Community› Local Wedding Boards› New York-Hudson Valley
New York-Hudson Valley
New Discussion

Venue Help! Please! Please! Please!

mmarsden83mmarsden83 member
First Anniversary First Comment
in New York-Hudson Valley
Hello ladies! I am so confused. I have started looking for venues, 6 to be exact and I don’t seem to be moving along as well as I thought I would be, we really wanted to plan for Fall of 2012 and I dont think at this rate that will happen. I need your help! I don’t know what to look out for the most...the food, the views, the ballroom, the accommodations etc...I feel like I have looked at some really amazing places and I don’t know why this is so hard. Everyone has told me, when you know...you know. But I haven’t had that feeling yet. I love certain things about each venue but there are also some things I am on the fence about. Please give any input, ideas on venues, I live in Orange County so we are willing to go anywhere from North Jersey and up. I have looked at the following places : The Old Tappan Manor, The Rockleigh, New York Country Club, The Royal Manor, The Grandview and Falkirk Estates. ANY advice or tips, I would really appreciate :) Thank you!
Report Reply to Post

Re: Venue Help! Please! Please! Please!

  • KWats2011KWats2011 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Well, I had my wedding at The Grandview and it was unbelievable. If you have any questions, please let me know! I didn't look at any of the others you mentioned, so I can't give advice on those.
    Anniversary Follow Me on Pinterest my read shelf:
    Kristin's book recommendations, liked quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists (read shelf)
    Report Reply
  • LissyM83LissyM83 member
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    If you looked at The Rockleigh (and were ok with the pricing), I suggest you look at The Estate at Florentine Gardens in Rivervale, NJ (it's 10minutes away from Rockleigh).
    September 2012 Siggy Challenge: Favorite Thing about October-Yankees Playoffs! image
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • mmarsden83mmarsden83 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thank you! My cousin just got married at Florentine Gardens and another friend, who is also in our bridal party got married at The Tides, they are both beautiful but I didnt want to choose the same place as them. I just dont know what to look for anymore, each place had something I loved but I wasnt overly joyed seeing any of them. I dont know if i should keep looking or just pick the one that has the most to offer and deal with the short comings.
    Report Reply
  • ktwed09ktwed09
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-york-hudson-valley_venue-please-please-please?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:113Discussion:653bce10-3c8d-48ee-a32d-8d3188ad3fa5Post:268d8c10-63ed-4fb5-8ae3-5c15e9d24a78">Re: Venue Help! Please! Please! Please!</a>:
    [QUOTE]Well, I had my wedding at The Grandview and it was unbelievable. If you have any questions, please let me know! I didn't look at any of the others you mentioned, so I can't give advice on those.
    Posted by KWats2011[/QUOTE]

    This is me exactly! For other suggestions, have you looked into Mohonk Mountain House, Onteora Mountain House, or Buttermilk Falls Inn. Not sure what you're looking for exactly, but I've heard great things about all of these. My SIL was married at Mohonk on Oct 4, 2008, and it was GORGEOUS, though Mohonk can be a little restrictive.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • Ally5689Ally5689
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I just got married at The Grandview on November 11th.  It was AMAZING!  Food was amazing, staff was amazing and the views are amazing.  I would highly recomend The Grandview to anyone.  All of my guests loved it, everyone was so impressed and said it was the best wedding they've been to.  I cannot say enough. 
    Report Reply
  • AlliScott0414AlliScott0414
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'm getting married at the Thayer Hotel at West Point next July. I know how you feel about not getting the "feeling", to be honest I was the same exact way! Maybe check out the Thayer, I had looked at the same list you posted, and I knew the Thayer was perfect for us. Good luck - it's really the hardest part :/
    Wedding Countdown Ticker Visit The Knot! Visit The Knot!
    Report Reply
  • tstegertsteger member
    First Comment First Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    Check out the Pearl River Hilton, I fell in love as soon as I walked through it.

    Also, depending on the size, The Nyack Seaport.
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers *~*ITEMS FOR SALE*~*
    Report Reply
  • jeanrtcojeanrtco member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Had my daughter's wedding at the Rockleigh this past weekend.  I can not say enough great things about it.  The staff was amazing, the food was great, the place was absolutely beautiful.  I am planning a longer review about it.  We did outdoor photos, during the day and guests arrived at night, so view outside didn't matter, as it was dark, but the ceremony, lobby and rooms were soooo beautiful.  If

    Good luck, also did our older daughter's at the Hilton 4 yrs ago, it was great as well.
    Report Reply
  • BeachLover2885BeachLover2885 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I think you need to decide what you want the most from a venue.  Do you want beautiful grounds? great food? a certain ambiance? What were some of the things you were on the fence about? Maybe make a list of pros and cons, and then if you haven't already, bring one of your parents with you for another opinion.   I think you have a lot of great choices on your list. I know from experience that Rockleigh and NY Country Club are really beautiful, and I've heard good things about Old Tappan Manor since they've renovated it.  I think if you can, you should check out Seasons.  Their food is great-- probably the overall best food I've had at a wedding.    
    imageAnniversary
    Report Reply
  • brttny607brttny607 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'm also from Orange County and I visited around 9 places before I made my decision. You need to decide what's the most important part of the venue for you. I was waiting for that 'this is it' moment too and I finally decided to go with the Villa Borghese in Wappingers. Some other nice venues around the area are the Mohonk House, Round Hill, The Grandview, Catlin Garden.

    Good luck with your search!!
    Report Reply
  • LissyM83LissyM83 member
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort in Northern NJ... my friend's wedding was here last year & everything was beautiful
    September 2012 Siggy Challenge: Favorite Thing about October-Yankees Playoffs! image
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • DanaOcNyDanaOcNy
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My FI and I looked at a few places in the area and decided on The Villa Borghese in Wappingers Falls.  It was the 1st place we looked at and immediately fell in love with it. 

    Good Luck with your search!
    Follow Me on Pinterest image

    Weight Loss Journey Blog- Feel free to read if you like!updated 3/25/12 http://danaslapbandjourney.blogspot.com/
    Report Reply
  • mmarsden83mmarsden83 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thank you everyone! We are getting married in November of 2012 so it will be a bit chilly outside, I am not expecting the grounds to be amazing. I guess the main thing I am looking for is the overall ambiance of the venue. I am trying to go for the modern romantic, I like big chandeliers, granite and marble, a lot of bright colors like white and ivory, exceptional lighting and nothing outdated. That might be my problem, I know I am too picky but I feel this is one of the times it is OK to be picky. I also have a slight problem with little details. I went to The Grandview and almost all of their chairs for the reception were either dirty or ripped. That bothered me a lot. Then they wanted to charge me for seat covers. We are having anywhere from 225 – 250 guests so some of the places everyone mentioned wouldn’t work because of the size of the party. Our church will either be in Rockland or Orange County so I didn’t want anything too far away from either county, especially since I want people to attend the church and the reception. A lot of my family is coming from Long Island so I was trying to accommodate everyone and not have them driving all over the place that day, I feel like if we got married in Rockland and had the reception in Poughkeepsie that would be too much. My parents have been to almost every venue with us and we are taking them to the one they haven’t seen tonight so we can see their views as well. We have to make our final decision this week! it definitely is the hardest part of the wedding planning so I thank everyone for all of their input J  
    Report Reply
  • AlliScott0414AlliScott0414
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I am so with you on the details! I didn't know that about the Grandview's chairs but I totally understand. We also have a lot of LI family members, so we needed a hotel to put them all in, and I didn't want to deal with shuttles and buses, etc. So, that's how we came to check out the Thayer Hotel, and the rest is history. Stick to your guns, but remember that you can always try to negotiate and add or delete what you don't want from the menu, etc. It's a job to do, but it can be done *usually* because the venues want your business. Especially in November! It's a really good time to have for negotiating because there usually aren't people waiting in line for your date!
    Wedding Countdown Ticker Visit The Knot! Visit The Knot!
    Report Reply
  • mmarsden83mmarsden83 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thank you! We are looking at Seasons tonight. I have heard really good things about it except that the cocktail room was a little small for my guest list. But we will see it for ourselves tonight and hopefully make a final decision this weekend! Thank you to everyone that gave me advice! You guys are the best!
    Report Reply
  • LissyM83LissyM83 member
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-york-hudson-valley_venue-please-please-please?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:113Discussion:653bce10-3c8d-48ee-a32d-8d3188ad3fa5Post:a5c85789-0b7f-4928-8167-375865437dd5">Re: Venue Help! Please! Please! Please!</a>:
    [QUOTE]Thank you! We are looking at Seasons tonight. I have heard really good things about it except that the cocktail room was a little small for my guest list. But we will see it for ourselves tonight and hopefully make a final decision this weekend! Thank you to everyone that gave me advice! You guys are the best!
    Posted by mmarsden83[/QUOTE]

    We looked at Season's... loved the downstairs ballroom but yes, the cocktail hour room wasn't anything special. We didn't like how the CH was spread out in 3 different rooms. However, the food there is supposed to be wonderful & my parent's went to a wedding there and loved it. Good luck tonight.
    September 2012 Siggy Challenge: Favorite Thing about October-Yankees Playoffs! image
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • mmarsden83mmarsden83 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thank you! I LOVED Seasons, but this is where I am now stuck. I have narrowed down my choices to The Old Tappan Manor and Seasons. I LOVE the ballroom at Old Tappan but I love the amount of food they offer you at Seasons. They both have very good repuations and similar qualities. Seasons offers you a lot more for only $10 more than Old Tappan. I would be adding on the raw seafood bar and sushi station to Old Tappan and Seasons already includes that in their package. The LED light show is $300 at Old Tappan and $1500 at Seasons. They both have a something different than the other. How do I choose now???
    Report Reply
  • carolsdaycarolsday member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Hi , I was just married in Sept  at The Villa Barone Hilltop Manor in mahopac and was going to suggest you try there.  They have !00% seating capacity for CH , which was a huge thing for me, a wonderful ballroom and tons of photo opps and your granite you were looking for etc etc .

     However after reading your latest post if you are in between two places and cant make up your mind , looks like the money factor is playing with your head .  Think of it like this;  between more food & a light show , what is the bottom line ??   If you had to add the raw bar etc etc ,  I'm sure its going to be the same $10 . You sound excited about the seasons ,  dont let $1200 stand in the way of the most important day of your life !!  Good Luck and Congratulations.

    Report Reply
  • CrashMansion2010CrashMansion2010
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    hands down seasons...if i could have afforded to have it there seasons would be the place.
    Report Reply
  • BeachLover2885BeachLover2885 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I also second Seasons.  It sounds like you have enough guests to book the downstairs ballroom which is much nicer than the upstairs room.  We loved Seasons but would have had to take a Friday night in the upstairs room, so we decided on Nyack Seaport for a Saturday night.  GL!
    imageAnniversary
    Report Reply
  • tally7tally7 member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Why not hold on the light show for now? Maybe this is something the DJ can do?
    Report Reply
  • mmarsden83mmarsden83 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Thank you everyone! We ended up going with The Old Tappan Manor. They had our first choice date available and we were able to hold it on a Saturday, where as Seasons it would have to be on a Friday in November. We were also able to get The Old Tappan Manor to include a little bit more food in for the price we were paying. We went back there 3 times, so I think we knew that was the place from the beginning, I am just SO indecisive! Thank you for ALL the input, it really helped me make a final decision!

    Report Reply
  • terbear22terbear22 member
    First Comment
    My future SIL got married at Seasons. It was great.  But we're getting married at OTM and cant wait. Just went to a wedding there this summer and it was beautiful.
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards