Berkeley Hotel in Asbury Park

kjump1

Anyone get married here?! I would love to here about your experience with everything from the wedding coordinator to if you felt you got the most for your money? Please help, I am using this info to make a final decision!!

Avant725

HI! Saw your post & had to respond. YES! I had my wedding in JULY 2010 @ The Berkeley. First let me start by saying that i am a person who is a TERRIBLE decision maker. I always have to see everything because i'm afraid that there will always be something better. I knew i  wanted to do a "destination-y" wedding.

Next piece of info about me is that i am a musician & i was having musicians & models from around the country in my wedding & part of it. So i wanted it to be hush hush & also wanted it to be a place where people would have great things to do around the town  & of course, naturally, be beautiful & have a WOW Factor.
(P.S.  "Wow Factor" became my favourite term during my wedding!)

SO.....off i searched. The neverending search ALL thru New Jersey.
I am going to be straight with you....
You will NOT find a more beautiful, breathtaking venue than the BERKELEY.
 I would not steer you in the wrong direction.
And trust me, I would tell you if i didn't like it.  Because i can certainly tell you of a vendor i used that was a disgrace. My own fault tho....i found him myself.

BACK TO THE BERKELEY.
When i saw it, i knew.
And the coordinator is the absolute beyond prfessional & sweet as can be, Stefani Hanson. If you have inquired about weddings~~you may have already spoken with her.
In my months of insanity of preparing~~when i spoke with Stefani, there was never a worry  in my mind.
She was hands on from Day 1...even coming to my hotel room morning of wedding & ensuring me that everything was going well and all would be great!
She is a great communicator & that is SOOOOO important.

To let you know HOW happy i was....at 11:30pm on the nite of my wedding~(i still had a half hour to go)~~i actually called Stefani from my cell to tell her how thrilled i was.

The venue was beautiful. I had the ceremony in the Continental, Cocktail hour in Versailles & the reception in the Crystal Ballroom....i had an offbeat wedding that had a runway fashion show as our ceremony entrance.
Stefani  was so open & hands on with that! helping each of the bridal party members go out onto the "runway"
i had 11 bridesmaids & 10 groomsmen.....so she had her hands full!
HA!

As far as the area....you have a great feeling also, knowing you don't have to babysit your guests.
No doubt about it....there are going to be last minute things you are going to need to do....
you don't want to have to worry about  "Is Grandma ok....what about Cousin Meghan???"
They can be self suficient.....it's a hop, skip & a jump to the boardwalk & beach. They can take a leisurely walk~~check out the scene, grab a bite, a soda, a cocktail~~anything.....
It's really really a great place.
if you are music fans (which my people really were)~~~there is such a scene!!!

Funny side note! My best friend planned my Bachleorette party 2 nites before the wedding when guests starte dto come into town. She chose Asbury Lanes~~which is a rockabilly-ish music venue that happen sto still be a functioning bowling alley.
Well, down the street the same time & nite~~Bruce Springsteen sat in with An artist at The Stone Pony.
My family, who are Springsteen funatics, were a bit bummed they missed him. But still couldnb;t belive they were RIGHT down the stret from him.
Just made the place seem all the cooler!

I wasn't terriby familiar with Asbury Park before my wedding.
It has now become my home away from home.
The restaurants are SOOO excellent...(Rafferty's on Cookman is one of my hangouts now!)

I actually just did a show in Asbury 2 weeks ago & made sure i stayed at the Berkeley.
 I contacted Stefani to see if there were rooms available & she STILL is as accomodating now as she was then.

i promise you.....you will not regret your choice.

If you have any questions....i'd be happy to answer them.
I just love the Berkeley & felt compelled to answer because i'd feel guilty NOT answering, when soemone truly wanted to know what it was like.


Kris