WATERMILL thread

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Posted by Marisa M

I'm in the Varderbilt room (downstairs) and I'm doing shades of red and deep pink roses and peonies in a low centerpiece w/ 2 tall pillar candles on either side-
I was ALL about chair covers UNTIL I heard the price ($5 per chair !!) but I also did not like the material of the covers w/ the table linens. - I personally think it's over kill and takes away from the elegance of the room (JMO)
Also, the whole process of booking is negotiating. - Some people get a better price, some people get 'extras' thrown in. - It all depends on how the conversation is going .......it's like that w/ anything. - But honestly, I have the highest menu (Prestige I think it's called ) WHAT could you possibly add to that ?? How much can people really eat ?? I have been to weddings there and EVERYTHING is done beautifully and the food is excellent. I promise you, your guest will NOT be saying 'where was the ___' you know ?? - Unless you're really loving the fresh fish, or sushi or something like that ........but as for add ons. - I really don't think you 'need' them ! - Don't stress ! The place really does a beautiful job with everything !!

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We all have the 'Prestige' menu...So far I havent seen anyone with a different menu regardless of room...all I wanted and asked for was pasta with dinner due to many people not eating meat on my day as its friday in Lent...we shall see.

dm24angel

Your pasta request is not just any old request... it's for religious purposes. If your guests were kosher and you either asked for meals to be prepared or asked if they could be brought in they really must let you. You aren't being a fussy person here, you are honoring a religious practice. I'm not sure if our banquet manager understands that practice that all Catholics are not supposed to eat ANY meat on Fridays during lent . Maybe if you presented it to him in that way... that it's like the religious practice of keeping kosher he might get it. If not I think they are strattling a delicate line here. They are also going to save a lot of their per person food costs if they serve pasta.

For my centerpieces I am having shades of lavendar with some touches of sage, in silver containers. The florist is going to make them kind of oval shaped to go with the tables. I dont know if it even matches the room but I don't really care!

I hope everything works out with the pasta. Is there a vegetarian meal offered?


Oh, by the way, that pasta I got was for the cocktail hour, not the actual dinner.

Also, did anyone meet with Samantha yet? Was she helpful?

As for chair covers, once everyone sits down they are not noticeable in the room. My friend is a part-time wedding planner and she has taken pictures of rooms with chaircovers before the guest arrive and tehn after everyone is seated. Once everyone is seated the impact is lost.

Second, I'm doing low centerpieces too. The tables at the Watermill are a bit of a challenge as they are long and oval you really don't have much room after everything is set but I also don't like the tall centerpieces and they require more flowers and that is more $$$. Second, I love blue hydrangeas and I had to have them, but they are expensive so if I must have them then my centerpieces are small. I am thinking of doing a candle at each end but I'm not sure what type... depends upon what I can find and it's also a daytime wedding so I don't think it matters much.

Don't worry about the flowers matching the room. Pick what you like and what will go with your bridal party colors. For me, blue hydrangea dictated the wedding but I also picked blue because FH and I both have blue eyes and I am inspired by the blue tiffany box with the white ribbon (just an inspiration... I'm more of a Bed BAth and BEyond Girl )

I was thinking of not meeting with Samantha. I really didn't think I needed her. It's a small wedding, we are not doing favors and I think I can do invites on my own.

For what other things were you girls considering her for?

Jaibird,
Are you using Revere bowls as your silver? One of my wedding colors is silver and I originally wanted clear fishbowls but I think a silver container would look better. Do you have a picture?

Since I am downstairs, even though it is a day wedding, I am going to keep the lights dim and have lots of candlelight. I am going to pretend its an evening wedding.

I love hydrangea! They are going to be the main focus in my centerpieces, the lavendar ones though. My florist didnt tell me that they were expensive though. I had no idea.

Hydrangeas can be VERY expensive. One florist that I interviewed said they would be $22 a stem. Well, the meeting was over at that point. I think green hydrangeas are the most expensive. LA Blossom and Trina from Expressions had the best prices on hydrangea of the florists that I considered.

I am doing a blue hydrangea and white roses centerpiece. I told all of my florists that my centerpiece budget was no more than $50 a centerpiece for 10 tables and they must contain those two flowers and asked them what could they do for me. My contract with Trina states that my centerpiece must contain at least 4 light blue hydrangea with 8-12 white roses... for $48. That's great for such an expensive flower. Also keep in mind the time of the year.

dm24angel
I'm not saying your request is unreasonable at all !! - the probelm is w/ ANYTHING (and i'm not saying this is right) but once you sign the contract, they are reluctant to negotiate any further.
Can you request a different BM ?? We dealt w/ a guy named Brian. He was nice enough, but nothing i'd rave about.

I didn't mean to sound like I was disagreeing. - Just trying to make you feel better about the situation. (which obviously did not work !!)

Also, I think you can substitute the salad or appetizer w/ a pasta........

VERY nice CP's!!! I love those first colors...

These are what we are doing...to save costs and because we are not into flowers all that much..

I may add some tall candles in with it, not sure yet..

Jaibird,

Those centerpieces are gorgeous. I went to one florist, didn't like her personality (family friend) and she suggested the plastic (but who's gonna know) silver revere bowls. I like the idea, just didn't like her...lol. Which one are you using? It looks like the bottom one is a bit more expensive? I know my fishbowls are running me $3. each but the plastic Revere bowls can't be more than that.

dm24angel,

Seriously, whether it was in your contract or not, your wedding is during Lent. If they are not willing to budge on this it is religious discrimination. Ask them what their policy is on Kosher meals? I'd be curious. Would they require a Muslim bride to pick one of the pork dishes? A Hindu one of the beef dishes?

I jsut noticed the desserts on the Prestige menu. Do our guests get a choice of all of them? It doesn't say hosts choice of one.

Seriously, between the cocktail hour, dinner and the wedding cake, people can only eat so much. My FH's family isn't big drinkers either. I think it's more than enough food, can't imagine adding extras.

How many of you and when did you ask to go in and set up your table?

dm24angel it looks like you did that a while ago. Did anyone ask their florist to come along?

I think my centerpiece holders will look like the picture on the top. I am not sure how much they are though.

With the dessert, we get to pick one of those choices besides the cake. My BM wrote it in on my menu.

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Posted by David'sbride

I jsut noticed the desserts on the Prestige menu. Do our guests get a choice of all of them? It doesn't say hosts choice of one.

Seriously, between the cocktail hour, dinner and the wedding cake, people can only eat so much. My FH's family isn't big drinkers either. I think it's more than enough food, can't imagine adding extras.

How many of you and when did you ask to go in and set up your table?

dm24angel it looks like you did that a while ago. Did anyone ask their florist to come along?

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No, I didnt do that..I stole the pic..thats what it will look like..The BM said they set it up, I dont need a florist...I am just gonna use the house florist for cake flowers as thats the only flowers I need..and I may not even do that, may ask my florist.

CAN you go there and do a table?


ETA- yes, you get to choose one of those desserts , not the guests.