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Quite a cool venue- looks like it deserves the buzz!
The Knot released its list of the "10 Most Talked About New Jersey Wedding Venues" & it's an interesting read. This humble Hoboken wedding planner has some opinions on said list!
The Pleasantdale Chateau deserves a "Longstanding Most Talked About Award!" When my sister got married 12 years ago, this historic mansion & its manicured grounds were the topic of many venue conversations. I delved into wedding planning two years later & throughout my career, the Pleasantdale has remained a popular venue. I adore working there because the Pleasantdale is top notch in every way. I believe it will continue to stand the test of time with its beautiful, unique rooms & gorgeous, picturesque grounds.
On the other end of the spectrum, the W Hoboken is new & hot. It's been a big topic in Hoboken long before it opened & it continues to garner much attention. The W Hoboken is hip & swanky, yet somehow still manages to impress everyone from your old-fashioned Grandma to your hipster cousin with its impeccable space, food & service. I may not have picked it for our wedding but I enjoyed working there & I want to work there again & again. With its waterfront location & its cool factor, I hope the W Hoboken keeps Brides & Grooms talking!
Mallard Island Yacht Club, One & Only Westmount Country Club, The Palace at Somerset Park, & Stone House at Stirling Ridge- check, check, check, check!! Each venue deserves its buzz for being a bit different, a bit more fun than a standard wedding facility. Definitely talked about, definitely popular. Some are more buzzworthy than others among my circle of Brides & wedding vendors.
The other venues I haven't heard much about period. Is it just me? Liberty Science Center is practically in my backyard & I haven't overheard so much as a whisper about weddings there. I know zilch about One Atlantic but I don't deal much with Atlantic City so that may be my shortcoming. After checking out the web site & falling in love with the photos, I'm praying to the Wedding Gods for a wedding there, STAT. That could be the same case with The Addison Park & Valenzano Winery, just a tad beyond my normal scope of Northern Jersey/Manhattan venues. Still, I love to know anything & everything Jersey Weddings so I'm making a mental note of these venues.
Are any of you getting married at these "hot" venues? Or do you have a less talked about venue you prefer?
Me, the Bachelorette
Exactly one week before our wedding day, I donned a white Bride tank top, a bright pink Bachelorette sash & a blinking blue "diamond" ring. I sipped drinks out of a pink glass decorated with a tulle veil. I played silly games one of which would make my Mom blush. I was surrounded by my favorite girls wearing hot pink beads & silly buttons. Why?! It was my Bachelorette Party!& it was perfect! I had made some requests to my bridesmaids that were dutifully honored: massages at Bliss Spa, dinner at The Melting Pot, drinks in Hoboken & sleepover at W Hotel Hoboken. I had made some other requests that were respectfully denied: no games & no Bachelorette gear. & there were wonderful surprises to like yummy, yummy treats & a gorgeous flower arrangement. While my bridesmaids listened to me, they clearly knew the best ingredients for a great party & did they ever throw a fabulous one!
My Bachelorette Party played out like a girly dream- a fun, low-key night with good friends. Anything that starts with a relaxing massage at Bliss Spa is the BEST. We could've stopped there & I would've been happy yet I'm so glad we kept the party going. Then we gathered in the hotel room to prep for the big night with drinks, treats & games. Soon we were at The Melting Pot for cheese fondue, salad & chocolate fondue- YUM! Hoboken was packed that night & after finding line after line everywhere, we ended up at The Living Room at the hotel for nightcap cocktails. Sprinkled throughout everything was tons of cheer & laughter. It was fun, fun, FUN!!
When my head hit the pillow that night, all I could think was "I'm getting married in one week!" I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. I was on the brink of marrying RZ. I had wonderful friends who took time out of their busy schedules to celebrate with me. Let me count my lucky stars!!!!
The closed pocket invitation in Snow, Pear & White
I love the quote featured on the pocket seal
The open pocket reveals the invitation & additional inserts
The elegant wedding invitation
Lots of helpful information for the wedding guests!
I laid out the requirements & timeframe for the rush job- a two day wait for proofs, a rush fee & overnight shipping fee to receive the invitations two weeks after the proof approval. The Bride said it was fine & we got right to work. The next three days passed in a whirlwind. The Bride selected her new wedding invitation from Wedding Four by Marsupial Invitations & I placed the order. The proof came the next day, along with some bad news- the Lemongrass backer & envelopes the Bride had chosen were no longer available. It's never easy! We waited for the new, green paper samples to be overnighted. The samples arrived, Pear was deemed the winner & the order was approved for printing. Phew!
Two weeks later, just as promised, these beautiful wedding invitation arrived. The White/Pear color scheme is crisp & clean for an elegant look. I adored them, the Bride loved them & everybody was happy. I adore happy endings, don't you?!
No Photograph Today!
My biggest regret is not taking photographs at weddings when I'm wearing my wedding planner/coordinator hat. Just this past weekend, I had the honor of coordinating a wedding that took us from a sweet church ceremony to an amazing photo shoot at the Hoboken Terminal to a gorgeous reception at the W Hotel Hoboken. Not one single photograph.
Back when I was a wedding planning assistant, I had the luxury to take photographs during weddings. I was sent to the ceremony location long before guests arrived to reserve seats, place programs, etc. There was always a quiet moment to snap a photo of the pristine, decorated ceremony location. Then I was sent to the cocktail hour location as soon as the ceremony concluded to arrange the escort cards, place the guest book, etc. Again, I could find a still moment to snap a photo of cocktail hour all decked out for the wedding. And my very favorite part was being sent to the reception location way ahead of the party. I was quite busy placing menus, table numbers, favors, etc while many other vendors rushed around doing their jobs. But when everything was said & done, I had the opportunity to pause & admire the finished look of the reception location. It was always beautiful & unique & I always had a photo to remember it forever.
Now things are different as the main wedding planner. I'm running around with my Blackberry, my clipboard & my emergency kit. Often, I'm also carrying the Bride's bouquet, Bride's purse, the Bride's flip flops, etc. I don't have an extra hand, let alone the time, to stop & take a photograph. But I wish I did. It's my biggest regret as wedding planner.
Gorgeous Orchids
Image from Martha Stewart Weddings
As a wedding planner, a wedding boutique owner & a Bride-to-be, there is little I love more than weddings. Love, love weddings! This weekend, I am honored & excited to be planning & coordinating a wedding for a fabulous couple at the W Hotel Hoboken. Yes, the very same W Hotel Hoboken that RZ & I seriously considered for our wedding. If I can't host our wedding there, the second best thing must be planning & coordinating a wedding there. The W Hotel boasts about their "Wow Vow" & I can't wait to experience it through our lovely couple this weekend!On another note, this is my final wedding planning job before our wedding in January. WOW!
Beautiful orchids greet you in W Hoboken lobby
Sweet Stargazer Lily arrangements displayed on the way to the event space
The sleek space for Cocktail Hour. I fell hard for the purple lighting.
In addition to traditional cocktail tables, some cool banquettes offer seating for guests
A wedding table set in the Ballroom
After our successful site tour at Chart House, I wondered if we should keep our next appointment at W Hoboken, the one & only wedding venue in our hometown of Hoboken (requirement one). W Hoboken opened one year ago, located along the Hoboken waterfront with signature W Hotel style; it's cool & hip. Here is the thing: W Hoboken has no New York City skyline views from the ballroom (requirement two). Despite my reservations about the non-view, we decided to check it out anyway.
Let me tell you, we were blown away by W Hoboken. We were whisked up a staircase lined with wheat grass & candles to the event space. For cocktails, we preferred the open, sleek, pre-function space lined with banquettes & lounge furniture & highlighted with purple lighting over the club-like room with limited NYC views. In the ballroom, we were greeted by a waiter offering mimosas & chocolate-covered strawberries. My fiance & I are complete suckers for the sweet, small touches! To discuss our wedding further with the lovely catering manager, we sat at a sample table set for a wedding. I barely noticed there were no city views!!
Just like the Chart House, it was easy to imagine our wedding at W Hoboken. We were thrilled the space, the service & the food. It's really hard for me to pass up an appetizer menu that includes mini grilled cheese with tomato soup shooters! Also, we appreciated the fact that W Hoboken was willing to work with us on the price (hello, advantage to winter wedding!) to better match our budget (requirement three). Plus we adore Hoboken & there is a definite charm to hosting our entire wedding in this great town.
All in all, as we wrapped up our site tour & headed back into the rainy day, we had the sinking feeling that deciding where to hold our wedding was going to be a much, much tougher decision than we realized.
Coming soon: details of our visit to Hyatt Regency Jersey City!
