RH Visits- Fox Hollow, Douglaston,Chateau Briand
Just want to give some info about the three RH's I've visited so far...to help others like you have all helped me!
FOX HOLLOW:
As soon as we entered the Fox there was a receptionist directing us to meet with a lady in an office who asked us basic questions and filled out a form- name/address/email/wedding date/number of guests/etcetera. She then brought us to a little sitting room to wait where there were little muffins/danishes and a waitress came and asked if we wanted something to drink. A banquet manager (dave) then came and greeted us. We went up to his office where he gave us a break down of how the wedding would be. He showed us a book of cakes and another of pictures of the food displays and went over the very extensive wedding they had. He then brought us around to the rooms/cocktail hour rooms/ceremony space/photo studio and inn next door. he never showed us the bridal suite or the bathrooms (and i forgot to ask). We then went back to his office and he gave us a folder with information on the menu as well as the prices. All in all it was a great experience- very professional, well organized, the BM was very nice, I just wish I would have felt more comfortable asking more specific questions but I have may have been intimidated b/c it was the first place RH we visited.
DOUGLASTON MANOR:
We pulled up and the first thing I noticed was the it was a beautiful mansion, but not as clean and well-maintained as the Fox Hollow. We walked in and were greeted by a man (Thomas) at the front desk. He gave us a piece of paper to fill out and said he'd be right back. Well at this point, there was one seat so I sat down and my FI stood next to me, we waited about 15 minutes and noticed that people were starting to walk into the lobby, dressed up for a wedding. We felt kind of uncomfortable just sitting there in our jeans while this is going on! So I stopped someone running by who worked there and asked them where Thomas was; we had an appt with him. He ran and got him and while Thomas was a really sweet man and super nice, he gave us a super quick run-through and didn't even fully explain to us what each room was used for. At one point I had to say 'so is this the cocktail room?' because he never said it was. He brought us up to the bridal suite and only showed us half b/c a bride was in the other half. As we walked out of the bridal suite, the bride was coming out of her room and he said oh look there goes the bride! and wanted us to take a look as she and her bridesmaids walked down the stairs! I was shocked and FI and I felt so awkward so we just kind of stood back and didn't look. Afterwards, he took us to his office, quickly went over the folder of info he gave us and we were on our way. All in all I wouldn't book there just because while the place was nice it was a bad first impression! I would never want to have prospective brides and grooms being shown around while my wedding is going on! And if I saw them while I was about to go to my ceremony?!? omg. bad.
CHATEAU BRIAND:
The banquet manager we met with was Dawn- super sweet and really great. She showed us all around- the photo studio/bridal suite/saturnia and normandy reception rooms/cocktail hour room/outdoor lounge-y area (which was gorgeous and so modern!). The cocktail hour room was incredible- like a little restuarant- a huge bar in the middle with tables and circular booths all around the room. Through those doors is the outdoor lounge area which if it's nice out, they leave those doors open and people can go outside if they want. The ceremony space was a huge room that the curtain off half of for the reception. She took us back to her office and really covered a lot of questions that I had in my mind. She went over their extensive menu and of course prices. She was a real doll and really made me feel at ease and comfortable and the wedding process. All in all the place was gorgeous, very open and HUGE. It was super duper art deco style and not so much 'glitzy' but kind of busy in style...lots going on in each room. I'm not sure if it's so much our style, I prefer a bit simpler of a style, but definitely a gorgeous and 'rich' looking place.
That's all for now! I will add to my reviews if I visit any other RH's. As of now, Fox Hollow is our number 1 (winter garden pavillion!)
FOX HOLLOW:
As soon as we entered the Fox there was a receptionist directing us to meet with a lady in an office who asked us basic questions and filled out a form- name/address/email/wedding date/number of guests/etcetera. She then brought us to a little sitting room to wait where there were little muffins/danishes and a waitress came and asked if we wanted something to drink. A banquet manager (dave) then came and greeted us. We went up to his office where he gave us a break down of how the wedding would be. He showed us a book of cakes and another of pictures of the food displays and went over the very extensive wedding they had. He then brought us around to the rooms/cocktail hour rooms/ceremony space/photo studio and inn next door. he never showed us the bridal suite or the bathrooms (and i forgot to ask). We then went back to his office and he gave us a folder with information on the menu as well as the prices. All in all it was a great experience- very professional, well organized, the BM was very nice, I just wish I would have felt more comfortable asking more specific questions but I have may have been intimidated b/c it was the first place RH we visited.
DOUGLASTON MANOR:
We pulled up and the first thing I noticed was the it was a beautiful mansion, but not as clean and well-maintained as the Fox Hollow. We walked in and were greeted by a man (Thomas) at the front desk. He gave us a piece of paper to fill out and said he'd be right back. Well at this point, there was one seat so I sat down and my FI stood next to me, we waited about 15 minutes and noticed that people were starting to walk into the lobby, dressed up for a wedding. We felt kind of uncomfortable just sitting there in our jeans while this is going on! So I stopped someone running by who worked there and asked them where Thomas was; we had an appt with him. He ran and got him and while Thomas was a really sweet man and super nice, he gave us a super quick run-through and didn't even fully explain to us what each room was used for. At one point I had to say 'so is this the cocktail room?' because he never said it was. He brought us up to the bridal suite and only showed us half b/c a bride was in the other half. As we walked out of the bridal suite, the bride was coming out of her room and he said oh look there goes the bride! and wanted us to take a look as she and her bridesmaids walked down the stairs! I was shocked and FI and I felt so awkward so we just kind of stood back and didn't look. Afterwards, he took us to his office, quickly went over the folder of info he gave us and we were on our way. All in all I wouldn't book there just because while the place was nice it was a bad first impression! I would never want to have prospective brides and grooms being shown around while my wedding is going on! And if I saw them while I was about to go to my ceremony?!? omg. bad.
CHATEAU BRIAND:
The banquet manager we met with was Dawn- super sweet and really great. She showed us all around- the photo studio/bridal suite/saturnia and normandy reception rooms/cocktail hour room/outdoor lounge-y area (which was gorgeous and so modern!). The cocktail hour room was incredible- like a little restuarant- a huge bar in the middle with tables and circular booths all around the room. Through those doors is the outdoor lounge area which if it's nice out, they leave those doors open and people can go outside if they want. The ceremony space was a huge room that the curtain off half of for the reception. She took us back to her office and really covered a lot of questions that I had in my mind. She went over their extensive menu and of course prices. She was a real doll and really made me feel at ease and comfortable and the wedding process. All in all the place was gorgeous, very open and HUGE. It was super duper art deco style and not so much 'glitzy' but kind of busy in style...lots going on in each room. I'm not sure if it's so much our style, I prefer a bit simpler of a style, but definitely a gorgeous and 'rich' looking place.
That's all for now! I will add to my reviews if I visit any other RH's. As of now, Fox Hollow is our number 1 (winter garden pavillion!)
