Have You Been to a Wedding at? (Updated Today)

I thought that I'd post this after I saw the JA's post. I think Honest Opinions are the best, at least in my judgement. I LOVE these boards because it gives me insights into making my wedding affair a better one in terms of planning, in considering things that I wasn't aware of or things I didn't know etc. I thought this would give us opinions so that we can realize what is really important to us and perhaps issues that we may want to stress with our catering facilities that are important to us that we probably didn't think we needed to bring up because we were thinking that it'd be done the best possible way. I think this will benefit all of the LIW Brides including myself. I was thinking we can all post opinions of catering facilities that either us or someone close to us have been to a wedding in the past 6 months. I think it is only fair that we expect the very best after we have spent so much



Please post your opinions in a honest, candid and classy way but also in a way that gives the facilities things to improve on if something was handled the wrong way or gives them Kudos for helping the bride make it a memorable affair. Perhaps some of these vendors will review from time to time these opinions and will try to make the very best changes to improve their business and keep their customers happy and satisifed.
Let's start a thread and keep it active and bump it so that other future LIW Brides can benefit as well.
Now I hope I don't get banned for starting somekind of rebellious opinions on these boards since I'm already addicted to the boards.....


So Post Away LIW Brides and Grooms !!!

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

I think this is SUCH a great idea!! Hey so many ladies are looking and not posting! come one ladies we all know you have been to at least 1 wedding in the last 6 months - 1 year. Unfortunatly I have only been to one wedding in the last year and that was in NJ. But my cousins wedding at the coral house is coming up in oct. and I will post about that when I get back. I would love to hear the good, the bad and the ugly about my hall

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

The only wedding I have been to out on LI was at the Watermill this past December.

It was Friday December 5th, the day of the first winter snow storm of 2003.
The place was beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The food was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The staff was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even in the snow with 40 people less that didn't show they did a great job.

One little itsy bitsy problem...because she had so many people not show we figured she would get some sort of a reimbursement and she didn't, that is not the problem. The problem is he said he would call her back and he didn't. I thought that was a bit rude but it was an inidiviual who didn't place a call he should have not the facility. It was a great night, even in 6 inches of snow!!!

ETA: I am going to a wedding at Crest Hollow in June and one in August 2005 at Coral House. I will keep you posted on those as well.

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

Great idea for a thread! I have only been to one wedding and that place went out of business but I cant wait for people to contribute to this thread.

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

Since I started this, I should post a review.

I went to 7 weddings last year and I guess you get to notice things at other weddings that you want or don't want at your affair.

A mini review for Jericho Terrace.

I went to a wedding at Jericho Terrace this past February on a Saturday night. The place was elegant, clean and the entrance had staff directing the guests that were coming in. The cocktail hour's food was very good and plenty of seating space considering that the wedding that I went had about 300 guests. The reception area was nice and everything was in place as it was supposed to be. The food for the reception was good except for the pasta that we had which we all agreed at the table was a little undercooked. I noticed that the staff didn't offer to get drinks for the guests. I didn't get ask not even once. This is important to me because I want my guests to get excellent service. Overall, I had a great time and enjoyed the wedding.

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

hmmm..I went to a wedding at Window on Lake (is that it??) in Ronkonkoma last September. I have to say that the weather was perfect....the outside ceramony was beautiful and the outside cocktail hour was really nice, except for the bees....The reception and food inside, well, it was a nice buffet and I didn't eat much b/c the choices were not to my taste....the only thing I really remember was that the inside smelled a bit musty and it looked a bit worn --otherwise I thought it was fine. The couple was on a tight budget and for the budget it was nice.

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

My sister's wedding was March 26th at Villa Lombardi.
Everything was PERFECT!

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

The last wedding I went too, Besides JA, was in upstate NY, and they do things differently up there, but the one before that was at Russo's on the Bay.

Food-A+++++++++, they have the best penne alla vodka i have ever tasted at a wedding.
Service-excellent, but at time waiters can be pushy.
Ambiance- is classical roman decor very pretty, lots of marble.

Love how brides can come up throught the floor, or out from the wall down a set of stairs-makes for a a grand entrance.

I love Russo's, I would have had my wedding there, but too far for most of my guests to travel, plus we go there every year for a charity ball.

This thread is a GREAT IDEA!

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

We actually only had 1 wedding last year and it was only a reception, the couple had gotten married in Jamaica. Anyway, it was at Graziella's in White Plains. Now, I know the owners and love the food there, but there were some definite issues. The CH room was WAY too small for the amount of people and you had to take seating shifts in order to eat half of the food, which was very tasty. Their ballroom is not square, more of a rectangle and the dance floor is not centered. If you were seated arounf the dance floor it was fine, but there were a lot of people in the back and it almost seemed liked they were separated from the party. The food was not as good as when you eat in the restaurant and it seemed like it took a long time for everyone to be served. With that said, the food was still better than some other places I've been. Overall we had a great time at the wedding, but those are the things I would be aware of if thinking to book there.

P.S. Their food and service for smaller parties (showers, RD, b-day) is excellent.

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

man, I've been to a zillion weddings, what should I post?? The last one I went to was at Tappan Hill in westchester...
Just about the best food I've had at a wedding, excellent job by Abigail Kirsch.
The cocktail hour did not have enough seats, but no biggie... Band was Original Faze 4, they were very good as well...

Before that, Glen Head Country Club, absolutely amazing as well....food, room, service, band ( i ended up booking them for my wedding), excellent...

Oheka 2 years ago, everything was excellent there, NYC Swing was the band, fantastic wedding.

Crescent Beach Club... before renovations, very nice place, cocktail hour in my opinion was unimpressive and the room was too small...weather/beach was perfect, main room was very nice, food good.

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

I have never been to a wedding

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

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Posted by nov04LIbride

I have never been to a wedding

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Wow, how old are you?

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

Really a great idea for a thread!!!

As a bridesmaid:

Jericho Terrace (Saturday evening 1997)
really everything was great! The assistant assigned to the bridal suite and the bridal suite itself were just amazing. So much attention to detail. The BP was a big partying bunch and there was not one thing that we asked for that was not provided for us be it booze to pepto.

Fox Hollow (Saturday evening 2003)
It was completely perfect. Everything went without a hitch. The food was fantastic, the service was impeccable (sp). The Vienese hour was just simply too much, food that is. The wedding was in June so they had chocolate covered strawberries that were for the gods.

As a guest:

Oheka (Saturday evening 2002)
The castle is just stunning. The foyer is just so impressive with the double staircase. The wedding I went to was your average size, I'd say 150-180. The service was good. The only thing I was very dissapointed in was the fact that my filet mignon was ice cold. Everyone at the table ordered it and they all came out cold.

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

Most of the weddigns I have goen to have not been around here, but I went to oen at the Thatched gottage last march.

The food & service were goodd, it was alittle tight, but hat was because the couple got more yeses then they expected, so at the reception the waiters were kinda underfoot & at the ceremony late comers had to stand in the back.

I don't knwo how may peopel they had & how many the hall said it could hold, but I know the groom mentioned they were kinda pushing the limit.

The lobby is really pretty & ( and so is the ladies room- very clean too, and I don't think there was an attendant)

ETA: it was a sunday morning ceremony follwed by an early after noon reception in the end of March.

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

Chateau Briand In 2002...

Food was FANTASTIC! Beautiful Vienesse Hour as well. Overall had a great time/great service. Crowded Venue though. Pulling in the parking lot there were tons of people. I had to be directed because it was crowded in the lobby. BUT..I was helped immediately and had no trouble finding a spot.


Verdi's in Westbury 2002....

Cramped CH room downstairs, but the food was probably some of the best I've had at a cocktail hour. The reception room was beautiful too. I would have to say that based on the prices they charge (low) that the bride's and groom's do great! I highly recommend!!

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

I can only put in my two cents about the Riviera, chateau briand, and the westbury manor.

The Riviera was excellent. My favorite of the three. Great scenery - the bride and groom came in on a boat. The food was excellent but the dessert was even better. The place was clean, a little bit dark - but that added to the ambiance. Cant think of one bad thing.

The Chateau Briand was really nice. Cocktail hour food was yummy!! Dinner was really good. Service could have been a little bit better. They took the plates away even before we were done with it. It took quite a while before we got our drinks. We found it faster to go to the bar and get it ourselves. Overall, it was a great reception

Westbury Manor - The place is immaculate. But I ran into a couple of problems. As we were directed to go upstairs for the cocktail hour, the other wedding party was making their way down. Since it's a narrow staircase we were told to wait until everyone from the other party made their way down. I thought they meant a couple of people. FIFTEEN minutes later it seemed the entire party made their way down the stairs and I had to wait for them. Not a good first impression. Cocktail hour was DELICIOUS!!!! I cant even begin to explain to you how good the food was. But the cocktail hour room, although very elegantly decorated was not suited for 100 people. We were crammed in like sardines. Clearly not enough tables for everyone to sit, to the point where people were waiting on line just to sit down and eat. Then we were told to go the ballroom which by the way was beautiful!!!! A really nice sized room for the guests she had. And if anyone is getting married there this is by far the most important information I can pass along to you. Tell your banquet manager you want someone at the door AT ALL TIMES!!!! Her room was right off the terrace in the front. All guests from both weddings were told that was the smoking area. When the guests from the other wedding made their way back in, they first crashed my friends wedding then made their way back to the other wedding. VERY RUDE!!!! This happened AT LEAST 5 TIMES!!!!!
The food was really good and the service was excellent. The waitstaff was very polite. Overall, it was a great experience!!!!

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

ok,
Flowerfields- LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!.. FOOD WAS OUTSTANDING>>>the BEST baby lamb chops during coctail!! AND SOO MUCH FOOD! DINNER WAS AMAZING! AMBIENCE WAS AMAZING! SERVICE WAS IMPECCABLE!

Crest Hollow- ambience was very nice! Food was average at best. Too many weddings going on at once... there was so many people hanging around....

Rockleigh Country Club- AMAZING!! FOOD AND AMBIENCE WAS PERFECT!!!

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

OK, been to lots of weddings (I can be overly critical--what bothers me may not bother others).

Russo's on the Bay -- Everything was great. The cocktail hour was wonderful!

Jerricho Terrace -- Loved the cocktail hour food and room. Was very unhappy with the reception. We were crammed 14 at a table and I could not get up to go to the bathroom (more B&G planning problems than the hall). Our table did not receive 2 courses--maybe because the waiter didn't want to squeeze through. There was no coffee. When we finally flagged down a waiter, he never came back. It was also incredibly smoky in the hall, but smoking isn't an issue anymore.

Nautical Cruise Lines -- This was a great wedding. No complaints and a great time! Just take dramamine!

Miller Place Inn -- The food was good, but the place was a bit of a pain. Cocktail hour had to be inside cause it poured, and there wasn't enough room for everyone inside. It's very hard to stand and cut food! Also, the cocktail hour table was circular--do you know how hard it is to bust into a circular line that has no end when everyone is starving! Dinner was very good. They were cleaning the chaffing dishes on the floor in front of the bathrooms during the reception.

Chateau Briand -- Good time, no complaints!

FI and I agreed that the best wedding we ever went to was a home wedding out east where they put up tents and had it catered. The food and service was great, it poured and it didn't matter. The had big port-a-potty trucks come in for bathrooms that smelled like potpourri and had music piped in. Great time!!!

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

LIW Brides and Grooms....
Please do not forget to post which day of the week the wedding was and the time(morning, afternoon, evening). I think this would be helpful as well and how long ago was the wedding.
And keep the opinions coming !!!

Re: Have You Been to a Wedding at?

May 17, 2003. Saturday Night was my sister's wedding. I was MOH.

Crest Hollow Country Club: Was really great. The bridal suite was great. Since the one next to ours was empty, they openned the door and let us have both! They brought us a LOT of food form the cocktail hour the the bridala ssistane (I can't remember her name? Mariel?) was So nice. She went back to the cocktail hour to get a big plate expecially for me b/c I'm a vegetarian! Also, I was having allergy problems from taking photos outside on the gorgeous grounds and she disappeared and came back in 2 minutes with benadryl and bottled water. She was too cool! The cocktail hour food was AMAZING. it was just SO good.

The room, the starlight room was gorgeous! Since my sister didn't meet her minimum and she had to pay anyway (it was only a few plates) they three in extras at the cocktail hour and those beautiful lights that hang fomr the ceiling..So elegant. Once again, the bridal assistant was amazing. She was so organized and took all our bouquets ad made a display of them at the dais. She was really on top of everything!

We had the pineapple appetizer, was really good Salad was good. I had salmon, it was really delicious and they had different dsides to go with each entree, which is a nice touch. I also heard the steak was excellent, however they didn't give knives. Most people said they didn't need it. One waitress was not so nice about me asking for knives for the table, but then I spoke with Herb, the Maitre D and e brought them really quickly. The cake was gorgeous! The venetian hour was AMAZING. it was like a dream, they wheeled it in with sparklers and it was ice cream and every dessert imaginable! HEAVEN!

The only minor problem we encountered was that they promised to have coffee for the guests if they got there early and they didn't. However, they gave my sister back a lot of money b/c of that and the fact that it was too cold to have the cocktail hour outside. Overall, it was great, really classy! We saw some people from another party, but it really was't a big deal, and I didn't feel like we were crossing with them or corwded or anything. In that ballroom, we felt like the only party!
A+++++++


July 2?, 2003 Saturday Eve:

Crest Hollow Country Club. The Emerald room.

This time it ws my cousin's wedding. We got there and the staff at the door, totally elegant in tuxedos, showed us the way to the cocktail hour. Cocktail hours was a disaster. The food, once again, was excellent, but there weren't enough chairs and tables and we wound up standing. It was really miserable and pissed me off a lot. The staff really didn't try to bring mroe chairs or tables in to accomodate. My BIL said something to the staff, about how he had his wedding here and likes to recommend it, but this was atrocious.

Then we went to the emerald room for the dinner. The room was pretty small, and I don't like the tiered effect. I kind of felt like I was separated from everyone. I loved the salad. Once again had some kind of fish and loved that. I don't remember the cake, and they had a smaller venetian hour, which was set up in a room to the side and then they moved the divider. It was nice, but not nearly as nice as in the other room. My one complint was with the bartender. I look young. So he made a joke, and asked me if I wanted some scotch..my uncle said 'yeah, birng her a scotch' and the man brought me a ginger ale. He was trying to be funny, cause he thought I was young, but I was kind of offended.

Overall though, I really like CHCC, and I would defintiely recommend it!