I have attended three weddings in a years time and will be attending a fourth next month.
The most recent wedding I attended was held at The Swan Club in Glenwood, NY (which is in Long Island). The word picturesque comes to mind when describing this place. There are endless amounts of places to take wedding pictures. There are seven acres of beautiful landscaping including features such as a gazebo, water fountains, and a brides walk.
The wedding ceremony took place in an adjacent section of the club and was decorated the same way as seen in the picture below. Since the wedding took place early in the day the lighting was spectacular, and the sun streamed in to illuminate the bride and groom as they exchanged vows!
An outdoor cocktail hour in the garden was followed by a celebratory evening full of dancing, laughter and well-wishes in the Contessa Room. A fantastic time was had by all!
Out of a possible 5 stars:
Landscaping: 10 STARS :-)
Decor: 3.5 STARS
Food: 3.5 STARS
Staff: 4.5 STARS
Comments: At the end of the reception staff began vacuuming and setting up tables for the next event as guests gathered their belongings to exit...not a good look.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.swanclub.com
Last year I attended the wedding of my future sister-in-law. Her wedding took place at The Primavera Regency in Stirling, New Jersey. This place is simply delicious! The food was extraordinary...this is very important when selecting a wedding venue.
The ceremony took place outside underneath a trellis.
Take a look at this spread...
Out of a possible 5 stars:
Landscaping: 3.5 STARS
Decor: 3.5 STARS
Food: 10 STARS :-)
Staff: 4.0 STARS
Comments:The Primavera Regency is tiny in comparison to the Swan Club, the plus side to that is all attention will be on you and your special day!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:www.theprimavera.com
Last but certainly not least is the August 2008 wedding of my line sister at The Merion in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. The Merion is palatial and elegant. I had a more detailed look at this reception hall and its staff since I was a part of the wedding party. The bridal suite was set up with more than enough food and beverage for the bride, bridesmaids and photographer.The wedding coordinator was at the beckon call of the bride and groom.
The reception took place in The Merion's Skylight Ballroom. "The Skylight ceiling is a stunning 30 ft. high by 40 ft. diameter glass dome. The 1000 sq. ft. dance floor is made entirely of marble for a more neutral, rustic feel. The skylight is one of kind and the most sought after Ballroom at The Merion."
Out of a possible 5 stars:
Landscaping: 1.5 STARS (Since everything is mostly indoors)
Decor: 10 STARS :-)
Food: 4 STARS
Staff: 4.5 STARS
Comments:My best guess is that this location is on the pricey side.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.themerion.com
Look out for the post on Astoria Manor in October!
