Food Tasting at the Merion - check, bridal jewelry - check, ceremony singers check, ceremony musican

Sonya12 · May 2010

I don't post a lot on here, but am so excited about getting these things accomplished last week that i figured I would share.

I went to the Merion for the food tasting and the food was amazing. Besides the rough start because my FI was late....as always everything was great. Stephanie, who is the coordinator that replaced Adrienne is great. Just by eating a sampling of the food offering at the tasting, I was stuffed. I can't imagine how the guests are going to eat all of the food at the reception.

I bought my jewelry....super excited.

Givenchy Silvertone Crystal Drop Earrings

I finalized the contract for the ceremony singers and after weeks of back and forth conversations was able to listen to one of the piano players for the ceremony and finalize the entire band.

Hopefully this week can be just as productive as last week.

4 1/2 months to go.....I can't wait until all of this planning is done!

viewfromheaven05 · May 2010

your necklace is beautiful...where did you get it from?

demarcosjd · May 2010

Congrats on all the checks! It's a great feeling to get so much accomplished. Your wedding will be here before you know it!

mp375 · May 2010

where did you buy your jewelry?

jayme707 · May 2010

Sonya, how does the food tasting at the Merion work? I'm getting married there in September and they said we won't do our food tasting until August!, but I'm anxious and curious!... Did you request to have yours early? How much do you actually get to taste?

ev4149 · May 2010

Really? That is surprising that they scheduled your tasting so late! Ours is scheduled for October, and our wedding is in April.

I'd love to hear more about the tasting though!! I am excited for ours... but it seems so far away....

jayme707 · May 2010

Wow, I wonder why they told us to wait until the month before! I thought it seemed strange but i assumed that's just how they do things... I'll just have to call them and tell them I'm too anxious to wait that long and they need to schedule me ASAP Thanks for letting me know!

CHarley2B · May 2010

I'm getting married there too but I didn't get a clear timeline on when the tasting is going to occur. Who everyones coordinator?

Sonya - Your necklace is beautiful. What did you taste? What's on your menu?

ev4149 · May 2010

My coordinator is Stephanie. We discussed when the tasting would occur when I signed the contract. We were told our tasting would be in October, and our final menu selection would be in February for our April wedding.

CHarley2B · May 2010

Thanks! My wedding is in December so I guess my tasting should be sometime in June. I think I will call and get the dates ironed out this week.

ev4149 · May 2010

Check your contract. Mine states the day of my final menu selection. But, I was told that tastings are a few months before final menu selection.

Sonya12 · May 2010

Hey ladies...sorry I have been so busy the last few days that I haven't had a chance to get back on. When I spoke to Stephanie, I was told that the food tasting can be done at any time. She actually told me the sooner the better. It's something that you can check off of your list, so if you have been told any different I would definitely contact them and ask to schedule it sooner.

I was able to taste, 2 chicken entrees, 2 fish entrees, 2 steak entrees and they also brought out a cocktail hour sampling and a dessert. There was so much food....believe me.

Chicken - Chicken oscar and chicken cardinale - Both were amazing. We went with the chicken oscar.

Fish - Salmon and flounder - We chose the salmon just because the stuffed flounder kind of reminded us of the chicken since both had crab meat incorporated

btw.....all crab meat, no filler....YUM!

Steak - Prime Rib and the Filet - We are going with the filet. I am upset that I didn't try the Chateau Briand - so if anyone tries it or had it before let me know how it tastes.....

Apps were great! I don't know the name of everything I tried but it was really good.

For dessert we had the chocolate mousse. I am not a really big fan of chocolate, but even that was good.

My Jewelry came from Macys and its made by Givenchy.

If anyone has any additional questions, let me know.....I'm at work and about to go into a training so, I'll be back on around 12

cynnnabun · May 2010

I used to work at Merion, and my wedding is there in September, and they told me to wait until July for my tasting and meetings and what not. I thought that was late. I'm going to call them and ask to have it sooner.

Sonya12 · May 2010

cynnnabun - I would definitely call because my wedding in October which is after yours. I actually had the option to do the tasting in April, but just couldn't make it the day it was scheduled. Stephanie emailed me the updated menu and the tasting dates for April, May and June. I just emailed her back to let her know what date and which items I wanted to try.

jayme707 · May 2010

I'm so happy I read this post! I emailed my coordinator at the Merion, and she scheduled me for June 9th.... BUT NOW from reading all the posts, it seems there's an updated menu that I never received, and Chicken Oscar and Chicken Cardinale are NOT on my menu! What is going on over there? Is this normal or is it my coordinator?

CHarley2B · May 2010

Jayme707 who is your coordinator? What room does everyone have? I was thinking about requesting my tasting for some time in June but now I'm thinking about waiting until a little closer to the wedding. Most important to me is just knowing what the dates are so I know ahead of time.

Sonya12 · May 2010

Jayme707, I don't want to discredit the Merion at all....its not my intention. There is a new menu. I am not sure when you signed contract but I signed last August and the menu has been updated since then. I happened to run into my coordinator at the nail salon (although at that time I didn't know she was my coordinator - during the time when Adrienne left) and through conversation we both discovered that we would be working together. If you haven't received the new menu, I would just call or email or coordinator and I am sure they will provide you with a copy of it. If anyone doesn't have it, I have a word copy and can email it to anyone that requests it. It is possible that your coordinator did not send you the updated menu because your tasting was not scheduled yet. They really just added more options, nothing was taken away.

CHarley2B to answer your question, I am in the Skylight Ballroom, and as long as the schedule for the tasting dates during the months you are requesting are already available, the coordinator can give them to you.

aprovencher21 · May 2010

I just signed in Jan for my wedding this upcoming Jan. Is the new food menu the one posted on the website or has that changed??

ev4149 · May 2010

I signed on in April. The menu online was the menu they discussed with me when we signed the contract. I doubt it changed again in a month.

jayme707 · May 2010

I'm working with Cathy and we booked last July...
When I asked to schedule my food tasting, she just told me to send her my selections, so I used the non-updated menu that I already had, she never mentioned that there was a new menu.... I emailed her again after reading this post and THEN she sent me the new menu. There were like 5 completely new chicken entrees that I had never seen!
I'm just frustrated at this point because I feel like they should be making sure I'm updated with everything. If this post didn't exist, I would be completely in the dark!

Sonya12 · May 2010

Yeah, I hear what you're saying Jayme....that's how I felt when Adrienne up and quit and I only found out by reading a post on here. Try not to get frustrated, I just take a deep breath and just try to understand that they are dealing with many other weddings and many other brides. You'll be fine. Once you go to your tasting you'll be happy with your selection to have your reception there. Believe me! I definitely was.

aprovencher21 · May 2010

I contacted Cathy (my coordinator) and she sent me the updated menu. Really the only changes were new chicken entrees and a new possible Groom's station at the cocktail reception. She also told me typically tastings are done 3-4 months out from the wedding and that you finalize the wedding menu at 2 months out. Though I don't know when you necessarily do a cake meeting.....has anyone done that yet where they got to design their cake and taste different options??

LisaLPharmD · June 2010

I'm glad I read this! My wedding is in the beginning of November, and I've never even met my coordinator - she just called once to say she was replacing Adrienne. I haven't heard anything about scheduling my tasting yet! I don't even have her email address, and I definitely don't have the new menu!

CHarley2B · June 2010

Aprovencher21 - For the cake tasting my consultant told me that you have to contact Isgros bakery (http://www.bestcannoli.com/) and set up with them the meeting to design the cake and to taste cake flavors.

Has anyone done that yet? I'm not familiar with that bakery but I'm hoping they are good.

jayme707 · June 2010

CHarley, did they tell you that recently? Because I heard that they have an in-house baker now and that they don't really do a tastings for the cake, but they can give you some flavor options and pictures and you can basically choose whatever you want.

CHarley2B · June 2010

I planned a wedding for my family member in 2008 and that was how the cake worked. But I was there this past Tuesday and my coordinator told me to contact that bakery because they don't do the cakes at the Merion anymore. The cake is included in the price but I was told you have to go to this outside bakery.

Let me know if you hear something different...

Sonya12 · June 2010

The Merion no longer has an In-House baker, so Isgroe's in South Philadelphia is where they are sending their brides. I have never personally had cake from this bakery, but have spoken to a few co-workers that told me that the cakes there are amazing. I also have a girlfriend that went to a wedding at Valleybrook recently and said the cake was from there as well. She had good things to say about it too.

Lisa - If I am not mistaken Stephanie was taking over most of Adrienne's accounts. I would call her and maybe schedule a time to meet with her. I don't know if anyone is using hotels in the Mt. Laurel area, but she is actually the old coordinator/ wedding contact for the Wyndham Mt. Laurel. The funny thing about it is that prior to me finding out that she was my new contact at the Merion, I went to the Merion to book two suites for my girls for the night before the wedding, I was told that Stephanie was the point of contact but she wasn't there the day I went to look at the rooms. When I called back in to reserve the rooms I found out that she was no longer at the Wyndham. After we started talking about my other plans, I told her about my room blocks and she told me that she worked there right before she came to the Merion. What a coincidence.

Believe me, she's great. She's on point and very honest. She's not the type of person that is going to tell you to buy and get something so you can spend the money. Especially when it came to us talking about contracting outside vendors. She very bluntly told me if she believe certain things were a waste of money, which I am not sure about other brides, I can appreciate.

CHarley2B · June 2010

What other vendors is everyone using? I haven't book really anything else besides the Merion and my photographer and videographer. Who is your florist? DJ? Limo? Anyone hiring a DOC or somebody to do lighting?

aprovencher21 · June 2010

Hi! I haven't really begun thinking about the cake but that is certainly something I will be asking Cathy shortly. As for vendors and ideas all of that is in my planning bio....
Photography= Perfect Day
Videographer= Jack Otepka
DJ= Dinardo Brothers
Lighting= Synergetic Lighting
Florist= Michael Bruce

LisaLPharmD · June 2010

Thanks Sonya! That makes me feel better. I feel like she never responds to me, but I might just have emailed/called on bad days. I left a message 2 weeks ago and I still haven't heard back. It's reassuring to know that she's good at what she does though!

As for vendors, I'm using:
Photography - Pittelli
Video - Alliance
DJ - Jimmy Lamb
FLorist - I have no idea!

Food Tasting at the Merion - check, bridal jewelry - check, ceremony singers check, ceremony musican

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