -- but since the day they were born it seemed like Kateri Norton and Robert Hendrickson were meant to be together.
The couple, both 28 years old, were both born at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, grew up a few miles apart at the Jersey Shore, and went to rival high schools (Manasquan and Wall respectively). It was during their high school days that the two met for the first time.
These coincidences could lead one to believe that once Norton and Hendrickson laid eyes upon on each, the path to wedded bliss would begin.
Well, the path did begin. It just got off to a pretty bumpy start.
"We originally met in high school through a mutual friend," said Norto, a pediatric nurse at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in West Orange. "But we did not get along with each other."
Norton left the Jersey Shore to attend East Carolina University. On her winter break, she and Hendrickson became reacquainted.
According to Norton, the "spark began" during this period, and in less than a year the couple's love began.
Norton can't pinpoint an exact moment or date when she realized Hendrickson, a heavy equipment operator and volunteer fire chief of Wall Fire Company #1, was truly the one.
"I know it sounds like a typical response, but we are like yin and yang," Norton said. "We complement each other's strengths and weaknesses so well. It's like we fit together like a puzzle."
The wedding date
Hendrickson proposed to Norton on Sunday, June 29, 2014 -- the final night of the annual summertime Wall Fair in Wall Township. As with the tradition, the fair ended with a flurry of fireworks. When the fireworks show ended, Norton turned to say something to Hendrickson, and found him on one knee.
Hendrickson, holding the ring box in his hand, quipped, "How is this for a finale?" Norton was so surprised and at a loss for words that she slapped Hendrickson. While this "love slap," as Norton calls it, might have distracted some, Hendrickson was unfazed, and officially asked Norton to marry him.
The couple choose Nov. 6, 2015, as their wedding date because, as Norton puts it, "We wanted a date in the fall, and Nov. 6 just stuck with us."
Photos from the wedding of Kateri Norton and Robert Hendricksen, at Jumping Brook Country Club in Tinton Falls Nov. 6, 2015. (Galis Photography and Video) The venue
The couple chose Saint Andrew's Methodist Church, located a stone's throw from the lake in Spring Lake, for their ceremony. The couple opted for Jumping Brook Country Club in Tinton Falls, about 15 minutes from the church, as the site of their reception.
"This venue was not only beautiful, but had a comforting feel to it with a lot of character," Norton said. "It went perfectly with our elegant, fairy tale theme. ... The venue was also very customizable in their options and were very accommodating to us," Norton said.
Where they saved
The couple saved by rolling up their sleeves and tackling aspects of the reception with a do-it-yourself spirit.
"The centerpieces and most of the decorations were all DIY," Norton said. "My dad had a lot to do with this part, and we saved a ton of money, and everything looked beautiful."
Where they splurged
The couple decided to make their wedding reception more of an audio and visual experience.
"We had multifocal/multicolored lighting, TV screens with music videos and pictures of the guests playing, Norton said, plus a photo booth.
How they made their wedding special
It was the DIY spirit that made this wedding special in the eyes of the bride and groom.
"This wedding was so special because so many people had a hand in creating it," Norton said. "It was an amazing feeling to see it all come together and look so beautiful. It made all the stress and craziness worth it."
Most memorable moments
For Hendrickson, the most memorable moment of the entire day came when he saw his bride-to-be coming down the aisle.
"When he first saw me when I turned to walk down the aisle, he didn't know whether to cry or smile," Norton said.
Norton had two very different moments that stuck out in her mind as the most memorable.
"The bridesmaids and I were ahead of schedule, so on the way to the ceremony we had the limo driver stop at the Spring Lake House Tap House," Norton said. "We all took a shot of Fireball." A photo of the bridesmaid knocking back a shot of cinnamon whiskey ended up on the bar's Instagram.
The second most memorable moment for Norton came during the first dance.
"Rob chose our first dance song, and I had no idea what it was until it was played," Norton said. "The moment it played ("Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran) and the look on Rob's face were priceless."
All photos courtesy of Galis Photography & Video.
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