Elite Palace - wedding venue?

Hello!
Anybody heard or had her wedding at Elite Palace?
It's in Queens ..... The place looks spectacular in the pictures but I wouldn't want it to be in a bad location (my guests are mostly from Great Neck - I am sure you know the type :))

Any idea? good or bad experiences?
Any other (classy) venue suggestions for 300 people?

I already checked:
-Terrace on the park: Cute place but there are 10 weddings at the same time ... not for me.
-Great Neck Synagogue: It was OK, the catering manager is AMAZING, great personality and has great ideas for reception etc. He loooves his job, you can totally tell.
-Temple Israel of Lawrence: Super nice but over the budget (because I will need to make it glatt kosher, it adds another $5K)
-Temple Israel of Great Neck: Still waiting for the renovations ... (had been burned down).
-Garden city hotel: I LOVE it but for that price I would rather do it in Manhattan (over the budget :( )
-Woodbury Jewish Center: Very classy but the ballroom is waaaay too dark and weird (I know! I am sooooo picky!)
-Temple Beth Torah (Melville): Nothing exciting and has to be cleaned glatt kosher (+ extra 5K)
-Carlyle on the Green : Better for the summer
-Woodbury Country club: Looks amazing in the picture but it's terrible in person.

That's why I am considering Elite Palace, a cateter told me it's spectacular, I still have to go see it but would love to hear other brides opinions ..... The caterer had no reason to 'sell' me the venue, I think they really said what they thought.

So, you see? I am having a hard time finding a location that will keep up with my guests standards and won't get me broke!!!!
HEEEELPPP! :)

Thanks for any help.

Thanks!

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

I know that Crest Hollow Country Club has a separate Glatt Kosher kitchen and should be able to accomodate that size party. I have been to many events there. It is a beautiful place and I remember the food as being good.
There is also the Royalton at Roslyn Country Club. They do a customized menu for you and have kosher avaliability.
Marina Del Ray is also an option. Glatt kosher and nice views of the water. I know a number of people who got married there and had a good experience.

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

my friend went there to check the place out when she got engaged and she said they rushed her through everything with looking around and talking about pricing, she also said it wasnt in a great area! but that's what she said, I havent gone, nor do I plan on it.

Good luck in your search!

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

Just a quick heads up...some girls on here are booked at the places you've listed, and might take offense to how you've described a couple of them. You'll probably gain more help from folks on here if you're a little less harsh in the descriptions

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

My wedding was at the Dix Hills Jewish Center (glatt kosher catering). I am not sure if the main ballroom holds 300 people but it definitely holds at least 200. You might want to give a call.

We also looked at Crest Hollow, as a PP said they can do glatt kosher food and they have some large rooms there.

Also check out the Windwatch hotel, they were able to do glatt kosher for us too, and they have a very large ballroom. I recall that the prices were reasonable, but we were also doing a winter wedding.

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

Its beautiful inside but the area is not the greatest for instance theres like a mechanic right across the street from it and theres no grand entrance to it the entrance is right on a sidewalk. When i went to visit the receptionist that was there just took my info down and told us that the BM wasn't on site and she would relay our info..she never did because we never got a call back!!

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

Oh, I am sorry, I didn't mean to offend anybody ... but it's all about personal taste/choices, something I like other people might find horrible ....

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

Thanks so much for the replies ...

I was also considering JERICHO TERRACE, OMG, the pictures are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G - anybody had a party there? Thoughts? It's look sooooo pretty!!!

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

Sand Castle to me was similar to Elite.

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

My personal experience with Elite Palace was horrid!!!! I've seen some ladies on here that have wed there so they may have a different story but it's in a horrible neighboorhood with graffiti, etc. The building itself is beautiful and so is the inside but when FH and I went with our wedding planner they had knats everywhere and so that was a big turnoff ,then the person we were supposed to meet with that day, called out and didn't let anyone know we were coming...Then we we asked if the receptionist could show us around, she told us to do it ourselves, so we gave ourselves the tour.I think you should go see it for yourself because everyone is different.

Also, a word of advice, I know how it is to want to make you guest comfortable and happy but remember, it's NOT about pleasing their tastes, it's about what makes YOU happy and if that's somewhere that they may not like then so be it...GOOD LUCK HUN!

eta: typos

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

I had a similar problem finding a Glatt Kosher catering hall. I was surprised how many synagogues are not Glatt!

I would recommend my synagogue- East Meadow Jewish Center. They are Glatt and totally reasonable, even for a Saturday. FM me and I'll give you the price. It's really nice and they redid the ball about year or two ago to update it. My fiance and I visited many of the same places as you and liked East Meadow the best. Sean, the catering manager, is great and we have heard nothing but great, rave reviews about the food, service, etc.

Crest Hollow has their own in-house Glatt caterer and are VERY reasonable, almost too reasonable we thought. FH and I preferred the menu and what the synagogue caterers were offering.

Other than East Meadow, we also liked the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst and Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn. Both were very nice and also Glatt. However, we loved the catering manager at East Meadow and couldn't pass up the deal there. We even had to push back our date and go from Sat night to Sunday because East Meadow was so booked up! The other locations had more availability.

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

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Posted by MIKA80

Thanks so much for the replies ...

I was also considering JERICHO TERRACE, OMG, the pictures are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G - anybody had a party there? Thoughts? It's look sooooo pretty!!!

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I'm getting married at JT. I love it, but one thing I do not like about it is there is NO outdoor space. Sure there's a small spot to take photos when you first come in, but everything else is indoors. If that's okay with you, definitely check it out. They give you SO much stuff and the rooms (all of them!) are beautiful. I'm very happy we booked there. Definitely go to see them, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

ETA: I'm not sure what you mean about a 'bad location' either. Do you mean in a seedy neighborhood? Some might consider JT a 'bad location' because it is right off of a busy street. You could definitely say the same about Elite Palace. I've never been there (though I drive by often), but the doors open directly onto the street, there's not even a pretty area in front like at JT. I don't know if they have valet parking, but if they don't, parking over there would be a nightmare!

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

I went to a really nice wedding at B'nai Sholom in RVC a month ago - it's pretty big, so could definitely accomodate 300

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

Check out..

* Temple Chaverim ( it's beautiful!)
* East Meadow Jewish Center
* Oceanside Jewish Center

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

There's a place called Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn. I know nothing about it except that it has an enormous ballroom, is beautifully and ornately decorated, and has THE most corny and cheesy website on the planet. However, the ballroom is spectacular in photos so look into it.

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

good luck with your search!

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

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Posted by MIKA80

Thanks so much for the replies ...

I was also considering JERICHO TERRACE, OMG, the pictures are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G - anybody had a party there? Thoughts? It's look sooooo pretty!!!

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I may just be saying this because I am having my wedding here but Jericho Terrace is amazing! LOL. The people there are so nice and accomodating. Based on the reviews of other brides, they treat you like a queen and king on your wedding day and the food is superb! It is located right off a busy street, but there is a HUGE parking lot and valet and a sufficient amount of outdoor places for photos. We were just there a few nights ago to drop off a payment, and I asked for another tour so I can take pictures. I've been meaning to post them. I'll do it tomorrow, you can check my album for that. Good luck shopping around for halls! I know you'll find something you love.....and I didn't think any of your descriptions were offensive, everyones entitled to their own opinion.

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

I live near there. It's mostly commercial businesses around it and private houses. You may run into problems with parking. When FH and I went there we didn't think there'd be enough spaces for our guests.

It does look great inside and they've only been open for a couple of years now.

Re: Elite Palace - wedding venue?

No offense, but you come off a little, I don't know the word lol with your description of the places you mentioned.