Villa Lombardis

Well, FI and I went to look for my former friend who I was stupid enough to cosign for and she is not living at either address we have - not event he Brooklyn address she used last month to get credit some place. I plan to go by the mail box service she is using to see if it's a P.O. box or a person. If it's a person, I can serve her court papers there since I am definitely suing her a$$!!

So, since we were at exit 56 in Central Islip looking for Lisa, we decided to look at Villa Lombardi's at exit 61.

We both liked the place but the cocktail room is very flowery which I don't like. We could use plan white linens instead of the flowered ones but some of the curtains are still flowered. We both hated the carpet but agree that it would probably not be noticeable since everyone will be dancing and drinking. FI finally admitted that he HATED Milleridge Cottage. He had told me he did not like the place before since he thought it was outdated but today he said he actually HATED the place.

He still likes Fox Hollow, Russos (w/o the elevator entrance though) and Jericho Terrace but Russos and JT have no outdoor ceremony or cocktail option.

Villa Lombardis gave us a quote for September 05
Friday afternoon $74.95pp Plus 18% plus tax with a 75 minimum
Sunday afternoon 74.95 min 75
Thursday night 74.95 min 75

And I did ask about the .95 but the BM didn't know why either?

Sat night is 114.95 min 200
Sat aft is 89.95 min 100
Fri night 89.95 min 150
Sun night is 79.95 120 min

It's very easy to find and the Hampton Inn has a free shuttle for guests to Villas.

We would have the ceremony there 5:30 p.m. for the room with the french doors & 7:30 p.m. for the other room (nearly identical but mural instead of french doors). For friday the options are 6 p.m. & 8 p.m. for the ceremony.

A bride from the afternoon wedding came out to tell us how great the place is and how they were so attentive throughout the entire process. It does bug me that we can't throw rose petals unless they are freeze dried but we can use biodegradable rice or MAYBE birdseed. It also bugs me (slightly) that house vendors are half price but outside vendors are 2/3.

Anyone have any more info on Villas?

I normally take my 2 page excel sheet of questions but this was last minute so I was not prepared - except I did have my camera (video mode is on it) in case I found Lisa and needed to tape her since she has turned out to be such a lying piece of crap.

The questions I did not ask are:

Are kids half price?
What ages?
Any limit on number of ½ price kids?
Vendors included in minimum?
Are kids included in minimum?
Are candles allowed?
In-house Wedding Planner?
Cake cutting charge?
Can we have a tasting
Ratio of Guests/Servers:
What will waiters wear?
Maximum Number of Tables for room:
Overtime charges:
Method of payment - CC's acepted?
Any tasting events or showcases before we book?
Photos of hall in different seasons?
Can we upgrade if under minimum (no wasted dinners) i.e., cordials or upgrade entrees?
Cancellation and refund policy?
Smoking area?
Any renovations planned?
What/When?
Expected completion date?

If you have this info, please post.

Thanks much.

Just that it is absoultely amazing,

My sister's wedding was May 03 and the family still raves about it. The food the service every single detail was superb

The ONLY reason that FH and I aren't using them is b/c I wanted my wedding to be MY wedding not a repeat of my sisters.

Villa Lombardi's is a great choice.

Are kids half price? YES
What ages? I BELIEVE ITS 12 AND UNDER
Any limit on number of ½ price kids? YOU MUST MEET YOUR MINIMUM REQUIREMENT BEFORE 1/2 PRICE KIDS I BELIEVE
Vendors included in minimum? NONE
Are kids included in minimum? NO
Are candles allowed? YES
In-house Wedding Planner? ???
Cake cutting charge? ???
Can we have a tasting AS MANY AS YOU WANT!!! THE FOOD IS AWESOME
Ratio of Guests/Servers: I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY ONE WAITER PER TABLE, MANY MORE AT COCKTAIL HOUR
What will waiters wear? BLACK TIE--TUX WHITE GLOVE BUTLER SERVICE
Maximum Number of Tables for room: ???
Overtime charges:????
Method of payment - CC's acepted? YES FOR ALL BUT FINAL PAYMENT I BELIEVE
Any tasting events or showcases before we book? NOT DURING HOLIDAYS BUT IN JANUARAY THEY START SHOWS AGAIN
Photos of hall in different seasons?
Can we upgrade if under minimum (no wasted dinners) i.e., cordials or upgrade entrees?
Cancellation and refund policy?
Smoking area? OUTSICE ONLY
Any renovations planned? NOT THAT I KNOW OF
What/When?
Expected completion date?

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Posted by emma

Did you look at watermill?

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No, we did not look at Watermill. Villas is kind of far out for us (we live in BK) and Watermill is even more east. FI's family is mostly in in NYC (Harlem, Manhattan, BK) and NJ.

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Posted by bridget&jimmy

Watermill is closer than Villa Lombardis to you.

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Yeah, it is. I just noticed that on the map on weddingsitesandservices.com

I must have been thinking of another hall.

In-house Wedding Planner? ???

Cake cutting charge? ???

Ratio of Guests/Servers:

Maximum Number of Tables for room: ???

Overtime charges:????

Method of payment - CC's acepted? I think for all but final payment???

Can you send me photos of hall in different seasons?

Can we upgrade if under minimum (no wasted dinners) i.e., cordials or upgrade entrees?

Cancellation and refund policy?

Any renovations planned?
What/When?
Expected completion date?

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Posted by kdrainey

The questions I did not ask are:

Are kids half price? Yes once you meet your minimum.
What ages? 12 and under
Any limit on number of ½ price kids? NO
Vendors included in minimum? We did not meet our min. so vendors were full price in our head count and the guests we did not have to meet the minimum we got to take the meals home for
Are kids included in minimum? NO
Are candles allowed? They would not allow us to use votive place card holders but I had candles on my cake table and in my center piece
In-house Wedding Planner? They have a party planner that you first meet 6 weeks prior the rest of the time you deal with BM. I had a day of coordinator and highly recommend it.
Cake cutting charge? NO
Can we have a tasting? NO, they have their showcases which you can attend for $10 but the food is outrageous, you definitely don't need to worry.
Ratio of Guests/Servers: Don't know
What will waiters wear? White glove service, very neatly professionally dressed.
Maximum Number of Tables for room: Don't know
Overtime charges: Don't know
Method of payment - CC's acepted? We used CC for our first and second deposit which we did at once, the rest must be cash or check and final payment had to be certified check
Any tasting events or showcases before we book? Showcases
Photos of hall in different seasons? They have albums scattered about villas
Can we upgrade if under minimum (no wasted dinners) i.e., cordials or upgrade entrees? Don't know
Cancellation and refund policy? Don't remember
Smoking area? Outside only I believe
Any renovations planned? Don't think so
What/When?
Expected completion date?

If you have this info, please post.

Thanks much.

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Hopefully that helps.
I know what you mean about the flower room and the carpet and I personally hated the murals. I had my wedding at Port Jeff CC and LOVED the decor there but I think there room will be too small for your wedding but maybe it's worth checking out. Villas catering but more mainstream decor.

i wasnt happy with the customer service at villas. before you booked they were wonderful but once i put the deposit down- trying to get a hold of my banquet manager was the most difficult thing in the world.

watermill is beautiful- and if you are looking at different seasons, they decorate for christmas really lovely! its def. more classy and eleant than villas. but it all depends on your style. i wasn't into the cocktail hour room at villas- didnt like the flowers everywhere.

More classy and elegant than Villas? hmmmm. Nice comment.

Hi.

I booked Villa for our August '05 wedding. Also, had our engagement party there in June '04. Let me tell you they are giving you a great price compared to what I am contracted for. You can't go wrong because their food and day-of service is awesome. They give you plenty of food, your guests will be stuffed and our maitre'd went above and beyond. We liked him so much (Chris) that we have requested them for our wedding too.

What are they including at that price? Are you having a Viennesse hour?


So the decor is not-your-taste, you can dress those rooms up anyway you want with centerpieces/linens that peoples eyes will be more focused on your finishing touches. I didn't even realize the murals at my engagement party until I got my pics back!

As for the cocktail room, it looks great when all the food is in it and if it is a nice sunny day your guests can take their food/drink outside.

At that price you should go for it and even try to have a few extras added in.

I just went to Villa Lombardi on Sat. for a wedding. The place is nice, but I am not a fan of the decor at all and probably wouldn't pick it for that reason. Other than that, I liked it. A few things I especially liked was that the room where they had the cocktail hour (first room to the right when you come in) was spectacular. The food is so spread out, I never felt crowded when selecting anything and the CH food was amazing! I especially liked that there was tons of seating, so anyone who wanted to sit at the CH could, not like other places where some can sit, but the rest stand.

The dinner was good- I thought some of the dishes were better than others, but I liked that they had bottles of wine on the table, and the service was top-notch. This couple chose the Viennese hour. The Viennese hour was in the same room as the CH. It was OK, but I not as good as I was hoping. I thought the Italian pastries would have been better, but it was good, overall. For me, it would not have been worth paying extra for, but that is just my opinion. Also, by that time, it was very late (12:00 am) and we had eaten so much, it wasn't really necessary, and I think a ton of it was going home with the bride and groom.

The other thing I noticed, when going to the bathroom, is that there are double doors on the reception rooms, so it really helped cut down on the noise from the DJ. I didn't really hear much of the music in the lobby and never heard the other party's music in the room where we were. It is a nice place, and it sounds like you got a good price!

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Posted by ShelliNMando


Hi.

I booked Villa for our August '05 wedding. Also, had our engagement party there in June '04. Let me tell you they are giving you a great price compared to what I am contracted for. You can't go wrong because their food and day-of service is awesome. They give you plenty of food, your guests will be stuffed and our maitre'd went above and beyond. We liked him so much (Chris) that we have requested them for our wedding too.

What are they including at that price? Are you having a Viennesse hour?


So the decor is not-your-taste, you can dress those rooms up anyway you want with centerpieces/linens that peoples eyes will be more focused on your finishing touches. I didn't even realize the murals at my engagement party until I got my pics back!

As for the cocktail room, it looks great when all the food is in it and if it is a nice sunny day your guests can take their food/drink outside.

At that price you should go for it and even try to have a few extras added in.

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Thanks ladies. The price we got includes the basic menu - which is a ton of food already. We were also told that 2 upgrades are now included - the seafood (pasta or salad?) and wine on all tables. We did not ask about the viennesse hour but when we visited onSunday we saw the viennesse set up and I took some picks of it. There were dessert and fruit trays everywhere. I asked our BM (Gina?) if guests even eat the entree and she said they wrap a lot of food to go in foil swans. We saw at least 3 foil wrapped dinners as we left at 5:15 p.m. on Sunday.

What I really like is that the white silk flower arrangements are included as well as a lot of ficus trees with white lights. It was beautiful and more so once the sun went down.

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Posted by Bride2005

i wasnt happy with the customer service at villas. before you booked they were wonderful but once i put the deposit down- trying to get a hold of my banquet manager was the most difficult thing in the world.

watermill is beautiful- and if you are looking at different seasons, they decorate for christmas really lovely! its def. more classy and eleant than villas. but it all depends on your style. i wasn't into the cocktail hour room at villas- didnt like the flowers everywhere.

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I have read this a few times on this site, that Villas customer service is not that great AFTER you book. The bride on Sunday raved about the place though so I suppose once it all comes together, the problems with customer service are forgotten? Not that she told us she had any problems. In fact, she told us they were so helpful from beginning to end.

I'm not into flowers either and was told we could change the table coverings to plain white but the floral decor would stay for the curtains. Gina told us lots of brides like the 'garden' theme and leave the flowered table toppers.

The Bm at Villa are a little hard to get a hold of and it got WORSE after they bought Lombardi's on the sound because at the time of my planning our Bm charles was handling both catering halls. They are EXTREMELY busy places, both of them, and that's alot of phone calls.

I am not the type of person to get upset about people not returning calls cause when they didn't call me back within a couple hours of my message I called them back until I got to speak to who I wanted too.

I knew in the end my affair would be handled great and it was, I had absolutely no COMPLAINTs about the ceremony/reception and the way we were treated on that day. Villa does a lot of little things that you don't even notice but mean a whole lot in presentation that you don't even know about. Overall my experience with Villa was top notch and I can't wait to go to a wedding there that wasn't my own so I can eat the food!

I have been booked for Villa's for almost a year and haven't had any problems in dealing with my BM Charles. He may not always be available, but he always returns my calls and answers all my questions.

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Posted by neesiepie

I have been booked for Villa's for almost a year and haven't had any problems in dealing with my BM Charles. He may not always be available, but he always returns my calls and answers all my questions.

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I was just about to post the exact same thing. I know TONS of people that have been to a wedding at Villa and say that out of all the weddings they have been to that Villa's did the best job and had the best food- strangers and people FH and I know personally. We did a TON of asking around before we booked and much of our reason for booking was the number and validity of our sources.

I did not consider it becasue it was a little too far for us and I agree with you about the decor. But....my friends had their wedding there 2 years ago and it was awesome. The food is great and there is tons of it. They do give you a whole lot for the price. I would definitely consider it. And if you need outdoor space, it has beautiful grounds.
You are so detailed!!!!! Where were you when I was planning?