Stewart Manor Brides

Sorry this info took so long:

The Bakery is Deluc (or D&D) bakery
918-14 South Main St
So Farmingdale, NY 11735
516-454-6737

Florist (which I think you already knew)
Floral Park Florist
130 Tulip Ave
Floral Park, NY 11001
516-354-8024

Good Luck!
Kimberly

PS have you all gone for your tasting?

I haven't gone for a tasting. But I still have 11 mths. Is the bakery able to do celtic or any designs on them?? THANKS for the info!

Thanks Kimberly!! You're the best!!

Do you know if we can contact the bakery directly or do we have to go through SMCC??

I am pretty sure SMCC contacts the bakery.
I have not contacted them yet about there cakes and if they can do some celtic design for me. I will let you know when I do. For now I just got the info from SMCC.

I have not gone for my tasting either, dont know when to go, probably go after summer is over.

I will keep you girls posted if I find out anything else and vise versa.

Have a great weekend.

Kimberly

Thanks again Kimberly!!
-Tracy

Well I am not going to worry about the cake, I would like a celtic design, but if they dont do any extras thats fine, or maybe we can pay for it. But like I said dont worry about the cake you have lots other more important things.

Marni - I am sorry about the trouble with Stewart Manor, I would definitely let them know you are not 100% Satisfied even if they are not going to change it, they may take it into consideration, just keep letting them know. Us brides to be and already brides are the ones who give reviews on these Halls and they should want us happy.

Hope everything else goes well. keep me posted

good luck
kimberly

Thanks Kimberly for your concern...
It's not really my personality to continuously let them know my disappointment. I told them how dissatisified I was and his basic reaction was 'well, I'm sorry to hear that'. So the bottom line is this - I feel very sorry for the maitre'd, because WHATEVER i have to lay out to get my pictures taken somewhere else will come out of his/her tip. We have the wedding budgeted to the penny, and after the tip is given it will have a note that says 'we apologize for the small tip, but the rest of the money needed to be donated to the 'We have to find an alternate photo location' fund. I know it sounds harsh, but if they would just deliver what we were promised, then it wouldn't even be an issue now. But again, this will all be said AFTER our affair. Thanks again!

Hey I totally agree with you are the tip thing, they arent given you what you thought, so they will have to pay in some way. I dont understand why we have to tip the matre'd anyone since we are paying tip and tax already, that really pisses me off. My tip will depend on the service I get that night, see what is actually done and how.

I dont understand why they wont let you take pics before the ceremony, especially since there is no wedding before you and your ceremony is there (isnt it?) Who did you speak to at Stewart manor Ed or Don? I am pretty sure Don is the owner.

Well good luck, and let me know if anything else happens.

Kimberly

Hi Girls

Ed told me that as long as we aren't crazy with cake designs, it should be no big deal. I know that in light of things that have gone sour for you Marni, I wouldn't hold my breath. But as long as what you want doesn't involve lots of labor (like a cake covered in sugar flowers) the bakery should be able to handle it with out additional charge.

Marni, can I ask why you cannot take pictures there?

On one hand, I agree about not wanting to continuously tell them how dissatisfied you are but you are the customer and paying a lot of money, they should try to accomodate any reasonable requests. Plus, they won't know they have to try harder. PS...I think the sales manager Ed often acts as Maitre D' so your tip thing will really make it crystal clear as to how you felt about the whole SMCC experience.

Happy Day!!
Christine

Here's the full story about taking pictures...maybe I was a tad bit naive, but then again, this was my first time planning and wedding and hopefully the last!

When we booked last July, Frank was still there (Kimberly you never met him I'm sure, but Christine I believe you booked with him). I explained to Frank that we already had booked the chapel at 6:00 (we are not getting married there, we're getting married at the historical chapel in woodbury), and wanted to book SMCC based on recommendation and the beautiful pictures in front of the fireplace. I explained to Frank that the problem was timing. My FH and I had agreed to see each other BEFORE the ceremony, so we needed to get in there around 3:30 or 4 for pictures that would probably last around 1 1/2 hours. Because it will be winter time, we had told him that we needed an indoor photo location, and how perfect the reception room would be. I was concerned about time and Frank said it would be ABSOLUTLEY NO PROBLEM, due to the fact that we were marrying on a Friday night, and that nobody would be getting married before us, so the place would be completely and totally available. When I talked to this guy from SMCC the other night is was a completely different story. He said that my request was impossible to fulfill UNLESS I want to pay to reserve SMCC for the ENTIRE DAY. I said why would I want to do that...all I want to do is take pictures for 1 1/2 hrs, which I was promised. So he said, well we could book a holiday party here during the day, so I can't promise you anything until maybe a week before, and I said that I couldn't wait for 'maybes' that close to the wedding. He said we could definitely get in there an hour before for pictures, but that doesn't help me because I will literally be getting married an hour before. I tried to explain to him that this was the exact reason why I had the conversation with Frank in the beginning. Frank was suuuuuuuuch a laid back guy....made it seem like EVERYTHING under the sun was not only included, but should be EXPECTED from every catering hall imaginable. Now this new guy is Mr. Salesman U.S.A. and keeps quoting the contract. If he mentions the contract one more time I'm going to burst...

Sorry for venting, just wanted you to know exactly what happened. And if you were planning on taking your pictures there an hour before cocktail hour, you should be fine. He didn't seem to have a problem with that.

Good luck ladies, and if you have any more questions, just ask away!!

We dealt with both ed and don at different times, I rather deal with Don. The 2nd time I dealt with Ed was when I came in to book and show my dad and mother in law to be the place and this is the time We didnt like him, but I was already in love with the place, but he was being very rude to our parents and it pissed me off. I guess the only think I can suggest is try to deal with Don, I am pretty sure he is the owner too. My finance only dealt with Don, he wasnt there the other two times I went, I think he would have had a fit with Ed, the second time.

Good Luck everyone, DC bride did you find another place?

We will take pictures if we get there early enough, depending on the church and traffic alittle bit before cocktail hour and then during if we need too.

bye
kimberly

Westbury Manor is great my bestfriend got married there last year, thats why I didnt even bother thinking of it. Everything was wonderful.

Good Luck
Kimberly

I met all of them:)

Frank who 'retired' (who is working out east) was the most pleasant and laid back. Bruce was really obnoxious and quit for personal reasons (I know from a friend -nwr- that he had some personal issues). Don I said hello to a couple of times. I was never under the impression that he was the owner, in fact he was introduced as the sometime MaitreD. And Ed - I thought he was very accomodating and professional. I would rather him say YES or NO point blank then gloss over things the way Frank seemed to do.

I asked about the turnover and they assured me that it was just a run of bad luck and that everyone that is there now has been there for a long time.

Marni, I am so sorry you are having problems regarding the pictures. I hope they will accomodate you if they can. They have pictures there that were taken in the garden on the east side of the building, on the gazebo and porch that were taken at night that are stunning. You can also ask if they would leave the head tables in the reception room to the side of the fireplace so you can take pictures during the cocktail hour and take pictures in the cocktail room if you like during the reception. I know it's a lot of moving about, but maybe it's a little easier then finding another location.

But I really think we all made a great decision - everyone I know that has been to an affair there raves about the food and service!

Ta!

Christine, thanks for filling us in on the many changes that have occured there lately. And I agree, I just wish there would have been simple 'yes' or 'no' answers to my questions when I first booked there. Actually, it seemed like all the answers were 'yes'!! But now they've turned into 'no'....that's what is so aggrevating. I can't fight them on it, because as much as I hate the fact that he quotes it, it really isn't written in the contract, so I have no argument except to say that I was promised something specific verbally.

I definitely agree that Stewart Manor will overall turn out to be a wonderful place - I just have a really bad taste in my mouth from it, and I'm not recommending them anymore. I guess it's my way of payback...I can be somewhat spiteful. And I wouldn't want anyone feeling the disappointment I feel right now. To go from just about a full year of thinking everything is set, to finding out 6 months before that I need to make a MAJOR change...well I'm not going to get over it that quickly.

Anyway, the best of luck to all of you ladies and we are going to have wonderful wedding days no matter what!! Thanks again for letting me vent and your kind words...