Venue Help Please!

jdean693

I am looking at a budget that would allow us to spend about $50 per person.  Our tentative guest list is about 150.   I am deathly allergic to Shellfish so I am hoping the fact that we can't have anything with shellfish will help with the costs on the menu.  I am open to the idea of buffet and working on getting my groom on board with that as well.  I am looking for a nice place and despite what the counter says, my date is by no means carved in stone.  I am hoping to have a wedding sometime in 2011 and the only month I wouldn't consider is December.  There is one family member in a wheelchair who can't walk far at all (his great grandma - 96 and still going pretty strong!).  We are also having a 3 pre-teens and the ring bear who is 5.  

The theme is stars/nighttime so a brunch/lunch wedding wouldn't work. I have tried repeatedly to get anyone on my side about the cocktails & appetizer reception but FI has his heart set on a sit-down dinner.  It's his first wedding,(and my last) so we both want it to be special. 

We are in Southern Union County with a lot of family and friends from Middlesex and Mercer County.  A group from Staten Island (where FI is from) and a real possibility that a bunch of his family may make the journey here from Florida.   A ceremony site isn't necessary. (*phew*)

Thanks in advance for the help!
Jen

sgdc2011

Grand Centurians in Clark? The Westwood? Pantagious Rennaisaince in Scotch Plans? 

Reilly626

I agree with previous poster- add La Affaire in Springfield, Berkeley Plaza, Berk. Hts, Bretton Woods Mansion - Morris Plains, and there is one in Union that is inexpensive? The name slips my mind...

JerseyML

Try the Cranbury Inn in Mercer County.  I am not sure what they do for $50 bucks a head but they are really reasonable and the hall portion of the restaurant is only a few years old.  My sister had my niece and nephew's Christening party there and it was a huge hit. 

http://www.thecranburyinn.com/weddings.html

kmf81

Berkeley Plaza was wonderful for our wedding but I don't know if they'll go down to $50.  But it doesn't hurt to ask!

NJhousewife22

Maggianos does $50..and I think the Stony Hill in Hackensack quoted us a $55pp option. 

Like kmf said, it doesn't hurt to ask places to negotiate down...especially if they want to fill the date, they may be more than willing to work with you! 

hollyberry88

You could try the Bridgewater Manor...They may do something like that on a Fri/Sun in the off season (Nov-March).

Dizzy1687

Just because you are allergic to shellfish doesn't mean your guests are.  You have to think about your guests too.

Trinity08

Try Costa Del Sol in  Union.

jdean693

Wow! Thank you all for the information!

And to the one lady... I go into anathematic shock if I accidently injest shellfish. If I were to accidently injest lobster in any form I have 15 minutes to live according to the allergist.  Prolonged exposured to the smell of shellfish cause my throat to start swelling and my lips to blow up. I do normally take 4 benadryl to counter the allergy if I am aware shrimp/clams/musscles are being served but then I am half asleep for the rest of the night.  The smell of Lobster/Crab however has driven me to leave events on more than once occasion because of physical illness. (and in one case end up on oxygen in the ER.  Not something I care to repeat on my wedding day!)

I don't drink for over 2 years now, but I am looking to have an open bar and toast for the sake of my guests.  So I am thinking about my guests, but for one fromal occasion in my life I would like to be awake for the occasion. 

I think if the rest of the food rocks, they won't even miss the shrimp cocktail for one event.

mrs.spunky1508

This time last year one of the hotels in the Eatontown area and one of the ones in Toms River was having a $49 and $59pp deal for any dates in 2010 that weren't already booked. I'm thinking it was the Holiday Inns, but I'm not sure. The Bridgewater Manor has had similar pricing for afternoon weddings in the winter as well.
As for the shellfish, my DH is deathly allergic as well. I won't bring it into my house and won't eat it when we go out together for fear of cross-contamination. I carry an epi pen in my purse for him whenever we dine outside of our home. However, excluding shellfish from our reception wasn't an option for us as our friends and family love it. Our guests' likes and dislikes were often taken into consideration more than our own. We didn't have shrimp/shellfish it as a part of any courses, say seafood risotto, or chafing dishes at the cocktail hour but we certainly had coconut shrimp and crab cakes as a passed app, maybe shrimp cocktail too. You're always going to have someone who is allergic to something, you have to work around it. I didn't exclude Caesar salad b/c my cousin is allergic to fish, for instance. We notified the staff ahead of time, she got 1 special salad. Simple, done.
Plus, places aren't going to lower your cost b/c you're excluding shellfish. Nope, not gonna happen. You won't incur more cost, like if you added a raw bar or something, but they purchase shrimp and other shellfish in bulk and aren't going to pass along a savings to you if they don't have to buy it for that day, when 360whatever days of the year they have a set order.

peaches85

Aside from the places that have already been mentioned, I would check out Galloping Hill in Kenilworth.  I'm not sure of their prices: http://www.gallopinghillcaterers.com/index.html

Also, Costa's in Roselle Park... I know they're definitely budget-friendly (they have a restaurant that's separate from their banquet facility).

jdean693

Thanks again for all the great leads and advice.

37 Butter Knives

I wish I could recommend Ria Mar in South River to you. But it's a Portuguese restaurant, which means guests will be expecting shrimp.

RamsKR01

The Ria Mar is South River is really good, but so is the Portuguese Fisherman.  I know you are allergic to shellfish, but you can always exclude that from the menu and the reception hall entrance is separate from the restaurant entrance, so you wouldn't even smell it if someone had it in the restaurant.

I know the owners from both the Ria Mar and Port. Fisherman and have been to several functions at both - they both do a nice job.

I'm am having my wedding at the Bridgewater Manor and I know that if you don't have a particular date in mind they have specials for certain dates available at discounted prices...definitely check it out.  There are two different rooms at the Bridgewater Manor - I believe one holds up to 170 and the other is 165-225.