For Chickey

Crissyo

I was just reading both of your posts and even though I responded already to your Fountainhead questions...when I saw your other posts, I wanted to tell you that if you are looking for a place for a top of the line cocktail hour....You DEFINITELY want to consider Fountainhead. As I said in my post, many people felt it was the best cocktail hour ever. I am very very italian and food is probably more important than anything in my family and my family was extremely impressed.  Also, Glen Island has the same owners/chefs as FH so they do a very good job as well!!  I have also been to Marina Del Rae...they have great food, but FH does  a better job of presenting the food in the cocktail hour.  HOpe this helps!

chickey19

Thank you so much for your help!  My family is very Portuguese and food is just as important in our culture as it is to the Italians!  My mom is most worried about the cocktail hour, more than anything else.  She wants it to be top of the line!  But at a reasonable price of course.    My fiance and I are meeting with the Fountainhead tomorrow.  I am really looking forward to seeing the place!
Also, we are going to go see the V.I.P in New Rochelle, not Glen Island.  I had heard from a friend that the VIP was on their top selection when she was getting married.  Maybe I should look at Glen Island too.  Though i hear that ALL of the New Rochelle places are way over-priced.

Crissyo

You are right that they are all overpriced...but FH will be the most affordable, because as they will tell you...they have been around forever...and also since they have no "water view", they realize this and give better deals.

chickey19

SO i went to go see the fountainhead, VIP, Marina del Rey and Villa Barone bronx this weekend.  And to be honest the fountainhead seemed the most reasonable in price, even though the villa barone gave us the best offer price wise.  But i really wasnt too crazy about the look of Villa Barone.  It just looked sort of outdated and very wedding factory like.
The VIP seemed way to expensive, like almost $200 per head for what we were looking for.  Being Portuguese we need a great cocktail hour with seafood as well as a vienesse hour.  And that would mean about $200 at the VIP which just seems ridiculous.
Marina Del Rey was at about $183 without the vienesse, but with a decent dessert option included.  We are worried that our guests would be way too distracted outside looking at all the beautiful views, instead of  dancing inside!!!  We do not want half of our guests outside during the reception!
The Fountainhead was very nice.  We definitely liked the inside.  The prices seem reasonable but we are concerned about the quality of food and if there are enough stations (5 included) during the cocktail hour.  Did you have a vienesse hour there?  Was it worth it?  He quoted us at about $170 for a full vienesse hour for a Saturday night next spring.  Does this sound reasonable?  We have to get married upstairs in the chapel and it seems like the 1 hour cocktail hour may not give us enough time to leave the fountainhead and drive up to new richelle high school for pictures.  Can you tell me how your experience was???  We definitely are considering the Fountainhead as our #1 choice right now.  Thanks sooooo much for your help. 

TerriandJoe

Check to see what it would cost to add extra stations or to extend the cocktail hour to an hour and a half. Or see if they would maybe reduce your passed items to get an extra displayed one. (for example, I'm not sure how many passed items are at Fountain head, but if they have say 10 passed and 5 displayed, see if they might change it to 8 passed and 6 displayed for the same price)

With only the hour you may not have enough time to leave your venue to take pictures. actually, on second thought, you won't. I saw your other question, it might be best to have the ceremony at a different place. GL!