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Rant :Horrible tasting @ Ravello's / New venue The Tides reviews please( long sorry)

Hello ladies, you girls are so helpful and have helped me out before with my venue troubles and now I need some more of your help. I had my tasting at Ravello's last Wednesday and it was a horrible experience. The tasting consist of only CH food, were under the impression that the main entree's would be given at the tasting but it wasn't. The service wasn't that good and the food was limited and some of it was just plain, bland, and cold. We left so disappointed. I was happy that our contract stated if we weren't happy with the tasting we could get our deposit back and that's exactly what we are doing now. Mt FI asked for double serving of pasta and they looked at him like he was crazy and they guy was reluctant to do it, but he did. I can imagine that they would do that to my guest, and i'm not happy about that.
We went to see the Tides on Sunday and I was so happy with the service they showed us and the grounds are so beautiful, I couldn't believe we didn't go there before theprice is so comparable for the food you get. We would be using the downstairs room which is in our price range and fits our guest list ( 150 people MAX). The upstairs room is so big and nice, but we can't afford it :( I want to see if they would work a deal out for that room, i love to negotiate my FI doesn't at all. I have no problem and shame with negotiating, what's the worse they can say, no. We didn't commit to them yet and are going back this Sunday to negotiate some more and hopefully sign a contact. I wanted to know if some girls that used the downstairs room could review their wedding. How many people did you invite? Did you ever feel cramped in that room? How was the food? Any review about the service and the experience there would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
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Re: Rant :Horrible tasting @ Ravello's / New venue The Tides reviews please( long sorry)

  • edited December 2011
    DW shower was at Ravello's and the food was really good (except the veal, but veal usually sucks at large catoring halls anyway).

    A tasting isn't a place to stuff yourself, but just to get a feel for the food.  Typically the y are overcrowded and the service does suck.  It's also not uncommon to only have CH food at the tasting.  Sorry you were disappointed though.

    I am not a fan of the tides downstairs room.  The ceilings are too low, it looks like you are in a basement.  Also, I wish Brad was still on here to personally tell you his thoughts on the couch in the bridal room :) (some people may remember this....lol)

    150 people is waaaaay too tight for that room.  I saw it setup for 120 and thought THAT was tight.

    Tides will work with you on minimums and price for off season.  If that means getting the upstairs room to fit your budget, it may be something to consider.

    The big complaint with the tides is the cake.....so if you can get past that, you have a winner.
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  • edited December 2011
    We are getting married at the downstairs room and I love the room! We are inviting 130 people and so we are hoping to meet out minumum of 100 people and there might be 130 in the room! Ron is an awesome guy who responds to all my emails within 24hrs and negotiated the price with us that we could afford! We are getting married there on feb 19 2011 and like you didnt have enough people for the upstairs nor could afford the extra money for the upstairs! I negotiated with him to cut the price down by 5 dollars a person. He added the chair covers, seafood station, and vienesse hour for free no extra charge! He also told us if we were to get married thier he would cut the money for per person charge! The receptionist is very knowledgeable when it comes to knowing everything I have asked! We didnt do a food tasting before we booked but were told usually 2 months before your wedding you can do a tasting so I am going to call and see when in December we can come!
  • CrysMarie12CrysMarie12 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I went to my aunts wedding in the downstairs room at the tides last September. It was VERY nice. One thing that sticks out for me was the food, it was very good and there was so much of it. I loved the downstairs room because you have the separate cocktail room outside and then the private patio area outside of that. The wedding ceremony was outside in the garden and that was very pretty. The ONLY negative that I saw as a guest was that when the viennese table was put out in the cocktail room no one knew it was there until they walked out to go to the bar or went outside to the patio. The place is really pretty too (even the bathrooms were gorgeous) compared to other venues in that price range and you don't have to share any space with the other bride. If my aunt didn't get married there then I probably would have chosen this venue for my own wedding. Good luck! : )
  • jamtom2011jamtom2011 member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I think what you attended at Ravello's on Wednesday was more of a bridal show than a tasting.  I went to a private tasting there and the food was amazing, my FFIL is very picky and basically told us that we had to book there because the food was so good.
  • manda9794manda9794 member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011

    I went to the Tides when we first got engaged and were looking at venues. The banquet manager I met with, Tito, was wonderful and very accommodating. They gave me an excellent price with the Venetian Hour and Seafood package thrown in with a 75 person minimum for my 10/30/11 wedding (135 guests approx). He also told me that if I decided to go with them, he would be able to do something about the ceremony fee as well. With all that said, we ultimately decided against going with them because we had heard some mixed things about the food from family members and mostly because we didn't care for the downstairs room for the same reasons USER876 stated above. For us, it was a matter of personal preference as we just liked Seasons better but I definitely think the Tides is a very accommodating and flexible venue that is more than willing to work with their customers. Best of luck!

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  • goaliegirlgoaliegirl member
    Eighth Anniversary 1000 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    We got married at the Tides in the upstairs room, but I have attended a wedding in the downstairs room.     As far as service and food, the Tides was amazing to work with.   The service was great and any time I had questions or concerns they worked with us.  We got married there as well and we were able to negotiate a lower price per person for both the reception and ceremony and they threw in some extras.   They are great about negotiating.     I am not sure you would be able to get the upstairs room for a minimum of 150 but it doesn't hurt to ask.  Our minimum upstairs was 175 for a Friday night in August.

    As for the downstairs room, I am not a fan.   It is very small and the cielings are very low, it was very weird to me.  The wedding we went to had about 120 guests and I felt like we were packed in.     Personally, I probably wouldn't have booked there without using the upstairs room, but honestly, as far as food/service you cannot go wrong with the Tides, you get sooooo much for your money, and they are great to negotiate with.

    Good Luck!
  • edited December 2011
    I don't view tides to be in the same league with seasons.  The cost is not comparable either.  Not really a fair comparison.
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  • edited December 2011
    Thank you all for the feed back you have raised some good points and I guess have to look at the room again and see if the ceiling are that low.
     
    User- I totally agree with you that a tasting isn't for someone to stuff their face, but when you get food that is cold or not refilled it kind of says something about the place. I was specifically told that I could count on the CH to be exactly like the one for my wedding. So i wasn't pleased.

    mariaNryan & CrysMarie12 - i'm happy to hear you liked the down stairs room. Even though the ceiling are low and it looks kind of tight i think it could still work. I would LOVE the upstairs room but it can't be possible with my budget. 
    I have negotiated to have the Viennese table and the raw bar thrown in. Plus lowering the pp price buy $45.00 if i raised the min of 100 to 140 which i know we could do.  

    Goliegirl- I'm happy you're honest about the down stairs room. When you say packed in down stairs did you keep bumping chairs? Was the dance floor too small?

    manda9794 - we are working with Tito and he is awesome!

    Thank again!
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  • NJgurl19NJgurl19 member
    500 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    I agree on not comparing The Seasons to The Tides very different. I'm getting married at the Tides on 11/27/11. I loved working with Ron he is awesome! I' am using the upstairs room because to be honest i really dislike the downstairs room, and would have probably went elsewhere if that was my only choice. I had a tasting with them because FI wouldn't sign without a tasting, and it was delicious. With that being said I felt they where kind of cheap at the tasting but it's a tasting. I guaranteed 150 and am getting married in the upstairs room. Keep in mind it's a Sunday last week of November,but if you are willing to move things around they work with you. I will add that I know many people who have gotten married in the downstairs room and loved it. It is all personal taste.
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  • manda9794manda9794 member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Hi all,

    Sorry if I gave the misconception that I was trying to compare Seasons and The Tides. I was just stating where we personally decided to go with.
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  • HobokensFuryHobokensFury member
    5000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011
    I went to a wedding in the downstairs room in August and was very disappointed.  There were about 150 guests and the room was cramped, the taller people kept hitting the chandelier on the dance floor and worst of all you could hear the music from the other weddings.  Not to mention that the cake looked terrible.  One thing I really disliked was I had to leave the room everytime I wanted a drink.
     
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  • goaliegirlgoaliegirl member
    Eighth Anniversary 1000 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    When I went to the wedding in the downstairs room, I didn't think that the dance floor was too packed but it was not really a dancing crowd so to say, it was an older crowd with less dances.   The tables were very close together, chairs did not bump but they were close.  I think the other thing that made the room look so small was the huge tall CPs that the bride got, they overtook the whole room.      I honestly think you cannot go wrong with the Tides, it seems to be standard for them to add the Viennese and Raw bar, so that is good.    if you like the small room go for it, you won't be disapoointed!
  • edited December 2011

    I've been to a wedding downstairs at the Tides and it was beautiful!! The cocktail hour and dinner was really delicious, and the service was wonderful.  Another friend of mine is getting married there in June and I can't wait! Good Luck!!!

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  • Denise91980Denise91980 member
    2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    I just got married at Ravello's pn 10/1 and it was amazing....We did a private food tasting and they even sent us home with food. We also attended the bridal show one, however the one I attended had the full cocktail hour with all the stations. Ravello's completely exceeded my expectations and the service was wonderful....all night everyone kept telling us how amazing the food was and how it was the best wedding they have been to in a long time. We were very happy with everything. I am sorry you had a bad experience. We were there hours early, and they already had drinks and food set up before we got there, whereas in many weddings I was a part of, there was no food or only cheese and crackers until cocktail hour started. I cannot give an opinion of the Tides because I have never been there.
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