Old Mansion/House in New Jersey as Wedding Venue?

RainLaurel

I am trying to find an old house or mansion in New Jersey to take a look at as a wedding venue in which people eat in different rooms.  Any suggestions?  Thanks!

I <3 Seabass

Do you mean eat the different courses in different rooms. Or that all of your guests would be split up and dine in seperate rooms?

JeannineG122

There is the Oakside Mansion in Bloomfield.  I believe it is catered by Frungillo's.

RainLaurel

All of the guests would be split up and dine in different rooms with dancing in another room.

mrs.spunky1508

No pictures here, but I'm not sure how, as a guest, I would feel about being in separate rooms. If I was a close friend or family member, I'd feel second class if I wasn't in the same room as the bride & groom. Also, what about dancing? Is each room to have its own dancing space or would one room be big enough for a dance floor? What about the music from the band/dj? Where would he/she/they be set up? Could it be heard in the different rooms? I guess that would depend on the size of the house. I can see this going awry in so many ways.

I <3 Seabass

Yeah, logistically that doesn't sound like the greatest idea. Especially if you're doing things like toasts, first dance, cake cutting, etc...how will you let everyone know what going when & where? Also, how many different rooms where you thinking about having, and about how many people in each room? Does it have to be a house? I feel like depending on the size of your wedding you could still hold it at a banquet hall and just book multiple rooms.

uppereastgirl

I agree with the others about having people eat in other rooms.  That would make a wedding a lot less fun, and could alienate people.Our venue might be a good compromise though.  We got married at Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone.  It is a golf club built on an old estate.  The cocktail hour generally takes place on the lawns outside the mansion, and the reception is in a glass-enclosed tent right off to the side of the mansion.  There are ten guest rooms in the mansion.  The bathrooms are in the mansion, and during the entire event the mansion is open for the guests to walk around and have some quiet time, or gawk at the incredible antiques, etc.  We had our afterparty in the mansion, and if it had rained the day of, the cocktail hour would have been in there.  You can also host a brunch there the next morning if you want (we opted not to as many guests were staying east of there and probably wouldn't want to backtrack on their way home).I can email you pictures if you'd like.Also look into Chimney Hill Farm in Lambertville, Bonnet Island Estate and Pleasantdale Chateau (although BIE and Pleasantdale may not be for you because the reception rooms are kind of regular ballrooms).

uppereastgirl

Oh, and Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster.  That's on the old Delorean estate.Natirar in Peapack-Gladstone should in theory open at some point-- it will be a spa/resort by Virgin on King Hassan's old estate.

BrideMaidPro

The Oakwood is the only thing I can think of (as someone said already)...but, at least in the case of the wedding I went to there, the reception was outside in a tent and the cocktail hour was inside the house.Having the different rooms for people to walk in and out of during the cocktail hour was kind of cute.  The bride and groom decorated the house with old family photos.As for having all your guests dining in separate rooms...I agree with PPs.  I am not seeing your vision.However, if that is what you want...maybe try and look into places that hold like traditional murder mystery weekends? Or something?  (i don;t mean have a murder mystery wedding, but maybe one of those places is a venue you are looking for)

I <3 Seabass

Don't you have to be a member or at least know someone who's a member to have your reception at the Trump course?

mrs.spunky1508

The OP has mentioned her budget of I think ~$110pp and she needs Kosher catering. Just a reminder, since places like Pleasantdale and Hamilton Farm aren't in that budget.

mrs.spunky1508

Apologies to OP if I am remembering incorrectly.

I <3 Seabass

You could probably so something like that at Oheka Castle, it's in NY though.

Laurms15

Glen Ridge Woman's Club and Ridgewood Woman's Club are old houses and both have lovely large "ballrooms" with wood floors and enough room for everyone to eat and dance in them BUT cocktail hour can take place in the multiple rooms off of it such as the living rooms or whatever other rooms are there.

uppereastgirl

At both Hamilton Farm and Trump, weddings have to be member-sponsored.  If you know someone, great, but they'll sometimes work with you to find a member to sponsor you even if you don't know anyone.  I would think in this economy, things aren't all that strict.

I <3 Seabass

ohh if spunkys right, disregard the Oheka castle rec.

Laurms15

Both of those places are a bring your own caterer but both provide tables and chairs so some of the rentals are taken care of. If you need kosher catering you can bring in whomever you want.

mrs.spunky1508

From: RainLaurel Date: 8/15/2009 at 8:25 PM Thank you so much for your suggestions! We are planning to have around 150 to 170 people and are on a kind of tight budget I think. We don't want to spend more than 100 dollars per person before tax and service charge. We would like to have a sit down meal with a cocktail hour beforehand and an open bar. So, I'm not sure if this will be possible. From: RainLaurel Date: 8/15/2009 at 8:31 PM I forgot to mention a big thing: we need to have kosher food at the wedding. So, it needs to be a place where we can bring in outside catering or a glatt kosher place. Thanks again!

mrs.spunky1508

From: RainLaurel Date: 8/20/2009 at 7:57 PM We have a few basic requirements so far: 1. To accomodate around 150 people. 2. Food needs to be kosher with orthodox supervision. 3. We cannot spend more than $110 per person for food, liquor, and hall combined. 4. The venue needs to be located no more than 1.5 hours from Brooklyn, New York and 2 hours from Cherry Hill, NJ. 5. I would love for the room to have windows. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

JeannineG122

Cedar Hill CC in Livingston

Mye

FDU Madison has one, they do weddings, its gorgeous, "A beautiful mind" was filmed there not sure if is available to the public, but worth checking

BrideMaidPro

Is it bad that I have considered this "a challenge" and am now scouring the internet for places?I should be doing my work!!

RainLaurel

Thank you soooo much!  I'm busy checking out all of these places that you have recommended!

caketime

Are you having an orthodox wedding and need the men and women separated?  Then I could definitely see why you would want everyone to be eating in different rooms.  If not, then that as a guest I would not appreciate being separated from everyone.Is your budget still the same?

RainLaurel

The budget is still the same.  My parents went to a wedding this past weekend where everyone ate in different rooms and thought that this was really great.  I don't know?  It doesn't sound super to me.  So, I just wanted to check to see what this would be like.  We are having mixed seating and dancing at the wedding.

manda26

My reception site, Round Hill House, is in Washingtonville NY and is an old manor - holds only 200 people. While dining is all in one room, there are two parlor rooms with fireplaces and off to the side is the bar (a very long bar that fits in with the manor beautifully). Dancing is in another room (the atrium they call it - french doors lead to it from the dining area)I think they can do Kosher - but for that price not so sure. There are gardens and stuff outside and a deck area. http://feastcaterers.com//It's not too far from North Jersey - maybe 15-20 minutes from Woodbury Commons. I live down here but grew up there and make the drive regularly.

BrideMaidPro

the Crystal Plaza is "old mansion" themed and would def work with you for a kosher menu--they hold a lot of jewish events.  It could be a compromise between you and your parents.It would be out of your price range, but you might be able to work with them to get closer to it for a sunday afternoon wedding or something off season.Could be worth a shot?  not sure if there is any flex to your budget.

RainLaurel

Actually, the Crystal Plaza is on our short list.  My fiance and I looked at a ton of places last weekend and the Crystal Plaza made it to our short list with a reasonable price.

I <3 Seabass

I could kind of see seperating the older guests from the younger ones, if the older guests are more reserved, and the younger ones tended to get a little out of control. And then I would put the bar in the room where the dancing was to encourage people to go hang out there. Otherwise I think people would stick to their tables most of the night and it could get a little boring. But I still don't see how you would do the toasts, cake cutting and all of that.

Angie550

Mye good reco on the FDU mansion.  I went to school there and it is beautiful.  I had looked into it initially and here is the info I found: You have to use the school caterers (which are good), I am not sure if you can do Kosher though.  You can only book from June to August, when school is out.  I do not remember the fees but I am about 95% positive it is open to the public.  Everything there is in the same room, dinner and dancing.  They also have a back patio are that is very nice and grounds for a ceremony.  There is also a very nice fountain that would be good for photos.

lbgaravuso

I went to a wedding at the skylands in northern nj, which is now part of the new jersey botanical gardens too. Its definitely frungillos. The reception itself was in a ballroom outside the castle but the cocktail hour was great - it was spread out through all the different rooms in the castle on the first floor. There was different food and tables in each of the rooms. Plus I think they had tables outside too but it was way too hot to leave the a/c that day!