I'm looking to book my hall this summer and budget is a big consideration. My sister got married at CHCC and it was beautiful, she had a venetian hour and everything was lovely, but it was $125 p/p. I'd like to be able to spend no more than $100 p/p (hopefully less).with everything including, like a great cocktail hour and a venetian hour. I know there are palces that start at $65, but do you think you sacrifice quality? What do you get out of the more expensive places?
I was thinking of looking at the less expensive places, so I'd have room to add on an extra vegan/kosher choice, and a venetian hour. WHat are your opinions/experiences regarding less expensive places vs. moe expensive places?
nov2004bride
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
What about Timber Point? My sister got married there and they have a fireplace and I think it is beautiful. I am not sure of the price per person though sorry
marymoon
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
Oh, I totally don't want CHCC. it's beuatiful, but not me at all. And I'm set on Saturday Eve in December.
Thanks for all of your help!
Donna
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
I think another thing to look at is menu and the bar. I've been to weddings at some really nice places yet you could tell the bride and groom had spent the lowest amount possible - there was no wine on the table, the cocktail hour was just ok, one station, mostly fruits and cheeses, etc..
tourist
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
I only lookeda thte hall I booked, but the major differnce I saw in price was 'extras' the milleridge has 3 menu options. the first is without a coctail hour, more for holiday parties & sweet 16s & things.
We went with the second. the third was about $40 more a person. It included more options of dinners ( ie- filet mignon which was not an option ont eh other menu) and a 4 tier cake instead of a 3, 2 carvings stations instead of 1, an ice scuplture vinetian hour and an intermezzo course .
These things weren't important to me. If it was an ala carte thing, I would have splurged for the filet mignon, but as a whole, it wasn't neccessary. But that's us. We're having a small, low key wedding. The food is till the same quality-its not like I get the wilted lettuce in my salads, b/c I chose the less expensive menu.
It really depends on the hall, but the difference in prices should be similar to the things above.
How many people are you having?
Oh, and I don't know about Kosher, but at the Milleridge, the vegetarian option isn't costing us more.
JimmysBride
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
Posted by marymoon
I want someplace more homey...it's winter so I want a fireplace, big wondows, wooden floors, someplace like the milleridge Inn, or I think someone suggested westbury manor to me. I like that kind of ambiance, and I think those palces tend to be cheaper than the palces like CHCC with the big modern ballrooms. I just want to know what I'm losing by paying $85 a head rather than $125
You just described the Massapequa Rivera to a T. You should check them out. IMO, you aren't really sacrificing much in terms of service and quality. Most of the reason for the difference in prices is location, grounds, # of weddings, and the overall look of the site.
If you read the reviews on here, I don't even one reception site has gotten much less than 'OMG -- they went above and beyond!'. I think most LI reception sites are pretty equal when it comes to service. Food may be a different story. For the most part you are only sacrificing the 'look'. For example... alot of the reason why Sunset Harbour is alot less expensive than Westbury Manor is because SH doesn't have extensive beautiful grounds like WB. BUT... SH only does one wedding at a time and it's on the water. And, IMO, their food is awesome. But WB has peacocks in gardens!! Etc, etc, and those are your trade-offs.
BTW... WB manor quoted me $99pp PLUS tax & grat for a Sat nite in April which I thought was ridiculous considering how many weddings they do there at a time and the fact that there is a restaurant also in there.
AJsMommy122
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
QUOTE]
I agree...you get what you pay for. Just b/c you think the place might be expensive, still check it out....a lot of them are not as bad as you think. It also depends on what night you want..of course saturday is the most expensive...if I got married the night before my wedding, I would have saved over $10/head!
Sooooooooooooo true. I never thought we would be able to afford our hall but went any way! and lucky for us sunday in february was actually 'affordable'
Vicky1706
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
I went into it just like you...I was going to have it on a Saturday night in December...but the prices are so dramatically different from one month to the next that we never would have been able to afford it in December. For a lot of places December is still considered prime time but just a few weeks later, in January, (the off/winter season) we will get the same Saturday wedding for a SIGNIFICANT difference. JMO. The hall will still be decorated for the holidays, which I love, and it is the SAME wedding...same food & service just cheaper b/c its off season...if that is for you...if changing the month is not an option than keep looking and I am sure you will find somehting you love in your price range for December! Just a suggestion from my experience!
If you like that 'homey' feel go check out FoxHollow...Scotto bros owns both FoxHollow and Westbury Manor so the food and service is comparable and they have a similar feel to them. If nothing else than to give you more options! If you need any other help, FM me!
Good Luck!!
dm24angel
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
It depends really...Our price for the Watermill which is considered a 'better' place ( not myopinion, just what has been said) was $69 for a Friday in March...plus tax and gratuity and we are getting a bridal suite( huge) bridal attendant, one waiter to a table, large room and more food then I've ever seen, the food is prepared like a chef at a fancy restuarant would do...etc.....so you can find a place that is not your typical place for that money....We are paying $10 more per person then the first choice we had and getting ten times as much in terms of service and quality and food.... p.s the room we are in has a fireplace, the cocktail hr rooms does as well...
WeddingsRock
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The irony is that I have attended many weddings at (M)
the Millerridge and to be honest, I was not floored by anything in particular. The filet mignon was dry and the veggies were cold. The cocktail hour was good and the venetian hour was great, but other then that, I really don't think it was worth 165.00 per person in Septemeber for a Saturday night.
marymoon
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
I know sunday will be SOOOO muhc cheaper, but I'm afriad no1 will come b/c they'll all have to work. I have serious negative associations with january. I just really like December. Has anyone had Sunday wedding, was it a real hardship for people to attend?
september2004
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
Posted by marymoon
I know sunday will be SOOOO muhc cheaper, but I'm afriad no1 will come b/c they'll all have to work. I have serious negative associations with january. I just really like December. Has anyone had Sunday wedding, was it a real hardship for people to attend?
i was considering having a sunday brunch, but in the end decided to have it on a saturday because 1/2 our guests list is OOT...
Sassyz75
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
Posted by WeddingsRock
the Millerridge and to be honest, I was not floored by anything in particular. The filet mignon was dry and the veggies were cold. The cocktail hour was good and the venetian hour was great, but other then that, I really don't think it was worth 165.00 per person in Septemeber for a Saturday night.
I used to work there- the Millerdige is NOT $165 for a Saturday night in September... & if that was paid, then the couple got had.
dm24angel
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
I dont want to start an arguement but I was quoted $150 ( after everything, tax etc) for Milldrige on Sat in LAte August through 2nd week of Oct...So I think their prices went up and $165 might have been a true price
marymoon
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
I saw a price list for this past december, and the most expenisve thing, the 3 star or whatever it is was $85! Maybe I was wrong? Here i was thinking Millerridge was an inexpensive place! I guess I'll find out when i go there.
Kelly9904
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
I say just look around, develop a list of places which you fill will range in price and go to them! Some may be out of your $$ range but will give you something to judge by. This is what we did and honestly we fell in love with the least expensive place!
When we walked into Meadow Club and saw the nice fire place and piano in the lobby, it was like being in a victorian home! I will say that we are playing less because there are 3 rooms there so they could have up to 2 weddings at a time! But I am getting married on a Saturday evening in June, added on a vienesse and with everything I am paying under 100 a person! (if you look there, they have a few pics on the walls of how its set up in the winter, it actually made me wish I was having a winter wedding)
*for the viennese hour, some places charge like $15 a person but they add on an extra hour, so you are actually getting a 6 hour reception. We are playing about $5 a person but we only have a 5 hour reception, however if we add the extra hour it would only be an additional $5 pp, so we would still be ahead!
I dont agree that you ALWAYS get what you pay for. There are some places out there that for one reason or another are less than the others yet you can still have an exceptional wedding!
GoingNutty
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
Chateau La Mer is very reasonably priced, and has a lot of the qualities you mentioned. Here are some pix of the hall that we took when we made our payment the other day...
I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about it, FM if you want :) Good luck
FrescaBride
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Re: What do you get for a more expensive hall?
Miller Place was one of the places I went as I was on my search for that perfect place. I wasn't too thrilled about it once I got there even though I thought it was pretty nice when I saw the pictures on the internet. You should always go in person and never judge by the pictures. I was quoted $95 on a Saturday night in April and was told that was the price from April-December. I thought that they asked too much money for that place. I thought the area for the cocktail hour was too small and not enough seating. I also didn't like the chairs for the Bride & Groom and as FH and I went outside in the place that you take pictures, we saw fences down...not a good thing. Men usually do not notice things like that and my FH did, so we knew as we went out that it was not the place for us. Don't worry, you will find the perfect place. And the more places you see, you will get a better idea if you what you are getting a good deal or your money's worth. Good Luck and Happy Planning.
