Does anyone have info on the quality of food and the quantity that is served? Please distinguish btw the standard and the upgraded menus. I've herad the food tastes great but are the guests getting enough? My FH is concerned about it. Thanks!
fallwed03
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
If that is Lands End and Flowerfields....the food is amazing - FM me if you want some detials
Lisa Rose
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
I have been to 2 of the Lovin' Oven Places...once for a wedding at Lands End and for our wedding at West Lake Inn. I have to say the food was delious!! There was so much food at the cocktail hour (our wedding ) that some of my out of town friends thought that was all the food. They did not realize that there was a dinner to follow!! LOL Everyone that left our wedding said they felt stuffed!! No only did we have our wedding cake, but they had a desset cart that went around with about 8 different cakes/tarts on it. People were having 2 and 3 pieces of cake and it wasnt a problem.
We did not 'upgrade' our menu because at the time almost everything was included except a raw bar (husband doesnt eat fish so we didnt even think about doing that) and a venician (sp?) hour. Im glad we did not go for the venician hour, I think people got enough dessert with out it.
IF you decide to go to one of the Lovin' Oven Places you will not be dissapointed!
Good Luck!! Lisa
AMinNY
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
Yes, Lovin Oven is the caterer for Lands End, Flowerfield, Vanderbilt Mansion, West Lake, etc.
I've only heard good things about them. I'm struggling btw the standard and the upgrade, I may not need the Viennese table but how about an extra stations during my ****tail hour? Is 2 stations enough?
Lisa Rose
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We had a pasta station and a carving station at our cocktail hour, along with a HUGE vegetable, cheese, meat table. We had garlic knots, italian bread, olives, pickels, marinated mushrooms (all the things and more that is in an antipasta!!). We also had 10 pass around dishes wich included baby lamb chops, chicken kibobs and bruchetta!
Tell me what other stations are they offering you?
AMinNY
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The standard menu includes 15 passed hor d'oevres, 2 stations, cold station, appetizer, dinner and dessert plate with the cake. I'm so glad to hear that you thought that would be enough. THANKS so much for your input!
I know that at the Vanderbilt there are 2 different options...but at Lands End - the top one was included...we could have added the sushi bar...but didn't feel it was necessary...
there was so much food at our cocktail...and so much was left over...it was amazing...we did go to a wedding at the vanderbilt with the less option...and I felt that there wasn't a lot at the cocktail hour...
we had a combination course for the first and second course...and this could have been an entree at any other hall...in fact one of my guests told the waiter that she didn't order chicken (the appetizer we chose)...and he had to explain to her what it was...
as for dinner...I saw tons of take home dishes...there were at least 3-4 on every table...when we went to the vanderbilt (with the lesser cocktail) I finished my entire plate...but I was well satisfied...as did everyone at my table...
so I'm not sure which upgrade you are talking about...but the qualtiy of the food is out of this world!!
Lisa Rose
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Which Lovin Oven place are you looking at??
Ohh and by the way...if you get a salad with dinner...the Caeser Salad is to die for!!! YUMMY!!!! We had that and people were asking for seconds!!
Cindy
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
I am a Lovin Oven Bride. I had my wedding at Flowerfield last summer. The food is unbelieavably good. The portions are also plentiful. You cant go wrong with them.
LisaT
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another Lands End bride - there was a TON of food at our cocktail hour and dinner. Way more than enough and the quality is outstanding.
JoRo
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Hi Annie, SO sorry i haven't responded to your email yet! here goes, Don't worry about upgrading, you will have PLENTY of food!!!!!!!!!! there was so much food, people couldn't stop shoving their faces during cocktail hour and mostly ate instead of talked!! and the entrees were perfect amounts! Do NOT worry. go with the standard.
we had the pasta station during our cocktail hour (mostly because my family is all italian and i thought they would like that). But hardly any body touched it. there were so many other delish things being passed around and served to you!!! i even got some and they were yummy!!!
By the time dinner came, people kept talking about how full they were! and we didn't do the vieneese even though my mom wanted to. they have your wedding cake, a piece of chocolate cheesecake and this huge chocolate covered strawberry on every plate. it was PLENTY!!! and by then folks were full, buzzed and dancing!
You cannot go wrong! So glad you are thinking of choosing the Vanderbilt!!!! Congratulations !!!! FM me if you have any more questions! -jo
WeezieNY
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
They give plenty of food and it taste awesome. I have heard nothing but good things about them from people. My parents went to a wedding at flowerfield and raved about the food. Which means a lot b/c my parents are picky italians. My sister had her xmas party at lands end [another picky eater] and raved about the food. So anywhere you go its good food. It just matters what place you like better, the packages and prices do vary a tiny bit according to the place. GOOD LUCK. i CHOSE VANDERBILT MANSION B/C I LOVE THE MANSION LOOK!!:GOOD LUCK!!!!! EMO29:
dbcrosby
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
i am also a soon to be lands end bride. we also had the same doubts when looking at the menu.we just went to the tasting and trust me the food was amazing and the quantity was plentiful. i am not exagerating when i say the food was better than most expensive restaurants. what you can do is try to combine some stations or take half a stations. we are combining two stations and not having the sides that come with it. talk to your agent and see what they can do for you. definatly go with a lovin ovens site because you wont regret. they take good care of you and the food amazing!!!
AMinNY
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
Thanks your your responses Ladies! I'm planning on my wedding at the Vanderbilt. We are very excited, partly bc of how great Joanne's wedding there was!
Thanks for the input, I was nervous about sticking with just the standard menu (my family comes from a lov'em, feed'em mentality).
I only have 3 months to plan a wedding! YIKES!
All the Brides have been so open in sharing your accounts - thanks so much!
JoRo
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Hooray, Annie, you are totally going to be happy! Only 3 months wow. as i am sure i have said a million times, i did it in only 5 months (and thought that was fast!) but it is good, because you don't have too much time to stress and agonize over every decision.
I just reread this thread and saw yabbobay's post. Not sure when you went. I know I spoke with Carolyn (the BM at the Vanderbilt) about the cocktail because i was really nervous about there being enough food for my Italian family memberS! i believe she told me that they had bumped up the cocktail hour food a bit and there was plenty of food. Yabbobay, when were you there?? also, was there enough of the cold stuff, but not enough access to passed around hot hors d'heurves??
as i mentioned before, i don't know if the pasta station was worth it because no one wanted to stand there and wait for it to be prepared so hardly anyone ate it! but everyone still raved about the food, both quantity and quality!
good luck and keep us posted, i love the Vanderbilt and just hope you have as good an experience as i did! -jo PS- FM me along the way with questions. I may have some pointers!
JORO...the Vanderbilt was absolutely GORGEOUS and it was a beautiful wedding...but the cocktail hour was just a small table...no pasta station...just that center table in the room next to the piano...(this was in October btw) just I compared to ours at Lands End
the food is fantastic nonetheless...and I definitely was not starving...
I would tell anyone thinking of the vanderbilt, that it is a FANTASTIC choice...and the food is superb!!
Lisa Rose
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
I went to college at Dowling and that was our first choice for our reception but it was too small and the caterer (at the time) wasnt very good!! Lovin' Oven took over not too long ago!! BEst of Luck!! That place is gorgous!!
lulu
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I'm also a Vanderbilt Mansion bride and I had the same concerns about the amount of food at the cocktail hour. We were planning on adding a couple of stations, BUT a few weeks ago I got a new updated menu and the cheaper package now includes 2 stations. I was so happy, since I was planning on spending $$ on it anyway.
Also, I just had my tasting there a few weeks ago and the portions of the appetizers and entrees are very large.
I think the cheaper option is definitley enough food and you don't need to spend the extra $$ to upgrade if you don't want to.
Also, the quality of the food is amazing! I have never had such good food at a wedding before.
AMinNY
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
I'm so relieved to hear there is enough I was also concerned that the passed hor wouldn't come around often enough. I was at a wedding where we only saw server once! We were starving until the sit-down came. By then we were too tipsy to notice the food
I am so happy we picked the Vanderbilt. Even happier that I am getting such good advice from eveyone here. THANKS.
I am sure I will continue to enlist your help as my planning continues!
cmd
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Re: Lovin Oven Brides
That is one of our choices too. The date we are looking at is sept 18 o4 so I have yet to hear of the changed menu. What made us look their (besides the view and courtyard) was the food we had at another Lovin Oven wedding. IT WAS GREAT!!! The only concern we have is will there be enough seating at the cocktail hour. There was not enough at the previous event. Good luck. There crabcakes are better then any I've had (including mine).
