Reviews on the Branches venue

VanessaB24

Hello,I was wondering if anyone has ever been to the Branches in West Long Branch NJ. has anyone had a wedding there or been to a wedding there. I would like to get reviews on what you thought about it because i looked at the website and it looks really nice but they make everything look nice on websites lol.  My Fiance asked me this morning if i decided on places to get married and i got VERY excited that he took interest lol So i picked out a few places but this one stuck out for me. So if anyone has any info before i decide to make an appointment to check it out. If its a waste of time or worth it. Thanks!

erikag23

i went there for a wine tasting-dinner last february and was very pleased. the decor is a little outdated~ at least in the room i was in (it was the smaller of the 2), however the food was excellent!

dominoe611

i have never been to a wedding there but the only thing i can say is its not in the greatest area - its on a pretty busy road and close to a highway and shopping center.  they do have a nice outdoor area for pics or a ceremony.  i have heard good things about the food and service so don't let the location deter you.  i just wanted to give you a heads up

ballandchain10

ditto PP's. It's on Route 71, right near the Route 36 intersection...a littel busy. Once you are inside though, it is very secluded, and the garden area is lovely. Easy to get to from GSP and Route 18. I thought it was a very neutral decor...you could do a lot with flowers and centerpieces to "customize" it. I also liked that it wasn't over the top with huge chandeliers, etc. They are more expensive than other Monmouth County venues, but their food and service are very good. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

VanessaB24

Are there any other venues you guys would recommend? Affordable priced. On my list i also had English Manor ocean township njmerri-makers at water's edge seabright njoyster point hotel - red bankshadowbrook -shrewbury nj (which might be a bit big and a little more expensive)The Olde mill inn & grain house rest. basking ridge njAnd The reception center @ Saint Clement (which says the minimum ppl is 100) but i only have about 50 ppl

erikag23

water's edge~ not a fan the old mill inn~ nice oyster point~ nice shadowbrook~ nice, but pricey and not very updated also check out: channel club in monmouth beach merri makers pnc in holmdel raven and the peach in fair haven molly pitcher in red bank south gate manor in freehold

CuteBride8808

I got married at Water's Edge in Seabright and I loooooved it! Their food and service was awesome. They have valet so your guests don't have to worry about parking. I think a lot of the people that don't like the place haven't been there in a while. They updated the place like 2 yrs ago (ie-new furniture/paint/carpets/decor). They do have bridal shows there periodically where they do a full cocktail hour...so it would give you a sampling of their service and food (though if you make an appointment, you can do a food tasting on your own). I worked with Lindsay , who was exceptional! Very sweet and was always there to help and answer all of my questions.

erikag23

all venues have valet.

Denise91980

Channel Club is having a bridal show next week 10/6....If you attend I believe they have some dates open for $69pp and their prices are pretty reasonable. FI and I had it on our list but we wound up booking with another venue....Also I believe the Raddison and Holiday Inn near that area is very reasonable as well....Although I have never seen them.

Angie550

I went to a wedding at the Oyster Point and thought it was great.  I would def recommend it.

dominoe611

i had my reception at The Channel Club in Monmouth Beach - definitely check it out.  as pp said they are having a bridal show tuesday where they put out a full cocktail hour, cake, cookies and pastries after and they are wonderful to work with. i agree with erika's recs!

30may09bride

English Manor gets very good reviews, and the list that Erika gave is a great start.  You can also look at Crystal Point in Pt. Pleasant and Clarks Landing.

VanessaB24

dominoe611 i saw your pics on ur bio from ur wedding. very nice. i also see you got married channel place... I have a couple of questions. As far as linens, do they have different colors or just white? And do they provide flowers? And if they do, and you don't use their flowers do they discount that from the price? i'm only asking because one of the venues i saw said they provide silk flowers for center pieces which turned me off because though that might be cheaper i don't want it to look cheap.

dominoe611

vanessa - i paged you in another post a few above this one

ShanaJune2010

I'm getting married at Branches in June. I chose it for several reasons. 1) I heard amazing things about the food from everyone and their mother. I've never personally been to a wedding there but I know lots of people who have been to weddings or other events like banquets and have raved about it.2) I thought their wedding package offered the most of any other venue I visited in the area. We were able to negotiate down to a slightly lower pp rate. 3) We're the only event on the premises the night of the wedding which was very important to us. 4) The decor was more modern than antique (not a fan of the country club look but that's personal opinion) and I liked that it was neutral and I could dress it up however I wanted. Most of the other places I visited had their own color scheme but since Branches is in shades of ivories, it's easy to do anything with it. 5) I loved the outdoor ceremony area.6) They let us do a food tasting BEFORE we booked so we tested the food and approved it. So far I've had an exceptional experience with Branches. They've been great to work with, answer any questions we've emailed them about promptly, etc.The area location is my only complaint. We had a really hard time finding a hotel to block rooms at because almost everything in the area had an issue we didn't like, for instance most had a two-night minimum or wouldn't let us reserve more than 10 rooms when we need at least 40. We ended up having to go a little out of the way for a hotel (in Tinton Falls) that let us block any amount of rooms we needed, did not have a minumum, and had a good sized breakfast room (another issue we ran into). It will mean a longer shuttle from the hotel to the wedding (and across the busy highway) but we've discussed it with various transportation companies and we're going to factor this in when we book the shuttle and decide on shuttle times. We figure if we have two set shuttle times, it shouldn't be a problem.

VanessaB24

thanks to everyone for your insight. very helpful

SnowBabe516

I fyou are only having 50 people at your wedding I would be aware that most locations require a minimum head cout. I know when I looked at the english mannor on a saturday it was a minumum 150 person guarentee. As well the Mill wanted a min of 175 on a saturday. I'm not sure weather the minimums apply for weddings done during the week, but I know they do apply for friday and saturdays. Sudays are a little more flexible. Just a heads up! Good luck!