HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

SandraLuLu Posted: Apr 14, 2010 11:16 AM

HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

This is my first posting, and I usually don't do this kind of thing, but what the heck....

I am getting married Sept. 2011, and we having started narrowing down reception halls.

We really loved Crest Hollow Country Club and Jericho Terrace. Crest Hollow has a beautiful outdoors area that I envision for a great outdoor cocktail hour. However the inside is nothing to write home about, kind of standard rooms. Also, I found a LOT of negative reviews, all of them with similar complaints...

Jericho Terrace is gorgeous on the inside, but it really doesn't have an outdoors area, just a little gazebo in the parking lot! I'm trying to be realistic, however, most of the wedding will be spend inside, and what if it rains? Will I be happy with Crest Hollow if I don't have that outdoor cocktail hour? I don't know....

Sooo, does anyone know of any other reception halls that may have both elements I'm looking for, in the same price range? (Besides Swan Club-fiance wasn't impressed with it, and Chateau Briand-it just wasn't us) I am from Westchester and fiance is from the Bronx, so we are not looking to go too far out on the Island.

Any suggestions will be welcome, thanks! : )

Danielle41209 Posted: Apr 14, 2010 11:22 AM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

Try:

Russo's on the Bay
Fox Hollow
Woodbury CC
Westbury Manor
Riviera at Massapequa

This is all I can think of off the top of my head...but it depends on the price you want as well.

HTH

JLWSJC Posted: Apr 14, 2010 11:36 AM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

Posted by SandraLuLu

This is my first posting, and I usually don't do this kind of thing, but what the heck....

I am getting married Sept. 2011, and we having started narrowing down reception halls.

We really loved Crest Hollow Country Club and Jericho Terrace. Crest Hollow has a beautiful outdoors area that I envision for a great outdoor cocktail hour. However the inside is nothing to write home about, kind of standard rooms. Also, I found a LOT of negative reviews, all of them with similar complaints...

Jericho Terrace is gorgeous on the inside, but it really doesn't have an outdoors area, just a little gazebo in the parking lot! I'm trying to be realistic, however, most of the wedding will be spend inside, and what if it rains? Will I be happy with Crest Hollow if I don't have that outdoor cocktail hour? I don't know....

Sooo, does anyone know of any other reception halls that may have both elements I'm looking for, in the same price range? (Besides Swan Club-fiance wasn't impressed with it, and Chateau Briand-it just wasn't us) I am from Westchester and fiance is from the Bronx, so we are not looking to go too far out on the Island.

Any suggestions will be welcome, thanks! : )

THis is almost the exact same thing I wrote about Crest Hollow when we were looking.. and we decided we wouldn't chance the weather or the shoddy reviews and nixed it as an option before we had an alternative and we kept looking.

We wound up at a place without Outdoor CH, which I was disappointed about but have come to terms with... since I didn't plan on going to CH anyway and I have so much more at my hall tomake up for it

That said though, try WEstbury Manor which was our first runner up... but the timing for our party because of the size and the room we would have had didn't work for us, it was too later coming from church in Brooklyn... but it's GORGE and the food is great. Good luck!

The Cassie Posted: Apr 14, 2010 11:38 AM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

def try westbury manor or woodbury country club

mybabylovesmoi Posted: Apr 14, 2010 11:39 AM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

What is your price range? De Seversky is gorgeous inside and has awesome grounds as well.

halfbaked Posted: Apr 14, 2010 11:45 AM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

Definitely try Westbury Manor.

I was a little disappointed that we wouldn't be able to have the outdoor CH that I've always dreamed of, but I really loved JT and what they give you for your money as well as their location. And I'm sort of relieved to have to worry less about the weather now! HTH!

nmmichaels Posted: Apr 14, 2010 11:49 AM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

Harbor Club in Huntington and
Thatched Cottage both have outdoor areas

rendel Posted: Apr 14, 2010 11:58 AM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

Try westbury manor, my FH is from BX and it takes half hour to get there!!! The gardens are beautiful, I'm guessing you don't like a modern feel. WM is very vintage cozy and is beautiful in fal!!!!! they decorate it so beautifully!!!! FM me if you have questions!!

LoveyDovey Posted: Apr 14, 2010 12:07 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

north ritz club

woodbury cc

The Woodlands

Fox Hollow

they all have indoor/outdoor CH with pretty grounds

miamimerger Posted: Apr 14, 2010 12:09 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

Riviera at Massapequa...but I'm biased

mivs929 Posted: Apr 14, 2010 12:11 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

Since you are from Weschester did you look into Surf Club, Beckwithe Point or even Glen Island? They all have nice outdoor areas. Also, Marina Del Rey in Bronx. It's gorgeous! That was my top choice but didn't have time I wanted.

SandraLuLu Posted: Apr 14, 2010 12:21 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

We were supposed to visit Westbury Manor last week, but we didn't have time (we were all reception hall'd out!). To avoid going back and forth to the Island, we tried to visit as many as possible in one day.

I've actually never found Woodbury CC in any searches I've done, but I looked on their website, and they look very beautiful. Anyone ever been to a wedding there?

The general price we got for all the places we visited was around $105 pp including taxes and fees (it was about $80-85 pp w/o taxes and fees). I feel like that is fairly reasonable considering they all seemed like elegant places. Especially compared to the price of places we visited in Westchester. Of course, spending less is always ideal, but I want to serve my guests more than some brown lettuce, and I don't wanna worry about the roof falling on our heads!

Thanks for all the input!

pjc92980 Posted: Apr 14, 2010 12:23 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

def try westbury manor & watermill (which may be too far for you)
What about the places in New Rochelle...
Fountainhead
VIP Country Club
Beckwith Pointe

SandraLuLu Posted: Apr 14, 2010 12:24 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

Surf Club is actually our 'fantasy' choice. They were just outside of our price range, we could do it if we cut down the guest list-but our guest list is already down to the meat and potatoes.

Beckwith had fantastic views, but it needed an update on the inside- and for what they were charging, it just wasn't worth it to me.

I had my prom at Marina del Rey, and I was going to make an appointment to go back and view it. It is very beautiful there, but I heard a lot of bad reviews. I am so skeptical!

little j Posted: Apr 14, 2010 12:28 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

sandcastle just opened a veranda that leads to a garden. so the CH is half outdoors and half in doors.

you get so much for your $ and the place is beautiful! definately check it out!!!!

FutureMrsDe Posted: Apr 14, 2010 12:36 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

I would defnitly try wood bury. we were between them and crest hollow. Crest Hollow was just cheaper and i like the bm much better but woodbury is very pretty inside. i just wasnt in love with the set up of the Dais in the smaller room.

GlitterBox24 Posted: Apr 14, 2010 01:06 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

Try woodbury. i definitely wanted an outdoor ceremony and since were are paying all this $$$$$ we are definitely going to our cocktail hour.

trish914 Posted: Apr 15, 2010 12:08 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

I was in the same situation -- I am from Westchester and my husband is from Pelham Bay and we did not want to do the New Rochelle thing & I think Marina del Rey is completely overrated (and for what they give you, not worth the money!). We looked all over Northern Westchester/CT (Ceola Manor, Amber Room, Ethan Allen Hotel), but ended up at the Sand Castle in Franklin Square. We couldn't have been more happy with our decision!!!!

They don't have the grounds like a lot of other places, but they have a gorgeous new outside bar/ patio and a garden area that we took pictures in. Our wedding was 6 wks ago and we still have people calling us and my parents saying that the food and service was like nothing they've ever seen before!!!

Most of our guests went back to the Bronx/Westchester after the reception, but our party people stayed at the LaQuinta in Garden City (they offer a good deal on shuttle service).

Good Luck!!!!!

lisagail55 Posted: Apr 15, 2010 12:17 PM

Re: HELP! Reception Hall Dilemma

I just went to a wedding at JT and loved it! (And i am one picky b*tch)... The CH room almost looks like you're outside and the penthouse room was beyond beautiful.

Are you getting married at your RH? If then then I say that the outdoor element shouldn't be that important because, it's just 1 hr (and it goes by SO SO fast), and it might rain... JMO