Round 2

Ok, I guess it's my turn to do the weekend recap. On a brisk Saturday morning, we got picked up by Mr. and Mrs. Suss for round 2 of our NJ tour. After getting my venti cup of starbucks, I was finally ready to go.

Westmount Country Club
728 Rifle Camp Road, West Paterson, NJ
The doors were locked when we got there, but we walked around and liked what we saw outside. Bobby finally arrived, complete with flashy diamonds on his gold pinky ring, and gave us a brisk tour of the place. The cocktail room was cozy but the ballroom was a bit too small for my liking (no room to dance). The other ballroom, which was being renovated, would be too large for our party, but it looked amazing with green glass pillars and lights. Very elegant, but they don't have any openings in our date range. Plus, Bobby reminded me too much of Tony Soprano and intimidated me.

Valley Regency
1129 Valley Road, Clifton, NJ
http://www.valleyregency.com/
Another Italian owned catering company, the Valley Regency was a bit more comfortable than the Westmount and I liked the flocked wallpaper. Franco kept us waiting while he met with clients on their menu, but it's good that their priority is the paying customer and not a potential one. We gave ourselves a tour - they had a beautiful ballroom, but the cocktail hour and ceremony rooms were too dreary. Plus, they had two or three BUTTER sculptures on display - and I thought ice was bad. Neither great nor horrible, considering price, but will have to think about this one.

Grand Marquis
1550 Us Highway 9, Old Bridge, NJ
http://www.grandmarquiscaterers.com/
This place smelled like nasty food from a second rate motel. I was turned off immediately, even before I saw the christmas lights and dingy ceiling tiles. There was a Bat mitzvah going on and our hostess had the nerve to lead us through the middle of their ballroom as they were posing for professional photos. That is a warning sign for me - I don't want these people to interrupt when I'm having my wedding. She made sure to point out the ice sculpture on display. "It's a dancer, if you couldn't tell." We couldn't. Mrs. Suss said that she liked the silver candelabras for the table centerpiece, but they cost $300 to use. Why? The biscotti they offered us was inedible. Thumbs down, all around.

The Westwood
438 North Avenue, Garwood, NJ
http://www.thewestwood.com/
Laurine was a sweet old lady, who kept calling me Jean until I corrected her. The place was hoppin' when we got there. They were having a bridal show, and we were treated to a dance routine by some DJ company as soon as we came in the door. "Cheesy" would be an accurate description of the overall decor and space. This place would be too small, I think. There were about 150 people attending the bridal show and it was cramped. We got free cheese and crackers though - I love those whole wheat ones. We lost Mr. Suss for a minute but then we were on our way.

Stirling Ridge
50 Stirling Road, Warren, NJ
http://www.stirlingridgeevents.com/index.html
I spotted the orange and yellow building from the main road and expected the worst. But I walked in to a loungy, cozy, woodsy foyer and changed my mind. It was so different! So modern! So US! Beyond a door on the left, there was a fully operating restaurant with a bar, fireplace, and tv ("for boys to check scores"). The cocktail area looked like a hip NY lounge, with a long bar and standing tables. The ballroom was spacious and SQUARE (you'd be surprised how many weren't), and surrounded on two sides by windows, letting tons of light in. I could see it happening there. I loved it. Then Rebecca, our bedazzled maître d', quoted a price. My heart sank. "Oh we could definitely save on costs," she said, "if you don't do as many cocktails or desserts, or choose the chicken entree." Um, we would need to get rid of the whole dinner. Sigh.

Palace at Somerset
333 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, NJ
http://www.palacesomersetpark.com/
We didn't have an appointment but decided to stop by to see if we could get a tour anyway. It is indeed a Palace. We saw glimpses of the building from the street and gasped in unison. After our drive up a winding driveway to the white house-like facade with two round patios, we went inside to gasp some more. 30+foot high ceilings, fresh flowers everywhere, crystal chandeliers, lush carpet, fireplaces, armchairs, huge bridal suites, split staircase, hosts in tuxes - everything was from a movie or fairy tale. The receptionist, Kyle, was so great. When we explained that we were dropping in, he gave us all the information and offered to take us on a tour, describing the different weddings he's seen. It was all very impressive and very expensive looking. Luckily, no one talked to us about prices so that we could daydream for a little while about having our wedding there. But I would guess it costs at least $300 per head. A girl can dream.

So, another weekend in New Jersey down the drain. I'd like to say we're closer to picking a place, but I'd be lying. Maybe next weekend?