Wedding Blog: Wedding Venue Hunt Days 3-5

May 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

My blogging time has been a bit behind lately due to life events shining through. It’s been a while since my last wedding blog. We went to see 2 wedding venues per weekend over the last 3 weekends, so let’s delve in!

Lake Mohawk Country ClubLake Mohawk Country Club

This was the furthest north that we went to see. The view where we would get married from was amazing, overlooking the lake. The indoor space was also pretty nice.

However, the outdoor wedding space was on a boardwalk that was too narrow, the parking situation was a bit off to us and Blake, who was were supposed to see, had a crisis and we spoke with her assistant instead.

Seasons CateringSeasons Catering

Our next stop was Seasons Catering, where we met with co-owner Carl Carfello. While the cocktail hour was amazing (and is per my brother & his wife going to a wedding there), that’s all the wedding venue seemed to offer.

The inside was nice, but a bit too much. The outside we couldn’t get access to because we weren’t a big enough party. Carl also said it would be “his wedding”, not “our wedding”.

Galloping Hill Golf CourseGalloping Hill Golf Course

The first impression I had of Galloping Hill Golf Course threw me off. It’s right by the Garden State Parkway (it’s literally right outside the door, on a separate level of course) and is next to a cemetery.

However, everything else seemed on par, pun intended. The outdoor area was really nice with a separate ceremony area that’s nowhere near the parkway.

The inside space is also nice and gives you more than ample room for the cocktail hour and reception. Not to mention the nice view you get overlooking the golf course and nature in general.

This venue is equally as good as the Brooklake Country Club, but offers a more affordable price tag.

Indian Trail ClubIndian Trail Club

I feel as though Beth chose Indian Trail Club purely because the Real Housewives of New Jersey hang out in Franklin Lakes. With that being said, it was going to be remodeled by the time we had our wedding (which is good since I didn’t like it much) and made it hard to visualize. Even though we made an appointment, Debbie Pagerie, who we spoke with, had no idea we were coming in. Next…

Meadow Wood ManorMeadow Wood Manor

When going to Meadow Wood Manor, we spoke with Mary Ellen Hatcher. She was probably the nicest of the people we spoke with. She really sold the place on us.

Even though the inside was nice and the food options were really good for the price, the outdoor space wasn’t that great. There was also no green space for wedding photos, even though Randolph is a bit out of the way.

Westminster HotelWestminster Hotel

This is the last of the venues and the only one I spoke with. After some misunderstandings with Amy Sukiennik about coming to see the place and the hotel asking for info that we already gave, we looked around.

I wanted to see what a hotel venue was like for the convenience and it probably gave the nicest overall package out there. I also enjoyed the fact that everything onsite was top notch, from the suites to the rooms where the wedding would be held.

However, the outdoor ceremony space seemed thrown together. It was right in front where cars would drive up to check in. Beyond the hedges was highway.

It will probably rain on our wedding day, so all of this stuff we’re looking into for an outdoor ceremony will be all for naught. That wraps up our wedding venue hunt.

Wedding Venue Rankings

1. Galloping Hill Golf Course… wedding’s booked for June 7, 2015!
2. Brooklake Country Club
3. Westminster Hotel
4. Meadow Wood Manor
5. Battleground Country Club
6. Lake Mohawk Country Club
7. Shadowbrook
8. Shackamaxon Country Club
9. Seasons Catering
10. Mayfair Farms
11. Indian Trail Club
12. The Elan

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Wedding Blog: Wedding Venue Hunt Day 2

April 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The day after I went to see my first wedding venues, as I wrote about in my last wedding blog post, my fiancée and I saw three more wedding venues. The results this time around were much more interesting and extreme.

The ElanThe Elan

Red Flag #1: We got lost getting to the place.

Red Flag #2: The gazebo was right outside the front door facing the highway.

Red Flag #3: The parking lot was dirty and had trucks behind it from what looked to be another company that has its business behind it.

We literally dreaded walking in there and knew that it was not the venue for us, but decided to see it anyway. We wound up going inside to see nobody around. I literally grabbed all of the business cards in site, including their preferred vendors, and ran for the hills.

Brookdale Country ClubBrooklake Country Club

Brooklake Country Club is the polar opposite of The Elan. The area was beautiful, including the outer grounds and the inside. The menu was great and Stanley Subarsky, the man who we saw and are currently dealing with, was quite nice and knowledgeable.

Seeing this venue immediately made me forget about my horrible experience at The Elan.

Mayfair FarmsMayfair Farms

We arrived at Mayfair Farms and walked in to find nobody around. It looked really old fashioned inside at first glance and we went to the bathroom before actually seeing someone.

We met with Scott Pinck and he seemed like a nice guy. However, we found that the outdoor wedding space was not attractive and wouldn’t be even when trees grew in. There’s a fenced area behind where the ceremony would be that looked like the ground in the woods. Not attractive.

The venue also felt a little cramped, especially since they do two weddings at once.

Wedding Venue Rankings

1. Brooklake Country Club
2. Battleground Country Club
3. Shadowbrook
4. Shackamaxon Country Club
5. Mayfair Farms
6. The Elan

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Wedding Blog: Wedding Venue Hunt Day 1

April 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Last weekend, Beth and I made our first trip out to see wedding venues. It was an interesting experience to say the least, knowing that a huge chunk of money will go into this place hurts my soul a little and the fact that we will start shopping for other vendors once we pick a place.

However, I’m excited to move everything along for the wedding in either May, September or October 2015. I know it will be great no matter where I go because of who I’m marrying. And the fact that I love the food options and open bar.

But I know that you’re here for some juice on wedding venues, so here it is:

Shackamaxon Country ClubShackamaxon Country Club

This was our first venue on the list and we met with Ellen Sherry. We took a tour of the place and thought it was pretty nice. They had some great spaces, including the bar area right by the entrance and the outdoor porch area (that includes a grill) that is good for outdoor cocktail hours. The land is beautiful, too.

However, I was not a fan of the way their outside wedding ceremony location was set up haphazardly. It’s set up on the golf course by a little bridge that you can drive golf carts over.

Not to mention, Ellen would not give us pricing until we went there and seemed to be a bit snooty when it seemed like Shackamaxon was out of our budget. Gee, you think you should have given us pricing first?

Battleground Country ClubBattleground County Club

We went here and met with Liz Zarko, who was setting up for another wedding that day. The Battleground was of the same kin as Shackamaxon, except they had a designated outdoor space for a wedding ceremony. The space was nice, but you can see people’s houses if you look to one of the sides, so I feel like I’d want to rent a wall setup. The cocktail space outside and inside were both nice, too.

Liz was a little bit rushy since she was setting up for a wedding the same day, but she was informative about everything. They would also have another smaller event there (a Mitzvah, birthday party, etc.) and they wouldn’t start at the same time. I also read that her boss, Jean, is hard to work with.

ShadowbrookShadowbrook

We met with Amy Grandinetti and she was the nicest woman of the day. She was asking so many more questions about our personal life than the others. I know this is a sales tactic, but an effective one (as was the complimentary champagne bottle we got to take home). I would love to have someone like her as my attendant for the day.

The ceremony and reception spaces were nice as well, with two different outdoor ceremony spaces (including the one that doubles as a cocktail hour with built-in stations) that were pretty.

The problem lies inside. From the dual wall of fake flowers in the entrance to the various carpeting on the floor and on the walls out of 1975, it’s very dated. The inside has a very old and stuffy feel to it because of the fabric all over the place.

Wedding Venue Rankings

1. Battleground Country Club

2. Shadowbrook

3. Shackamaxon Country Club

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