So I was just in NJ for a week (I live in CA) to check out venues and in total I saw 6. I wanted to share my experience in case it's helpful to anyone else considering the same venues.
Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange: I grew up right by this place and I pretty much knew exactly what to expect. The entrance is really beautiful but to me the carpeting in the main ball room is a little ugly. However, it is completely overshadowed by the amazing view of NYC. I really loved the room they use for the cocktail hour and the patio. The outdoor ceremony space is very pretty as well, and of course you would get the view again. Chris, who we met with, is very friendly and accomodating even though we expect to have less than 100 guests. Normally they won't do Saturdays for that small of a wedding but he said he could work with us. And surprisingly the prices are very reasonable. I know many people who have eaten at the restaurant and the food is supposed to be excellent.
Lake Valhalla Club in Montville: I absolutely fell in love as soon as we drove up. When you walk around the back and see the lake and greenery you are just blown away. The reception and cocktail hour space are unique and beautiful. I really loved everything about this place, but since we can't meet the minimum guest guarantee for a Saturday night it is not an option for us. The only thing they could do for us was have a Saturday afternoon wedding which we were not too excited about. I was really bummed when we left there.
David's Country Inn in Hackettstown: I started off this day still a little down about Lake Valhalla the day before but as soon as we got to David's my spirits were lifted. Let me just say first that the pictures do not do this place justice. There is so much character and charm in David's that you have to see in person. It's great because you can use the entire space and no one else will be there. The cocktail hour room is so pretty with a brick wall and stained glass windows. They also offer an outdoor space about 10 minutes away for ceremonies instead of having it inside in the ballroom. The outdoor space is stunning; it is set against a huge historical buidling and is just wide open greenery and water. I also was very impressed by the family who owns David's; I accidently arrived at the appointment an hour early but they took me right away and were just so helpful. I was so happy I loved David's as much as Valhalla.
Stockton Inn in Stockton: This is on the border of PA and NJ by the Delaware River. The outside is very charming and pretty. Most of the wedding would take place outside on their covered patio with manmade waterfalls in the background. It is very unique and pretty but ultimately we felt it to be too cramped and didn't offer as much variety of rooms/spaces as the other venues. Also, it is pretty far for Northern NJ guests. I didn't like the look of the outdoor bar; it has giant fruit painted on the back and just seemed to not go with the look of the Inn at all. Sandy is incredibly sweet and informative though, so it was nice talking with her and learning about the Inn. It's over 300 years old so that in itself is pretty neat. Just not the place for us.
Old York Country Club in Chesterfield: I was skeptical to visit a country club but I wanted to see a variety of places and it looked a little more unique than your typical CC. The building is beautiful and has a charm about it. I loved the ballroom that had 2 brick walls and a fireplace, along with a pretty covered outdoor patio covered in lights. They also have another space available for cocktail hour that was just OK. The windows there are gorgeous and the bridal suite is very very nice. They do ceremonies outside basically on the golf course but of course there wouldn't be any golfers there at the time of your wedding. It was pretty but they were in the midst of installing the gazebo so it was hard to get the full effect. The woman Lisa who helped us was great and kept asking questions to see what would work best for us; you could tell it didn't have to be a cookie cutter thing. I really did enjoy this venue but liked David's better.
The Madison Hotel in Morristown: This is the hotel that has the glass conservatory where they hold ceremonies and receptions. It is breath-taking when you walk in, and the rest of the hotel has an older, romantic vibe to it. It definitely does not have the feel of your typical hotel. The lights and decor they have are really great and I loved everything about it. They also have train cars that you can actually have dinner in at their attached restaurant. What's great is they obviously have plenty of rooms on site and are across the street from the train station. And you really wouldn't need much to decorate in the conservatory as it is already quite beautiful on its own. For us though, we would have to do a Friday night due to our guest list size and it's a little pricier than other places we looked at because we would need to guarantee 100 people.
As beautiful as the conservatory is, I think I prefer an actual outdoors space. When we left I was so torn between Madison and David's, however my mom fell in love with the Madison. But in the end I just feel like David's is more "us" and when I was there I just could picture us getting married there. When I went to the Madison I really was blown away but I didn't see myself standing there getting married for whatever reason. Since my fiance couldn't make the trip out with me, we're going through all the pictures and details tonight to make sure we're on the same page. I hope he feels the same way about David's as I do.
PS if anyone wants to see pictures I took of any of the above places, please let me know and I'll send you a link. Also if you have any specific questions about any of the places I'm happy to help if I can.