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David's Country Inn vs. Lake Mohawk Country Club

[Deleted User][Deleted User] member
First Comment
in New Jersey
Hi all,

My fiance and I went on a whirlwind of venue visits, and our favorite by far was David's Country Inn... until we saw Lake Mohawk Country Club. Then it became tricky. The prices are comparable, and they are totally different vibes but both very "us" in different ways. David's seems like the better bet since we'd love it no matter what season, but our love of Lake Mohawk was heavily reliant on the ability to have an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour, which is of course subject to weather. (If it rains at Lake Mohawk, you have to have your ceremony in the reception room with the tables pushed back and fully visible. Also, the cocktail hour is in a room that's reminiscent of a parking garage because of the low ceilings.)

However, I'm not really impressed with David's food options (which I also saw in another thread on this forum)-- the hors d'oeuvres seem more simple than sophisticated, the entrees are "meh", and the quantity isn't as impressive as other venues. On the other hand, Lake Mohawk's entrees are more sophisticated, and the physical display of food seems nicer. Also, the reception area seems really dark at David's, blurring the line between romantic and well... just poorly lit.

If we went with David's, we'd be having a Jan or Feb wedding. If we went with Mohawk, it'd be a Late Sept/Oct wedding. I'm wondering if anyone has any input on:
- The quality of food at either David's or Lake Mohawk
- Whether either venue is truly open to customization (aka making an off'-menu hors d'oeuvres or allowing you to bring in outside treats)
- In general, which venue you think is a better choice.

Thanks in advance!

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Re: David's Country Inn vs. Lake Mohawk Country Club

  • lauraminnlauraminn member
    First Comment First Anniversary
    Wow! I could have almost written this a year ago. We loved Davids until we want to LMCC the next day. The outside ceremony was really important to us, but the feeling overall at LMCC was just overall more right for us. The lake and the boardwalk and the light in the evening and the old charm of the country club spoke to us.

    We will be getting married at LMCC in September. There is always the chance of rain, but from talking to Larry it's obvious they do everything they can to make it happen outside. In fact, he apparently has the cell phone # of someone who works 20 miles away where the storms usually pass first to get real time weather updates. Larry also said they will set up tents and can still do cocktails hour half outside even if it rains.

    Did you see the bar area with the fireplace? Beautiful! And they will make changes to the menu or even make a special recipe for dinner if you ask. We have had a great experience so far and can't wait! That said, Davids is also very nice but we felt LMCC offers so much more for what we envisioned our wedding. Feel free to PM me if you want more information. Something I found helpful while looking was to google venues and 'photography' to find a good sample of real wedding pictures.
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  • Gordo2014Gordo2014 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its
    I've been a guest at both.  For me and my tastes, I think you're right that the food at LMCC is noticably better but I think the look and feel of the environment is much nicer at David's.
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    First Comment
    Thanks for your feedback!
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  • rainbows0215rainbows0215 member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Answer
    my venue is davids loke the romantic feel remaber they include flowers cake and basic linens
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  • shannyb41shannyb41 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    I would recommend LMCC.  The food is fantastic.  I live in Lake Mohawk and frequent the restaurant there.  I was recently at a wedding at David's Country Inn this past June.  The space they use for an outdoor ceremony is beautiful and the building itself is nice, though in an awkward spot I thought.  I wasn't impressed with the food. Cocktail hour was lacking and the dinner was blah.  But I know other guests at the wedding that enjoyed it. Plus I'm sure it all depends on what you select.
    I was def suggest LMCC. 
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  • music11music11 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    We didn't look at Lake Mohawk, although I have been there for a non-wedding event, but we did look at David's.  The building is beautiful, but we didn't like the intense traffic noise (which the woman who was showing us around tried to pretend didn't exist).  I also was not a fan of their complicated pricing structure, which had a different price for every month.  It wasn't for us, but I'm sure there were others who had good experiences with them.
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  • GB520GB520 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    I'm booking Davids. I decided only to visit one other place after Davids because I didn't think anything was comparable. I was planning on visiting 6 venues total. I haven't been inside  LMCC but I've seen it outside and the lake is pretty. That's out of the way for my family but I know it's a beautiful location. Personally, I don't really care about an outdoor area bc we are doing an August wedding and it will probably be hot out. I think it would be gorgeous in the fall on the lake though.

    I don't really think there's any real traffic worry at Davids for a night wedding..to me warren county has minimal traffic. I grew up around there and I live in Middlesex county now...traffic here is a major concern so I wanted to go away from where we live to avoid it! The reason I liked Davids is bc it's close to both our parents' homes whereas everything is a hike.

    Davids said we could bring in a recipe from my FI family but we aren't anywhere near that stage of planning yet. I used to work weddings at a few venues and people don't really like the weird food I.e. caviear. So unless that is your personal taste I'd stay away from those types of types of foods.
    =) hope this helped a bit.
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    First Comment
    Wow, this was super helpful-- thanks so much! We can't get over our concern with weather, so we're about 95% sure we're going with David's since we were really impressed by Jordan and her willingness to accommodate some of our more customizable menu needs. We're also going with a winter wedding, since they have snow dates-- if you book the Saturday, you get the Sunday too just in case. 

    My least favorite part of David's is the ballroom, and I think that wedding photos from other weddings show that it's possible to camouflage some of the more "meh" aspects (like how half of the ballroom's walls are barren?) with good lighting, some projection, and decoration. Also, I think my fiance is in love with the cocktail hour rooms/upstairs and the overall feel of the place, and I never expected him to be the one to fall head over wingtips for a venue, so that's kind of adorable. 

    Thanks again for all of your advice!
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  • GB520GB520 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    I think with the lights low the ballroom will look fine. My fiance was the same way I was so surprised! 
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  • rainbows0215rainbows0215 member
    First Anniversary Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Answer

    I agree we are going to have the candles on balcony lower lights means romantic

     

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    First Comment
    Hey all,

    Super late update, but in case anyone's checking out this thread for research, I ended up going with Lake Mohawk and am (so far) very happy with my decision. It was MUCH more reasonable for a Fall wedding, and it appears that you get more out of what you're paying for. Plus, the lakeside view just can't be beat, rain or shine! Loved David's interior except the ballroom (but different strokes for different folks), though Lake Mowhawk's boat house-ish ballroom might not be for everyone either. In the end, the lake, architecture, food (sophistication, flexibility, and quantity) and option for indoor/outdoor won out.

    Heads up-- word on the street is that the ballroom and bar are getting a makeover Winter 2013/14. Thank goodness-- the bar area isn't my favorite, but maybe it will be post-makeover. 

    The only downside is the events manager, Larry. He's a really nice guy and definitely knows what he's doing. But if you're expecting prompt replies on e-mails and such, he's a little more old school-- it's best to call the office directly for assistance. I wish he were a bit more attentive, but right now I'm okay with the level of service. Doesn't compare to my experience with Jordan at David's, though. Either way, you can't go wrong!




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  • shannyb41shannyb41 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    You'll love LMCC! 
    I live in Lake Mohawk and belong to the association...I haven't heard anything about renovations yet but if they are happening I'm sure I'll hear something soon haha.

    Good luck!!
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    First Comment
    Thanks so much! If you do hear of any renovation buzz, please let me know! Larry, the events manager, said that the board was going to vote on it this month.
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