VENUES - RECEPTION
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Addison Park
Aberdeen
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September 2011 Can NOT say enough great things about Addison Park. The entire process from signing our contract till the wedding day was absolutely perfect. We worked with Ed to create a package that was customized to our needs. I must of called him 900 times through out our year and a half engagement and he was always very responsive and pleasant to work with. Our Maitre D was Dom, FABULOUS! I am a control freak and find it hard to let other people do things when I want them done a certain way. I delivered boxes of items a few days before our wedding with my instructions, and there was not one thing out of place on our wedding day. Anything we needed, Dom took care of for us. We truly felt like royalty! LOVE LOVE LOVE Addison Park and will miss not working with them.
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Ariana's Grand (Woodbridge, NJ)
REVIEW - gia0404: February 2011 wedding. The best ever! Yes, of course every bride thinks their wedding was the best but my friends are literally telling me that they enjoyed our wedding more than their own. I have 2 friends who have booked there after going to our wedding. One for a wedding & one for their sister's sweet 16! From the moment we walked into Ariana's we were treated like family. Both Joe's were fantastic but my maitre'd Joe was phenomenal! He helped me every step of the way. He even called the night before so he could match my BM's color. Everything was set up perfectly when I arrived! The food was so amazing! People are still talking about the cocktail hour! Their ballroom is so beautiful! My pictures came out gorgeous with their lighting.I can't forget the bartender Robert. My guests all loved him! I can not wait to go back there as a guest!
The Atrium (West Orange, NJ)
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The Bernards Inn (Bernardsville, NJ)
REVIEW - golfrgal: May 2011 wedding. Very professional, upscale service. All of the management, especially General Manager, Diane Carr, at Bernards Inn were on top of things. If I had a request, they would make sure it happened. Executive Chef Corey Heyer went out of his way to make sure there would be food I'd eat (since I'm on a very restrictive diet--gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free...and what he created for me was delicious beyond words). All of the guests were asked table-side if they have special dietary needs, and all were accommodated. My guests cannot stop raving about the service and atmosphere of our venue. Many have said it was the best wedding they'd ever attended. The Bernards Inn is worth the price! My only complaint is with the overnight accommodations...the bed in the bridal suite was rock hard and located right above the terrace bar, where rowdy revelers were partying loudly. Combine that with a baby crying in the room next door at 2:00 AM....and well, this bride didn't get much sleep the night before her big day...but, everything else was perfect.
The Bethwood (Totowa, NJ)
REVIEW - dalmatinka77: April 2011 wedding. I fell in love with the gardens and the food at the Bethwood. Most locations that have literally the same landscaping and worse quality of food wanted more per person and the thing is, with 275 invited guests that was impossible. You get more than your moneys worth at the Bethwood though. The staff goes above and beyond for even the simplest idea you may have. Coming to a mutually convenient price was easy as pie. The gardens are beautiful for photos. I had several people tell me that the cocktail hour was the best one they ever attended (somebody actually counted 10 different cheeses - wierd but cool I guess). I had them create a dirtbike ice sculpture which was by far the coolest thing i've ever seen. It was big enough to ride and the detailing was amazing. Even our wedding cake was delicious (I'm not a fan of most wedding cakes and their poor quality of ingrediants) They didn't charge extra for linens, chair covers, or the fondant on the cake like more venues. I absolutly loved it and was happy as a clam.
Bretton Woods (Morris Plains, NJ)
REVIEW - katetw: May 2011 wedding. This place was amazing! I don't understand why it's not talked about more often on here. The space is really neat, the gardens and deck are pretty, and the food was great. I have an extremely severe food allergy, and they worked really hard to accommodate that, which isn't easy to do. Both our "guy" Joe and the bridal attendant were amazing on the day of. I'm not giving them an A+, because it was really hard to get ahold of them when I needed to talk to them, and they're not great about returning emails. In addition, there was a mix-up at the tasting and due to my allergy, we weren't able to taste any hors d'oeuvres. While I appreciated their honesty about the mix-up (so I didn't have to go to the ER), we had specifically arranged the tasting months in advance for this reason, so it was annoying.
Bridgewater Manor (Bridgewater, NJ)
REVIEW - melliott09: April 16, 2011, Saturday Night Ceremony & Reception, 6-11. Tropea Room. Dealt with Erin and Pat, both wonderful to deal with, and no major issues. Not sure if it was because we had such a small wedding/package, or if this is a normal occurrence, but I requested a couple things, like removing some décor that was previously in the space where our reception was, and it wasn’t done. I actually didn’t even notice until I saw a couple pictures from that night. Not a huge deal, but shows how much they pay attention to requests, because I probably mentioned it at least 5 times. We booked the Viva Las Vegas Package that BWM offers, for fewer than 36 guests. BWM has a very low “service charge” compared to all other venues we looked at, and for the size of the wedding, and what is included, you really can’t beat it! Sit down dinner, open bar, ceremony (John Graf) included, wedding cake (Palmero’s Bakery) included, under $4,000, for a Saturday night! The food on the night of the wedding wasn’t exactly great, specifically the steak, but the cocktail hour was delicious, and their spinach salad is amazing! I’m not thrilled at all with Palmero’s Bakery, only thing I enjoyed was the canola filling, but the cake was included, and it was beautiful to look at! The presentation was perfect, and we did choose the cake after a cake tasting, but much like the dinner that night, I felt like it didn’t taste the same.
REVIEW - smw42: October 2010 wedding. Overall, we were very happy with our wedding at Bridgewater Manor. There
were things that could have been better during the planning stages-
such as more flexibility and willingness to accommodate our requests,
however the night of our wedding the food was wonderful and the guests
enjoyed themselves. We found Erin to be much better and easier to work
with in comparison to Michael who we dealt with the majority of the
time. There were small things that we wanted that Michael refused to
grant and could have been more professional during our 10 week meeting.
Overall, I would recommend Bridgewater Manor as a great wedding venue
that does not blow your budget and delivers a well put together wedding
reception.
REVIEW-RamsKR01: August 2011. I was a little nervous before the actual wedding because I was have second thoughts about the place (would it be too small, there are no windows in the Imperial Room, found out there was another wedding the same day and was worried our photos would overlap), but that all went away the day of. It was great. I did see the bride from the other wedding right before I was walking out, but didn't really care. We were both in that "Good luck....congrats" kind of mood and everything for the Imperial Room was upstairs so none of our guests bumped into each or anything. One somewhat bummer was the entree my fiance had wasn't great, but everyone else LOVED it so I think he just had a crappy piece of meat or it was just sitting for a little bit since we were doing some photos and making our rounds. Overall, you can't beat the price (still think it's ridiculous we had to pay $6 pp for our 14-minute ceremony, but compared to some other places, that's not too bad).
The Brownstone (Paterson, NJ)
REVIEW - Danes983: I
am not giving them an A or A+ because they really were a pita to get a
hold of when I had questions months prior to the wedding. However, the price is absolutely fantastic for what you get. The
food was so great that I have had multiple people tell me or my husband
that it was one of the best dining experiences they have ever had in
their lives. Plus, we ended up having a lot of extra food. They
packed it all up and gave it to us. We fed like 15 people on New Year’s
Day which was perfect since we were leaving for our honeymoon on Jan 2
very early. The service the day of was impeccable. My ceremony was at the Brownstone as well which was finished early. They opened the Bar ½ hour before it was scheduled to and kept it open all night long without extra charge. My Maitre D and head waiter were really great, my plate was always full and I always had a fresh drink in my hand. They guided us through every part of the evening. I
had brought most of the centerpiece items; the next day they were
packed up all nice and neat in their boxes ready for me to pick up. I highly recommend The Brownstone. My guests were impressed and my FI and I have never been so satisfied.
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Channel Club (Monmouth Beach, NJ)
REVIEW - Heather822: We
really loved everything about the look & feel of CC, as well as the
execution of everything the day of. The only setback was: the day of we
had 5 people (yes 5, ugh… in addition to the 2 earlier in the week)
cancel on us last minute. I was under the impression we would get all,
or at least some of that money back… or be compensated some other way.
CC took off the cost earlier in the week of the first 2 cancelations,
but the morning of when I told Liz, she just basically said “of that’s
too bad…” and that was that. I was bummed. But like I said, everything
else: food, drinks, service, communication, etc was impeccable! We got
so many compliments about the venue!
REVIEW - akmackay: May 2010 wedding. I am so happy we decided
on Channel Club. The whole event went smoothly and we put our trust in
Liz to set up all of our centerpieces and seating cards etc. It all
looked gorgeous! The staff was amazing, the bartender a few times saw me
standing talking to people and would send on a glass of wine for me. It
was very nice to be pampered like that. The food was great- only
disappointment was that we ordered the food, ate a few bites, went to
say our hellos to the tables, and the food was gone when we got back, so
we hardly ate. They did wrap it up for us to go. The fish had little
bones in it as well, which turns me off, but others didn’t mind or
notice. Cocktail hour food was amazing. Everything went off without a
hitch and it was amazing to see my visions become a reality!
Crystal Plaza (Livingston, NJ)
Crystal Ballroom at the Radisson of Freehold (Freehold, NJ)
REVIEW: -cutiepie12702: August 2011.The Crystal Ballroom at the Radisson of Freehold - A – We had both our ceremony and reception here and everything was great! The food was amazing and there was a TON of it (we did however add on just about every single enhancer/addition available, plus some of our own, so it really made the food overly abundant) and everything was delicious! The room itself looked absolutely stunning and breathtaking....exactly how I imagined it looking, if not better! They were super accommodating with all of our requests and really wanted to make sure we were happy and everything was exactly how we wanted it. One of the biggest hits at our wedding was the Grey Goose vodka luge – guests were there all night taking shots and having the time of their lives. Having the hotel on-site really made the whole thing even better – we didn’t have to worry about people getting home, and since most of our guests were from out of town we had almost 30 rooms booked and we had no complaints about anything. I would recommend this venue to anyone!
Crystal Point Yacht Club (Point Pleasant, NJ)
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Due Amici Italian Grill (Cinnaminson, NJ)
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The Empire Club
WEBSITEREVIEW - rlavach: April 2012. A- The very first vendor I secured was the reception venue. I searched high & low to find a place that was reasonably priced and would accommodate our smaller guest list. Several years ago my cousin and a different friend were married here, so I thought I’d check them out. I’m so glad I did! The venue was renovated only a few years ago, so the décor is much more modern. The cocktail room is pretty basic and a decent size. The garden was the perfect place for our family photos. The main ballroom was just wonderful. The décor is neutral enough to go with many different styles. The dance floor is large and there is plenty of room for tables. The chandeliers and sconces added a wonderful touch. I loved that the room came equipped with uplighting that was free. I met with Chris several times who was very kind and accommodating to my long list of questions. I liked that they didn’t have any hidden fees such as extra gratuity, cake cutting fee, cork fee…etc. We were able to work out a price that fit our budget by choosing April, limiting alcohol to beer/wine and paying in cash. We were allowed to bring in our own cupcakes and were discounted the price of the cake. I was very concerned about the food since tastings aren’t done until about 2 weeks before your wedding and I am vegan. I certainly didn’t want dry/boring food. Chris and the chef were very kind and offered me a special tasting in order to accommodate my vegan requests. All of the food was fantastic and the 4 of us left stuffed. Our last meeting discussed every last detail from napkin colors to table numbers. The Maitre’D had it all under control along with my DOC and the Captain who served us was a doll. Overall, the event went beautifully. My only demerit would be regarding the bar. During our last meeting, I clearly stated that I did NOT want a cash bar. We chose to limit the alcohol for reasons other than monetary. Although Chris stated that guests may complain (which they did), he agreed to respect my wishes by placing a mobile bar in the other event if necessary. Several days later, I find out that there was a cash bar. After contacting the venue, Chris explained that the other event in the smaller cocktail room wanted to have a cash bar. Since they were too over packed, they could not fit a mobile bar in their room as I was promised. So, the cash bar was set up on their side of the bar in the hallway. Of course, my guests had no way of knowing that wasn’t for them and went there anyway. I was terribly embarrassed and felt slighted. There is nothing I can do about it now. I understand that the venue felt this was their only option, but I do wish that my wishes had been respected and that I had been notified (even if it was after the fact). If it wasn’t for that, it would have been perfect.
The English Manor (Ocean Township, NJ)
Euro Lounge Cafe (North Arlington, NJ)
REVIEW - MCRM22011: August 2011. While some people would not conceive of having a wedding at a restaurant, my fiance and I knew all along that we wanted to have our reception at Euro Lounge. We knew we needed our wedding to be inexpensive, but that the food had to be tasty. My fiance had been at family functions at Euro Lounge in the past, as had I, and we knew that they provided an abundance of delicious food. We met with Manny in March and I emailed him several times over the course of the months leading up to the wedding. Manny always responded quickly, efficiently, and politely. We were allowed to customize the menu slightly (we changed the soup and one of the appetizers). They allowed us to bring in centerpieces, a cake, votives, and a DJ (which not all restaurants might allow). We stopped in a few times to view the room set up different ways. We even were allowed to see the room set up the night before our wedding. Manny, Frank, and the other staff set up the room exactly as I asked them to set it up. The food and service were great and my guests truly seem to enjoy themselves. If you are looking to have a small wedding, communion, christening, birthday, or other private party up to approximately 120 people, look to Euro Lounge for great food and service.
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Farmstead Golf and Country Club (Lafayette, NJ)
www.farmsteadgolf.com
REVIEW - music11: Oct 2012. The staff at Farmstead really went out of their way to make everything for our wedding wonderful. Lindsay was incredibly helpful every step of the way, quick to answer questions and eager to go the extra mile to accommodate small details for our wedding. The outdoor setting is absolutely beautiful. Inside, the exposed beams help to set a rustic but elegant setting. What really made this venue stand out was the attention they give each wedding. They only host one wedding at a time.
The food was excellent, and another area they were very willing to make accommodations. My mother is a vegetarian, and they were able to make the soup with a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. They had no problem with us using another bakery for the cake.
Prices are available on their website. Highly recommended! A+
The food was excellent, and another area they were very willing to make accommodations. My mother is a vegetarian, and they were able to make the soup with a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. They had no problem with us using another bakery for the cake.
Prices are available on their website. Highly recommended! A+
Flanders Valley Inn (Flanders, NJ)
REVIEW: September 2011. Absolutely great! The food was excellent! The service was on point. Overall 100% completely happy with them. Bob was the best and took care of everything.
REVIEW - kasabby: August 2011. I worked with both Anthony and Bob leading up to the wedding. Anthony mostly in the planning process and Bob for the rehearsal and day of. They both did a great job. They were easy to work and easy to get in touch with either by phone or email. They were attentive to my needs and the day of the wedding the room looked exactly how I had envisioned. It was perfect! The wait staff was great. They were very helpful and there were plenty around for the amount of guests. The venue was gorgeous and the food was good. My guests are still talking about it. The only thing I wasn't thrilled with was our cupcakes and that is partially my fault. The cake was included in our price and it came from Bovella's in Westfield. We decided on cupcakes-very simple, chocolate and vanilla. I wanted to jazz them up a little and asked for pink flower on each but when they arrived the entire top of the cupcake was covered in a huge pink cheesy icing flower. I didn't love the way they look but they tasted delicious. I didn't love the presentation either. But that was my only gripe. I really won't blame that on the venue.
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The Grand Summit Hotel (Summit, NJ)
REVIEW - Reilly626: August 2010 (Friday) wedding. Jimmy was wonderful as was Teresa, but we primarily dealt with Jimmy. Approx. $125 pp. We had to guarantee 100 people, but we had 125. The
Grand Summit was more than we could have ever hoped for. The history
behind the venue as well as the high reviews on the cuisine sold us.The
cocktail hour takes place on the original slate floors horse carriages
dropped off guests in 1868. We also loved the fact all of our guests
could stay after the reception, head downstairs to continue the party at
the bar, and then sleep there, get up to a full (included) breakfast,
and then use the pool the next day. We loved having breakfast with our
guests the next morning and then heading to the pool. Our reception
included a full cocktail hour with live stations, 3 entrees, and a
viennese hour. All were delicious. The service was impeccable. One
special thing we loved about The Grand Summit is that for years to come
we can go their on our anniversary, eventually bringing our kids. Not
many venues can you go eat or stay at, so we appreciate this.
The Graycliff (Moonachie, NJ)
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Hamilton Park Hotel (Florham Park, NJ)
REVIEW - gymchick05: June 2011 wedding. INCREDIBLE!!!! Joanne, Kate, Scot, Tara, Jessica, and everyone on staff here made our entire wedding experience phenomenal. From the 1st day we came to look at the hotel, we loved the modern look of the venue and the ballroom and just how incredibly organized the staff was. We originally had started working with Kate and after she changed positions, we worked with Joanne. I cant even put into words how helpful she was. She knew absolutely everything we wanted on our wedding day and made it happen. It was the most beautiful wedding ever! Joanne even went out of her way to color coordinate the cocktail hour flowers for me to match the rest of my wedding. I had quite a few DIY items I wanted displayed in certain ways for our wedding and they all were absolutely perfect the day of. The staff listens to every single concern and request you may have and makes sure they take care of it. On the day of the wedding, every single guest was attended to right away, the food is out of this world amazing, and the wedding ran absolutely perfectly thanks to Joanne and all the wonderful staff. And we LOVED having our wedding at this hotel- we had an amazing afterparty at Vanderbilts so the party didn’t have to stop and everyone was able to have a beautiful (and delicious) breakfast the next day in the hotel as well. I felt like we had an amazing wedding weekend with all our guests instead of just a rushed reception. I would HIGHLY recommend having your wedding here- you cant go wrong and they will make sure you have an absolutely amazing day!
Highlawn Pavilion (West Orange, NJ)
WEBSITE
REVIEW-Em72653: October 2011. A++++ INCREDIBLE!! First the obvious: I know lots of brides here have posted about the “T” shaped room and I had doubts myself about it but ALL my guests were up and out of their seats either on the dance floor or around the edges of the dance floor on high tables having a cocktail. It was wonderful and to my knowledge, no one had anything negative to say about it.
Now, the food was amazing! I am still getting compliments from guests about how delicious it was, especially the cocktail hour! I wasn’t there for the CH but I heard the spread was out of this world and people were beyond impressed!!
Paul, our Maitre D was great!! Always answered my emails and phone calls and was so nice and accommodating. He lets us block out their Wine Cellar Room for no fee so our wedding party could hang out and leave our stuff during the reception. He even had our own little cocktail hour set up down there with lots of food and drinks!! It was just wonderful!! The staff was just great, always asking if my husband or I needed anything and always brought us drinks!!
REVIEW-Em72653: October 2011. A++++ INCREDIBLE!! First the obvious: I know lots of brides here have posted about the “T” shaped room and I had doubts myself about it but ALL my guests were up and out of their seats either on the dance floor or around the edges of the dance floor on high tables having a cocktail. It was wonderful and to my knowledge, no one had anything negative to say about it.
Now, the food was amazing! I am still getting compliments from guests about how delicious it was, especially the cocktail hour! I wasn’t there for the CH but I heard the spread was out of this world and people were beyond impressed!!
Paul, our Maitre D was great!! Always answered my emails and phone calls and was so nice and accommodating. He lets us block out their Wine Cellar Room for no fee so our wedding party could hang out and leave our stuff during the reception. He even had our own little cocktail hour set up down there with lots of food and drinks!! It was just wonderful!! The staff was just great, always asking if my husband or I needed anything and always brought us drinks!!
REVIEW - McJays: November 2011. We looked at an embarrassing amount of venues for our reception and none really clicked with us until we found the Highlawn. From our first meeting to the day of our wedding, they were extremely easy to work with. They even called me prior to my wedding because they were going to put up holiday decorations and didn't want to clash with my flower scheme. The food was delicious and plentiful and the service was fantastic. We also had beautiful weather so the views of Manhattan and Jersey City were breathtaking.
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Il Villagio (Carlstadt, NJ)
REVIEW: August. 2011. AMAZING!!! I can't say enough good things about this place. I worked with John and he was wonderful throughout the whole process. The day of the wedding they went above and beyond. Everything was amazing. I actually heard that a family friend called Il'Villaggio the next day to rave about the service they received that day. Many people at the wedding tipped the servers due to the incredible service they were receiving. Upon arrival to Il'Villaggio we went up to the bridal suite were they kept on bringing up food that was in the cocktail hour. It was great because I was actually able to sit and relax for a few and enjoy the food that my guests were having. My bridal attendant made a point to make sure I had whatever food I wanted from the cocktail hour. I know my bridal party loved that they got to unwind for a little bit in the bridal suite and enjoy the large spread of food. Again, I would HIGHLY recommend this place.
The Imperia (Somerset, NJ)
REVIEW - N/A: June 2011 wedding. We had both our ceremony and reception at The Imperia. Our ceremony was held on the back patio and it was simply beautiful with the waterfalls and nice vegetation they have planted all around. While we did get drizzled on a little during the ceremony everything else was perfect. Fortunately they had large umbrella opened for the guests (originally to provide shade) which allowed some of the older guests and my 8 month old nephew to get under cover with his dad. Unfortunately due to the rain the cocktail hour was set up inside instead of on the patio, but everyone enjoyed it tremendously, the food was fantastic - or so our guests have told us, we were taking pictures! The reception was great, everyone is still raving about the food and the room and just the overall look and feel of the venue. We tried to get a few bites of each course at least, and everything was delicious. The Viennese hour was a huge hit as was the cake from Palermo’s Bakery which was included in our package. The only reason they’re not getting an A+ from me is: 1) Our ice sculpture didn’t actually have our initials carved in ice, it was some black letters frozen in the sculpture 2) We asked them to make one of the sides of green beans available without nuts due to guests to allergies and all of them were made without nuts due to a mix up in the kitchen 4) The clams for our seafood bar were never put out and 4) The fire alarm went off due to the wedding upstairs using a smoke machine and the lights were up for like 20 minutes until they got an all clear from the fire department – but to make up for all these items they extended our reception for 30 minutes at no charge. I would rank them lower because of these little missteps but the maitre d Brenda and our bridal attendant Lindsay (who looked about 16 I swear) were AMAZING - they got nice tips at the end of the night for sure. Also after taking to the general manager the money to pay our DJ for the additional 30 minutes plus ½ the cost of our seafood bar is being refunded to my parents, so they made up for anything that went awry.
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Lake Valhalla Club (Montville, NJ)
REVIEW - philleej: September 2011. A+++
Ceremony & Reception : The Lake Valhalla Club was a diamond in the rough. I wanted a venue that was unique and beautiful, without being a standard wedding factory or ballroom. I got all that and more. The space is so natural that you don't have to do much to decorate it. I had so many of my friends come up to me and tell me it was the most beautiful wedding they've ever been to with the best food. The cocktail hour alone can feed a small country! Working with Perry the maitre'd at the club was a great experience. He was amazing with all of my questions, with putting everything together and making sure my day went smoothly.
Ceremony & Reception : The Lake Valhalla Club was a diamond in the rough. I wanted a venue that was unique and beautiful, without being a standard wedding factory or ballroom. I got all that and more. The space is so natural that you don't have to do much to decorate it. I had so many of my friends come up to me and tell me it was the most beautiful wedding they've ever been to with the best food. The cocktail hour alone can feed a small country! Working with Perry the maitre'd at the club was a great experience. He was amazing with all of my questions, with putting everything together and making sure my day went smoothly.
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Manasquan River Golf Club (Brielle, NJ)
REVIEW - NikkiPSU: June 2011 wedding. At first I was against having my wedding there since I had been attending events there since I was a little girl. I am soooo glad I changed my mind! Everything was done perfectly! The food was amazing and people are still raving about our venetian desert table. The venue itself was sooo easy to work with and I would recommend them to anyone!
The Manor (West Orange, NJ)
REVIEW: September 2011. The Manor went above and beyond in every possible both through the entire planning process and the day the day of our wedding. The Maitre’D George was very helpful and knowledgeable without being intrusive. All of the food was outstanding and our guests could not stop talking about how amazing all of it was, with people posting pictures of the food describing it as unbelievable. The place was gorgeous and immaculate, and everything went perfectly on time to the minute. They upgraded our cake and made it using fondant instead of buttercream as a surprise to us, and it looked better than any picture I provided (and tasted even better!!!! Many guests commente on how delicious it was, and I am a wedding cake criticizer lol, and though it was moist and delicious myself!). Throughout the entire process Preston was also so friendly, accommodating and patient. He threw in tons of stuff both before we signed, and even after. We really could not have had a better experience. Cons: Literally none. The Manor was beyond perfect in every way.
REVIEW - N/A: July 2011 wedding. There is nothing I can say about The Manor that will convey just how incredible everyone we dealt with there was and how amazing they made our wedding day... all for a very reasonable price! Our guests haven’t stopped telling us how beautiful our room was, how amazing and extensive the cocktail hour was (both the food and the drinks), and how delicious everything was during dinner. We mainly worked with Rolf (who is the complete opposite of so many of the used car salesman-like banquet coordinators we met with at other venues) and we also worked with Preston a couple times. Both of them are nice, honest, have a great sense of humor, and are just really easy to work with in general. They were willing and able to accommodate every request we made from incorporating Greek and Spanish foods into the cocktail hour to replacing some foods on the menu with others to rearranging the typical setup in the reception room to having certain drinks available for our guests. What I think sets The Manor apart from so many other venues is that not only did they make those promises to us, but they kept them and then executed them PERFECTLY. The special food requests we made (coconut shrimp, emapanadas, ceviche, pita and tzatziki sauce, etc.) could have easily gone terribly wrong, but because The Manor is a restaurant with reputable chefs all of those special requests were beyond delicious, as was the rest of the food throughout the cocktail hour, dinner, and Viennese hour. On top of that, every single member of the staff from the bridal room attendant (I hate myself for not remembering her name) to the Maitre d’ (Ivan) to the bar staff to the servers was incredible and I can’t say enough about how nice, accommodating, and professional they all were from the time my husband and I first entered our room before guests had even started arriving at our ceremony to the moment we all left. I never once had to ask for anything (something to drink, something to eat, someone to fix my bustle, etc.) because someone always was one step ahead of me – though not in an obnoxious way by any means… they just know what has to get done and they know what they’re doing so it was like second nature to them. Also, all of the people who were helping out during the cocktail hour and reception always had a smile on their face and were nice as can be to our guests. I’ve been to weddings where the bartenders and servers either look miserable or too serious, but a wedding is a happy occasion and there’s a way to be professional while still looking pleasant – the staff at our wedding did just that and they really seemed to be enjoying themselves. Everything on our wedding day was set up exactly as we had envisioned and described to them and, to top it all off, anything they had to pack up for us at the end of the night to be picked up was packaged and wrapped up very carefully, which was nice. And something we found out after the fact is that apparently our reception went overtime about an hour more than what we paid for! We didn't realize it at the time, but after talking to our guests we found out that the party ended much later than we thought and we owe that to The Manor because they must have seen how the party was going and they just let it keep going.
REVIEW - gibribuz: December 2010 wedding. DH and I are so happy we chose the Manor for our reception. We had
seen the Manor before and liked it but it wasn’t until we drove up there at
night and saw all the Christmas lights and decorations that we fell completely
in love with it. Preston was the main person we
worked with and although some people have mentioned that he is weird or creepy,
we thought he was very nice. The staff was very easy to work with and had
no trouble accommodating our special requests such as preparing Peruvian dishes
for cocktail hour and providing Peruvian beer and liquor at the bars. The food
was delicious and the Viennese table was amazing! There were so many desserts.
REVIEW - rutgersgirl82: October 2010 (Saturday night) wedding - it was
cheaper pricing after Columbus Day! We worked with Jimmy, who was ok, Rolf helped us
at the end and he was much more helpful! We paid just over $100 per person with all taxes and gratuities. When
we first saw The Manor we knew this was the place for us, the grounds
are absolutely beautiful and make for great picture spots and the food
is even more incredible (I'd def rec their restaurant for a great
romantic dinner). They were easy to work with leading up to the event
and accommodated all of our changes and requests. My only minor thing
was the day of they tried to restrict us from some picture spots I
really wanted, we got one quick photo but looking back I wish I had
pushed harder for some more, but oh well, we got great shots other
places. The day of they took excellent care of me and the hubby, someone
always got us a drink before we could even ask. The other small things
we worried about leading up to the day all worked out fine (ie: DH
worried about rolling chairs, small dance floor, tables being on top of
the dance floor and some other things). Looking back I don't think we
even noticed these things the day of. The dance floor was a little small
but it was packed the entire time. Everyone told us that the food was
great. For the price that we paid, the incredible grounds & food we
were absolutely delighted with The Manor
Mayfair Farms (West Orange, NJ)
Meadow Wood Manor (Randolph, NJ)
The Merion (Cinnaminson, NJ)
REVIEW - ev4149: April 2011 wedding. The Merion was amazing in every way. I had Stephanie as my coordinator, and she did a fantastic job. She was constantly checking in with me, would answer my questions promptly, and was extremely helpful the day-of. The food was fantastic, and I am still getting compliments on how amazing the food was. Their signature is a huge cocktail hour and a huge dessert hour, along with a sit down meal. No one went home hungry. Sometimes people on the South Jersey boards complain about them being a wedding factory, but I did not get that feel. There were 3 other weddings there that night, and I did not see any other brides, or even hear the other weddings. I was sick with bronchitis on my wedding day, and the maitre'd was fantastic - constantly checking in with me and bringing me tea and honey. We had some issues with the florist, so the Merion stepped up and did all of the arranging of the flowers (even though that was the florist's job).
Michael Anthony's (Jersey City, NJ)
The Mill at Spring Lake Heights (Spring Lake Heights/Wall, NJ)
REVIEW - SpillerExtraordinaire: Saturday evening wedding (June 19, 2010). We worked with Jennifer Hermida, Sara Rose
Christodoulou, and Lynn was our day of coordinator. Jennifer no longer
works for the Mill and it is my understanding that Sara Rose has left as well
since our wedding. The cost
at the time of booking was $135 pp with a 175 minimum. We negotiated it
down by removing some of the extra pieces from the cocktail hour (specifically,
the carving station). I'm going to split
this up into three parts since these are each different elements were based on
independent people:
- Sales staff/pre-wedding coordination: B : When we originally booked the Mill in June 2009 our point of contact was Jennifer. Around January 2010, we found out that she was no longer working at the Mill. We only found out because I had sent Jennifer a few emails over a three week period and had no response so I called to see what was up. Our new point of contact was Sara Rose and she told me she had never received any of my emails (which were supposed to be forwarded). However, no one even contacted us to let us know that our point of contact had changed. Sara Rose was very helpful when it came down to the end but there were a few instances where I sent an email with a few questions and her responses would fail to answer the entire email. The other issue I had with them pre-wedding was in regards to the tasting. They do one tasting ever 6 months or so for the upcoming weddings and its in the middle of the week. When we were contacted for the tasting it was about 2 weeks before the date which wouldn't have been a problem if we lived in state but we live in Pittsburgh (which is about a 6 1/2 hour drive to Spring Lake). I explained the situation to Jennifer and they wouldn't budge on trying to work something out for us since they gave us such short notice (I'm not sure if this is because this was right before she left the Mill or if this is standard procedure). I will say that there was one thing that I wanted to include on the menu that wasn't at the tasting and when I contacted Sara Rose to try it she made sure to make arrangements for it to happen.
- Day of coordinator: A : Lynn was awesome. My father likes to try to control things and at the rehearsal he was trying to give Lynn some pointers. She graciously listened and made him feel like she listened and then went back to running the show. Also, she made sure that it was MH and I that were making the decisions (and not others) on what would be going on the day of. On the day of I heard that she was awesome because we had all of our guests arrive in a coach bus shuttle so she had about 100 people to seat in a very short amount of time and she managed to pull it off. Also, during the reception she arranged for everything we asked of her.
- Staff on day of: A- : They were very helpful and packed up quite a bit of food not only for us but also for our guests. My only complaint was that they were vacuuming the atrium during the speeches.
Moorestown Community House (Moorestown, NJ)
REVIEW - dinnaming: July 2011 wedding. The Moorestown Community House is the perfect venue if you are looking for something unique with a vintage flare. We had use of the majority of the building and grounds. The bridal suite upstairs included several rooms with enough space for even a large bridal party to get ready. The building is incredibly photogenic. Joan Brown was wonderful, answered all questions and responded to all e-mails in a timely manner. The ballroom was perfect for our 130 guests (15 tables- I think anymore would be too much.) This is an absolutely stunning venue inside and out!
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Neshanic Valley Golf Course (Neshanic Station, NJ)
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The Olde Mill Inn (Basking Ridge, NJ)
REVIEW: September 2011. ( Grainhouse) (A) Tomas our maitre'd was awesome. He went above and beyond. The place was amazing and the food outstanding. The service all around was wonderful..and Lindsay in sales was probably the nicest person I have ever dealt with.
REVIEW - MissButters: November 2010 (Sunday) wedding. Total cost between $100 and $125 (including tax and gratuity) with 100 person minimum. Worked with Marien. WOW
is all I can say. The Olde Mill Inn exceeded my expectations!! From
the first time we went there to see it to the day of the wedding, they
were incredible to work with and everyone was so nice when we called
with any questions. We were in the Washington Ballroom, and we were
concerned the size of our wedding would be a little small for the room.
We were told not to worry about it, and they were right. They made
the room look absolutely beautiful down to every detail! We really
wanted to do the ceremony outside, but we decided it was too cold for
our guests, but we did do the pictures outside and the courtyard was
just lovely. Our cake was delicious and beautiful too (ordered through
the Olde Mill Inn using the bakery they work with). It was exactly
what we wanted. And the food was delicious!! I wish I had eaten more
of it, but we got so many rave reviews! Also, we got a lot of
compliments on how good the service there was - how guests never had to
ask for a refill of drinks or anything and that the waiters were very
attentive. Our maitre'd (Marien) made sure the night ran smoothly and
was always there if we needed anything. This was the perfect venue for
us, and they really made our night incredibly special!
Orange Lawn Tennis Club (South Orange, NJ)
WEBSITEReview -37butterknives: April 2011 wedding. Pricing: $150+ Saturday/capacity: around 200. A beautiful and unique venue that was very much unknown when we booked - since there weren't any reviews, we took a huge gamble. As it turned out, everything was perfect.
The clubhouse is elegant, but homey and unfussy, like a tastefully decorated mansion. Its understated decor let us successfully incorporate our personal touches and DIY ... we had framed photos of us and our families placed on the fireplace mantels, and colorful paper lanterns were hung up in the ballroom. The grounds are substantial and beautifully kept (the guys had fun with the tetherball setup).
Both the coordinator and caterer we worked with were stellar – however, they are no longer with the club. But don’t let that deter you from contacting them to schedule a visit.
(Not long after my wedding, I posted a very detailed review of the club, since it was the one vendor of mine that was in need of a review -http://northjersey.weddings.com/Sites/Weddings/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_venue-review-orange-lawn-tennis-club-south-orange . But it's kind of out of date.)
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The Palace at Somerset Park (Somerset, NJ)
Perona Farms (Andover, NJ)
WEBSITE
REVIEW: August 2011. I really don't have a complaint about Perona Farms at all. It is an absolutley gorgeous venue and the staff are so helpful and answer any questions you have very promptly. Jonathan and Kevin were a pleasure to work with and was so happy with the way they treated not only myself and the wedding party but all of our guests and vendors! The bridal suite was beautiful and we had plenty of room for Me 4 bridesmaids and 2 mothers to get ready. We were worried about rain so they had everything set up for an indoor ceremony but at the last minute the sun came out and all of Peronas staff went into action making sure the outdoor ceremony space was ready to go in time for our 11:30 ceremony! We have gotten so many compliments on the food, I didn't get to try much of the cocktail hour but from what I heard it was phenomenal, the dinner was absolutley amazing and all of our guests agreed. Overall I really couldn't have asked for a better venue and am so happy with how everything turned out!
REVIEW: August 2011. I really don't have a complaint about Perona Farms at all. It is an absolutley gorgeous venue and the staff are so helpful and answer any questions you have very promptly. Jonathan and Kevin were a pleasure to work with and was so happy with the way they treated not only myself and the wedding party but all of our guests and vendors! The bridal suite was beautiful and we had plenty of room for Me 4 bridesmaids and 2 mothers to get ready. We were worried about rain so they had everything set up for an indoor ceremony but at the last minute the sun came out and all of Peronas staff went into action making sure the outdoor ceremony space was ready to go in time for our 11:30 ceremony! We have gotten so many compliments on the food, I didn't get to try much of the cocktail hour but from what I heard it was phenomenal, the dinner was absolutley amazing and all of our guests agreed. Overall I really couldn't have asked for a better venue and am so happy with how everything turned out!
The Primavera Regency (Stirling, NJ)
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Ramsey Country Club (Ramsey, NJ)
REVIEW - kristen8040: May 2011 wedding. There are not enough words to describe the amazing job that Michael and his team did. After going to two other venues, the minute I walked into Ramsey I felt at home. Michael was always so easy going, prepared, welcoming, and anytime I needed to get in contact with him, I always got a response within a day. Ramsey is a smaller venue that only holds one event at a time and their max is 200 people, so it usually flies under the radar on TK. I loved the intimacy, layout, and the golf course is gorgeous. The day of, since we had an hour gap, some guests arrived early. Michael told me not to worry about it and he would take care of them, which he did flawlessly. He, or either of his assistants were always there whenever I needed something. Ramsey CC was an absolute pleasure to work with.
Ravello's (East Hanover, NJ)
REVIEW - jcg98: November 2011. A+ I can’t say enough good things about Ravello’s, they are truly a hidden gem among reception venues. We first visited there in summer 2010 on the recommendation of another Knottie, and quickly booked. They had everything we wanted in a reception venue – one-wedding-at-a-time, reasonable price per head that included tax and gratuity, extensive menu with customizable options, separate cocktail hour room with plenty of seating, and a ballroom where the tables could surround the dance floor making everyone feel included, but spacious enough so that no one would feel cramped. Domenic is the event coordinator as well as the maître d’, and he was fantastic. He customized so much for us, such as ordering craft beer for my H and creating a signature cocktail of our design. We were able to have a tasting of the full cocktail hour early on (with the stipulation that we could have our deposit back if we weren’t satisfied) and we had a private tasting closer to the date. The staff was wonderful on the day, we really felt at home, and our guests are still raving about the food and the service. Highly recommend.
REVIEW: August 2011. A++-Amazing! Not enough can be said about Ravello and it’s wonderful staff, especially Dominick who took care of us since the day we walked in to look at the place. We had a few special requests such as, we wanted Guinness at the reception and we wanted brownies instead of a wedding cake. Anything we asked for was given to us with a smile and a “no problem”. The day of the wedding the shuttles from the hotel got to Ravello a little early and Dominick opened up cocktail hour as soon as guests started arriving without a second guess. We arrived after our guests due to our limo issues, but as soon as I saw Dominick with a big smile and a “hello princess” I knew I was in good hands for the rest of the night. One of our guests became ill with kidney stones while we were arriving and I had no idea until one of my friends asked me what happened. An ambulance was called immediately and our ill guest was taken care of without us knowing, thank god he was ok. We decided to join cocktail hour and Dominick immediately came over to me and asked what he could get me and came back with a drink and a spread of nearly everything at the cocktail hour. Our special Guinness request was met and every man that walked into the cocktail hour with a tuxedo on immediately received a Guinness, Brilliant! The entire night went flawlessly and although most say you don’t get to eat at your wedding we definitely did, Dominick made sure of that and I am so happy he did because the food at Ravello is amazing. Our guests (even the pickiest of guests) are still telling us how great the service, food and everything at Ravello’s was.
The Richfield Regency (Verona, NJ)
REVIEW - cindyn9178: September 2011.(A) We were very happy with the Richfield! There were a couple issues that I wanted to point out, so I'll list the good/bad items:
The food was amazing! EVERYBODY told us how great the food was. There was a TON of food at the cocktail hour and everything we tasted was delicious. Raul, Trish and Jude made sure we always had something to drink and gave us plates of food during cocktail hour. The dinners were excellent as well, and of course the cake was to die for.
They setup everything EXACTLY as I wanted it. I provided instructions for how I wanted it setup and it was perfect. We had Sangria as our signature drink, and there were pitchers at the bar the entire night. Everything really looked amazing. The staff was very friendly and everybody especially liked Rocco the bar manager. He was great and there was NEVER a line at the bar - extremely fast service!
The packed up all of the hot food left over from the cocktail hour for us to take home! We went home with about 10 containers of food, and a HUGE portion of the cake, in addition to the top of the cake.
Some of the issues/things to point out:
-There was nobody standing at the entrance to tell people where to go before the start of cocktail hour. Some guests arrived 20 minutes early and were wandering around. Luckily, we were taking photos near the door and directed them downstairs.
-Many people didn't realize that there was different food on either side of the cocktail hour room. This isn't the Richfield's fault, but just something to be aware of. Maybe have a sign posted somewhere so people know to go on both sides of the room.
-Raul was extremely attentive to us during cocktail hour and until our dinner was served. After that, I felt like he disappeared and it was hard to locate him when we had a question.
-The woman that was waiting on myself and DH was awful. She rarely ever checked on us, and I kept having my MOH go to the bar to get me a drink. I had to eat my cake without anything to drink. (and we got our cake after nearly everybody else did. I think we should've been served first). I don't know how the other wait staff was - I didn't hear any complaints though.
-They didn't wrap up my dinner for us. I only ate about half of my meal, and I figured it would be packed up with the rest of the food, but it wasn't. Jude had also told us that any extra dinners would be packed up (for guests that didn't show up - we had 3), but we didn't get any of those either.
-They didn't give me back my glass votive holders. I had provided 72, and when we went to pick everything up, they didn't give them to me, I had to ask, and then they "found" a bag of about 30 of them. No idea what happened to the others, and they weren't cheap! I wasn't happy about that. They also only returned one of our 4 pictures frames from the bar signs. We had rose petals on all of the tables which they also didn't return - or at least ask if I wanted them back. I didn't want them, but I think they should've asked me. Instead, they gave me back about 1/4 of the menu cards I had made, which I have no use for anyway. I would suggest providing a detailed list of EXACTLY what you want to get BACK from them.
Overall, the place looked amazing, the food was great, and I would definitely recommend them. Just make sure you are clear about what items you want returned to you.
The food was amazing! EVERYBODY told us how great the food was. There was a TON of food at the cocktail hour and everything we tasted was delicious. Raul, Trish and Jude made sure we always had something to drink and gave us plates of food during cocktail hour. The dinners were excellent as well, and of course the cake was to die for.
They setup everything EXACTLY as I wanted it. I provided instructions for how I wanted it setup and it was perfect. We had Sangria as our signature drink, and there were pitchers at the bar the entire night. Everything really looked amazing. The staff was very friendly and everybody especially liked Rocco the bar manager. He was great and there was NEVER a line at the bar - extremely fast service!
The packed up all of the hot food left over from the cocktail hour for us to take home! We went home with about 10 containers of food, and a HUGE portion of the cake, in addition to the top of the cake.
Some of the issues/things to point out:
-There was nobody standing at the entrance to tell people where to go before the start of cocktail hour. Some guests arrived 20 minutes early and were wandering around. Luckily, we were taking photos near the door and directed them downstairs.
-Many people didn't realize that there was different food on either side of the cocktail hour room. This isn't the Richfield's fault, but just something to be aware of. Maybe have a sign posted somewhere so people know to go on both sides of the room.
-Raul was extremely attentive to us during cocktail hour and until our dinner was served. After that, I felt like he disappeared and it was hard to locate him when we had a question.
-The woman that was waiting on myself and DH was awful. She rarely ever checked on us, and I kept having my MOH go to the bar to get me a drink. I had to eat my cake without anything to drink. (and we got our cake after nearly everybody else did. I think we should've been served first). I don't know how the other wait staff was - I didn't hear any complaints though.
-They didn't wrap up my dinner for us. I only ate about half of my meal, and I figured it would be packed up with the rest of the food, but it wasn't. Jude had also told us that any extra dinners would be packed up (for guests that didn't show up - we had 3), but we didn't get any of those either.
-They didn't give me back my glass votive holders. I had provided 72, and when we went to pick everything up, they didn't give them to me, I had to ask, and then they "found" a bag of about 30 of them. No idea what happened to the others, and they weren't cheap! I wasn't happy about that. They also only returned one of our 4 pictures frames from the bar signs. We had rose petals on all of the tables which they also didn't return - or at least ask if I wanted them back. I didn't want them, but I think they should've asked me. Instead, they gave me back about 1/4 of the menu cards I had made, which I have no use for anyway. I would suggest providing a detailed list of EXACTLY what you want to get BACK from them.
Overall, the place looked amazing, the food was great, and I would definitely recommend them. Just make sure you are clear about what items you want returned to you.
Ridgewood Women's Club (Ridgewood, NJ)
REVIEW - Laurms15: April 17, 2010 wedding. Rental fee: approx. 2k-3k. They were easy to work with even though they transitioned from one
person running it to another. Both were very nice women and were
accommodating in allowing me to drop things off on Friday and pick up
on Sunday since they were not having any events before/after mine. If
they had some events I wouldn't have been able to but it was a nice
perk. I was specifically looking for a space that would allow me to make
it my own and bring in my own caterer. They had tables and chairs that
we could use however I decided to bring in my own tables, chairs, linens
and my caterer brought in the food and the glassware and plates and
things of that nature. This set-up is not for everyone but it was
exactly what I was looking for and it was really hard to find in Bergen County.
Rutgers Gardens (New Brunswick, NJ)
REVIEW: October 2011. (A+) Very easy to book, great scenery, & a perfect location for a rustic/outdoor-ish wedding. Everyone loved how laid back it felt & how pretty it all looked.
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Seasons (Washington Township, NJ)
REVIEW: September 2011. A+ I was over the moon about how pleased I was with Season’s. From start to finish they did everything I asked and accommodated all my requests. As usual, you get amazing food and superb service. I can’t tell you how many guests were floored with the cocktail hour, dinner and Viennese. I mean come on—three ice sculptures, two chocolate fountains and one sushi chef OH MY! They exceeded all my expectations for food and service. I loved my bridal attendant and can’t say how helpful it was to have someone carry around my purse and give me my lipstick whenever I needed to reapply. At the end of the night they packed the shuttle with all my gifts and the birdcage and all I had to do was walk out. I’m hoping someone else I know has a wedding there so I can go back and eat all the food again!
Only one thing I will tell ladies to keep an eye out for. I booked them in Nov. of ’09 for my wedding in Sept. ’11. Of course they showed me that glossy yellow tulip covered look-book with the sample menu which is a scallop appetizer, a champagne sorbet and a fish option of red snapper with crab. When I went to pick out the menu a month before the wedding they wanted me to do a crab cake appetizer, a lemon sorbet and a swordfish fish entrée. I felt I was being “bait and switched” to lesser priced options. Various reasons were given to me for the change but in the end I spoke with one of the owners and expressed my dissatisfaction and was given the menu from the look book. He said those magic words that make a great catering hall, “All I care about is that my brides are happy!” And the red snapper was amazing BTW! I will definitely use Season’s again for another party!
Only one thing I will tell ladies to keep an eye out for. I booked them in Nov. of ’09 for my wedding in Sept. ’11. Of course they showed me that glossy yellow tulip covered look-book with the sample menu which is a scallop appetizer, a champagne sorbet and a fish option of red snapper with crab. When I went to pick out the menu a month before the wedding they wanted me to do a crab cake appetizer, a lemon sorbet and a swordfish fish entrée. I felt I was being “bait and switched” to lesser priced options. Various reasons were given to me for the change but in the end I spoke with one of the owners and expressed my dissatisfaction and was given the menu from the look book. He said those magic words that make a great catering hall, “All I care about is that my brides are happy!” And the red snapper was amazing BTW! I will definitely use Season’s again for another party!
REVIEW - rr2011: May 2011 wedding. I can’t say enough how happy I was that we choose the Seasons for our reception venue. The staff was on-point the entire night. The food was unbelievable. I have friends that have been to weddings across the state of NJ, and said that this was the best food they’ve ever had at a wedding. The bridal attendant was fantastic. Prior to the wedding, the staff was extremely helpful and courteous to our questions and changes.
South Gate Manor (Freehold, NJ)
REVIEW - lisab711: October 2011. A+++
There are not enough words to describe how pleased I was with them. My guests have been raving nonstop about the food, decor, service etc. I read a couple mixed reviews about the owners but I wonder if they were from anyone who actually got married there or just people who did not jive well when viewing the place because everyone there was amazing. We were treated like royalty and so were all of our guests. We had this insane cocktail hour with beautiful stations. Unfortunately I did not eat much, but everything I tasted was delic! My maitre de and bridal attendant were wonderful. When I first saw my cake, about ten minutes before my guests entered the ballroom, it was missing the plum colored ribbon along the edges. They called in the cake decorator and had it fixed within 2 minutes. My ceremony was outside under these colorful water fountains in their beautiful garden area and everyone said it was the best ceremony. So intimate and serene. There was another wedding that night (much earlier than mine) which made me a little nervous but I dsid not hear them at all and never even saw the other bride. They were also out of there pretty early so it was just fine. Highly rec. SGM for a wedding and I hope I get to be a guest there one day
There are not enough words to describe how pleased I was with them. My guests have been raving nonstop about the food, decor, service etc. I read a couple mixed reviews about the owners but I wonder if they were from anyone who actually got married there or just people who did not jive well when viewing the place because everyone there was amazing. We were treated like royalty and so were all of our guests. We had this insane cocktail hour with beautiful stations. Unfortunately I did not eat much, but everything I tasted was delic! My maitre de and bridal attendant were wonderful. When I first saw my cake, about ten minutes before my guests entered the ballroom, it was missing the plum colored ribbon along the edges. They called in the cake decorator and had it fixed within 2 minutes. My ceremony was outside under these colorful water fountains in their beautiful garden area and everyone said it was the best ceremony. So intimate and serene. There was another wedding that night (much earlier than mine) which made me a little nervous but I dsid not hear them at all and never even saw the other bride. They were also out of there pretty early so it was just fine. Highly rec. SGM for a wedding and I hope I get to be a guest there one day
Stony Hill Inn (Hackensack, NJ)
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The Tides Estate (North Haledon, NJ)
REVIEW - mbcdefg: Saturday night wedding (April 10, 2010). We worked with Tom and then with Ron after Tom left, and both men were great.
We had the downstairs room at The Tides and it seemed very suitable for
our ~120 guests, many of whom commented on how pretty the room looked.
We didn't get to see the cocktail hour setup because of a limo snafu
(see below), but we heard that it looked great and had a lot of food.
The hors d'oeuvres that were brought into the bridal suite were
delicious, especially the bacon-wrapped scallops. A lot of people
commented that the cocktail hour alone would've been more than enough
food for the whole night. Dinner was delicious and the Viennese hour
desserts were tasty as well. The cake wasn't spectacular-looking, so if a
gorgeous cake is SUPER important to you then maybe consider outsourcing
it ... but the cake tasted good, a lot of people said it looked nice
and there were a ton of other dessert options, so we were happy to save
our money and accept the cake that we got. Steve was our maitre d' and
was very kind and helpful all night. We went back a week later to pick
up a few decor items that we had to leave behind, and they had it all
packed up and brought it out to our car. We didn't get the top tier of
our cake to freeze (apparently it had been dropped) but we were told
that we will get a cake for our first anniversary. We were very
satisfied with the way everything went, we feel that everything looked a
lot more expensive than it really was, and we would definitely
recommend The Tides to anyone. Total cost was about $100pp including tax and gratuity, with a 125
person minimum ($5pp higher with a 100 person minimum). We booked
this in April 2009.
Twin Brooks Country Club (Watchung, NJ)
REVIEW: Twin Brooks Country Club, Watchung NJ D
We booked this venue in July of 2010. The food was great and it was very large and spacious and it also fit our budget. In December of 2010, I had emailed their MD to ask some questions because it was MONTHS since we had last visited and talked about details. I sent him numerous emails and never once responded. In January 2011, I sent him a long email with all my questions and asking him to please answer back. Well he did, and with a lot of attitude. He was mean, rude and unprofessional. He told me that next time I should listen to what he says and that he hates email and that if I just called him he could answer all my questions in 2 minutes. This annoyed my husband and I. I never emailed him back. February of 2011 we attended a bridal show at our venue and he acted like nothing had happened. He was nice and gave us special dessert from their kitchen during the show and never once mentioned the email. He knew he was wrong and tried to make up for it and covering it up; I didn't like that. In March 2011, I was having second thoughts about having our wedding at this venue and wondering if he would have another attitude fit on the day of our wedding. After discussing it with my then fiance, we decided to start shopping other venues. We luckily found another venue that was available on our wedding date, 6 months out. Even though we were going to be losing our deposit we decided it was the best decision and in March 2011 we called the MD and canceled our wedding there.
I gave this venue a D because even though we ended up not having our wedding there, the time we had with them was unpleasant and stressful which should not be the case when you are planning your wedding and also paying ALOT for their services.
We booked this venue in July of 2010. The food was great and it was very large and spacious and it also fit our budget. In December of 2010, I had emailed their MD to ask some questions because it was MONTHS since we had last visited and talked about details. I sent him numerous emails and never once responded. In January 2011, I sent him a long email with all my questions and asking him to please answer back. Well he did, and with a lot of attitude. He was mean, rude and unprofessional. He told me that next time I should listen to what he says and that he hates email and that if I just called him he could answer all my questions in 2 minutes. This annoyed my husband and I. I never emailed him back. February of 2011 we attended a bridal show at our venue and he acted like nothing had happened. He was nice and gave us special dessert from their kitchen during the show and never once mentioned the email. He knew he was wrong and tried to make up for it and covering it up; I didn't like that. In March 2011, I was having second thoughts about having our wedding at this venue and wondering if he would have another attitude fit on the day of our wedding. After discussing it with my then fiance, we decided to start shopping other venues. We luckily found another venue that was available on our wedding date, 6 months out. Even though we were going to be losing our deposit we decided it was the best decision and in March 2011 we called the MD and canceled our wedding there.
I gave this venue a D because even though we ended up not having our wedding there, the time we had with them was unpleasant and stressful which should not be the case when you are planning your wedding and also paying ALOT for their services.
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The Venetian (Garfield, NJ)
REVIEW - ludaseka: October 2011. I just felt I had to give the Venetian its own post. The fabulousness level of this place is beyond compare! I am so happy we made the decision to have our reception here. If any of you are venue hunting right now, and the Venetian fits your budget ..DO IT. They will literally give you a dream come true wedding! Not only were we treated like royalty but so were our guests. Everyone had an awesome time and that's what makes me feel the best and soo happy with this place.
This was my Palazzo room on October 14, 2011. When they brought us to the room, seeing all we planned/envisioned for the past year come to life was amazing! I still dream about it..
The minute I stepped into this room over a year ago, I knew it was where I wanted our family and friends celebrating and dancing the night away.
Not only is the place stunning (literally stunning - when my guests walked in from cocktail hour via a curtain opening, "Wows" were heard and camera phones snapped away) but the food is delicious! the entrees are comparable to any great restaurant and the cocktail hour is CRAZY, you name it, it's there.. the Vienesse display made you feel like you were at Willy Wonka's! First a fire show, then a wall opens and BAM!..popcorn machine, Ben and Jerry's, fruit "sushi,' zeppoles, crepes made right in front of you, milkshake shots, any cake you can imagine, ..they even had cheesecake made to look like little burgers, chicken nuggets and fries! In-freakin-sane! This is all just a glimpse of everything they had.
The owner Chris did everything he could to make us (and more importantly, my mom!) super happy. There were a few bumps in the road, some drama over the cake choices and chair covers, for example, but they totally worked with us. Denisa, who we worked with when we decided the menu, etc, was a sweetheart and could totally relate to my Eastern European background which made my parents warm up to her immediately.
The only person there that was a bit difficult to work with was Toniann, who does sales. She sounds super scripted, and can have a condescending tone which my mom did not tolerate LOL. But Chris and Denisa made up for it, and made sure we were happy and boy did they deliver.
My bridal attendant Nora was wonderful and always at our side. Our flower girl spilled something on her dress and she immediately ran to get something to clean her all up.
Our maitre'd, gosh I forgot his name but I will find out and be back with it, was on his game.. and some! Both he and Nora were at our side until the very end, even after the reception, and outside the venue, as we waited for the shuttle to come take us to the hotel. At one point as we were waiting, I was talking to myself and said "boy I could really use a cigarette.." he turned to me and asked, "what do you smoke" and I told him. He then gets on his little microphone thing they wear and asks "does anyone have a Marlboro menthol light?" LOL, that's how attentive they are and aim to please.
I am so happy with how my reception turned out and how much of a blast my guests had. I wish I could relive this night because it really goes by fast and feels like you are in a daze at some points. There's much more about my day I want to share/review but I will have to save it for another time.
If anyone has any questions about the Venetian or needs rec's, please fire away! Theknot helped me soooo much throughout my planning and I would be more than happy to return the favor as a MG!
This was my Palazzo room on October 14, 2011. When they brought us to the room, seeing all we planned/envisioned for the past year come to life was amazing! I still dream about it..
The minute I stepped into this room over a year ago, I knew it was where I wanted our family and friends celebrating and dancing the night away.
Not only is the place stunning (literally stunning - when my guests walked in from cocktail hour via a curtain opening, "Wows" were heard and camera phones snapped away) but the food is delicious! the entrees are comparable to any great restaurant and the cocktail hour is CRAZY, you name it, it's there.. the Vienesse display made you feel like you were at Willy Wonka's! First a fire show, then a wall opens and BAM!..popcorn machine, Ben and Jerry's, fruit "sushi,' zeppoles, crepes made right in front of you, milkshake shots, any cake you can imagine, ..they even had cheesecake made to look like little burgers, chicken nuggets and fries! In-freakin-sane! This is all just a glimpse of everything they had.
The owner Chris did everything he could to make us (and more importantly, my mom!) super happy. There were a few bumps in the road, some drama over the cake choices and chair covers, for example, but they totally worked with us. Denisa, who we worked with when we decided the menu, etc, was a sweetheart and could totally relate to my Eastern European background which made my parents warm up to her immediately.
The only person there that was a bit difficult to work with was Toniann, who does sales. She sounds super scripted, and can have a condescending tone which my mom did not tolerate LOL. But Chris and Denisa made up for it, and made sure we were happy and boy did they deliver.
My bridal attendant Nora was wonderful and always at our side. Our flower girl spilled something on her dress and she immediately ran to get something to clean her all up.
Our maitre'd, gosh I forgot his name but I will find out and be back with it, was on his game.. and some! Both he and Nora were at our side until the very end, even after the reception, and outside the venue, as we waited for the shuttle to come take us to the hotel. At one point as we were waiting, I was talking to myself and said "boy I could really use a cigarette.." he turned to me and asked, "what do you smoke" and I told him. He then gets on his little microphone thing they wear and asks "does anyone have a Marlboro menthol light?" LOL, that's how attentive they are and aim to please.
I am so happy with how my reception turned out and how much of a blast my guests had. I wish I could relive this night because it really goes by fast and feels like you are in a daze at some points. There's much more about my day I want to share/review but I will have to save it for another time.
If anyone has any questions about the Venetian or needs rec's, please fire away! Theknot helped me soooo much throughout my planning and I would be more than happy to return the favor as a MG!
REVIEW - N/A: June 2011 wedding. OMG! If you are looking for "Wow Factor" this is your place. This venue is breathtaking. The service and food are out of this world. People are still talking about the Viennese hour. They had everything from cotton candy, funnel cake to a gelato and ice cream station. My bridal attendant made sure we were taken care of all night. They treated us like royalty. Totally worth every penny!
REVIEW - N/A: June 2011 wedding. Everything at this reception venue was top notch. Everyone kept telling me how amazing the cocktail hour (and Seafood Extravaganza) was, even the palate cleansing sorbet was good and looked beautiful the way it was presented. The Viennese Extravaganza They made sure everything went smoothly the entire time and brought us an amazing spread of food from the cocktail hour to the bridal suite so we had a chance to eat. So many people told me this was the best wedding they had ever been to.
Victor's Chateau (Little Falls, NJ)
WEBSITE
REVIEW: November 2011. I can not say enough good things about Victor's. Since I planned my entire ceremony / mini reception in 2 weeks, I was totally impressed with the way they worked with us. They waived their minimum guarantee for us and worked with us on price as we wanted to keep things simple. We had a very simple buffet with a small 2 tier wedding cake - everything was perfect and our family is still raving about the food.
REVIEW: November 2011. I can not say enough good things about Victor's. Since I planned my entire ceremony / mini reception in 2 weeks, I was totally impressed with the way they worked with us. They waived their minimum guarantee for us and worked with us on price as we wanted to keep things simple. We had a very simple buffet with a small 2 tier wedding cake - everything was perfect and our family is still raving about the food.
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The Westin (Jersey City, NJ)
Westmount Country Club (Woodland Park, NJ)
REVIEW: September 2011. There aren't enough good things I can say about the place. They were extremely helpful and easy to deal with throughout the whole process and my wedding day was no exception. We arrived over 1 1/2 hrs early and they immediately got to work getting us drinks, bringing us appetizers and firing up the grill and making kobe beef sliders and hot dogs. They also set up drinks and food outside in the courtyard for all our guests that arrived early and then also started the cocktail hour a full 30 minutes in advance since so many guests got there early. The place looked absolutely amazing and everyone is still raving about how beautiful the place is and how amazing the food and drinks were. They also waited hand and foot on not only me and my husband but also our families, making them feel just as special as we did. Truly an amazing place and I really hope someone I know gets married there so I can really get to enjoy myself and everything the place offers.
The Wilshire Grand (West Orange, NJ)
REVIEW - Babycakes SE: May 2011 wedding. I cannot say enough great things about the Wilshire. In case most people stop reading the reviews since there is a lot here, I would like to say definitely stop by the Wilshire. They did a lot of improvements (not that they needed to) which include new tiling on the bars, brand new uplighting in the ballroom, and pavers placed for the aisle outdoors. From beginning to end they were amazing. We dealt with John Bowes, if I ever called for him and he wasn’t available, he always returned my phone calls that day and always promptly responded to my emails. He worked with us to get an amazing price and I felt comfortable throughout the whole process. I currently live in MD, but every time I was up in NJ for wedding business he met me at the Wilshire and would show me around again and kept me updated on everything they were doing at the Wilshire. The whole day the staff waited on us hand and foot. We barely had to ask anything of them because before we could think of it, it was already done! I love them!!! The dinner was exceptional and people couldn't stop talking about the cocktail hour and the viennese hour! PM if you have any questions about them
Wonder Seafood (Edison, NJ)
REVIEW - flochan07: May 2011 wedding. The restaurant was very willing to work with us from modifying the menu, testing the sound system two weeks before the wedding and help set up the layout of the reception. They are able to hold 18 banquet tables in the restaurant. The only down side is that their ability to speak English is very limited. The manager speaks very fluent English and so does the woman who works the cashier but that's about it. The remainder of the staff has very limited English if any at all. The restaurant was willing to shut it's doors for us if we paid $5000 for the cost of food. This was a major plus when we were comparing with other restaurants that didn't have a sufficient wall partition. On the day of the wedding, we actually arrived an hour early and they had no problems accommodating us.