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| Seasons Catering in Washington Township, NJ |
Hello! I have no idea how you ended up here. You must've gone pretty deep into the Google results. Good for you! But please keep in mind this was written and published in 2009 and is most likely pretty out of date information! I'm still a photographer though, and you can still check me out at johngallino.com
Seasons is located in Washington Township, right off of exit 168 on the Garden State Parkway. I just shot a reception there with about 180 guests and there was more than enough space for everybody. Like all places, Seasons has its strengths and its weaknesses. Its interiors are lovely, well designed with adequate lighting, space, and modern furnishings. Nothing about it was aesthetically displeasing.
However (and this may be a big however), its exteriors are seriously lacking. To their credit, they did the best with what they had, while most of their property is taken up by the parking for the 400 guests (more on that later) they decorated the few spots they had left with lovely gardens and waterfalls.
Lovely, but small.
Every bride wants a sunny day on her wedding, but if you're taking posed shots at Seasons, you better hope a big cloud comes rolling by. Unfortunately the little gardens set up for posed shots at Seasons offer no shade at all until well into the evening, leaving your posed shots full of squinting faces and ugly, harsh shadows if the sun is overhead. Those beautiful outdoor shots on the Seasons website? All shot on cloudy days, or at night, because direct sunlight immediately ruins their outdoor shots.
Seasons is known for its catering. At the wedding I attended today, the cocktail hour was extravagant, featuring nearly anything I've ever seen offered at a cocktail hour, and the dinner was delicious. Simply put, they have a reputation for their emphasis on their food, and that's a big plus.
You should know that Seasons will likely double book your wedding day. They have two banquet rooms, on two floors, and they book them both. What I didn't like, however, is that they almost try to keep this a secret from the two brides.
Allow me to rant for a minute. Seasons is known among vendors for running a VERY tight ship. You'll see several guys in black suits walking around the place with earpieces, walkie talkies, and occasionally talking into a microphone on their wrist (no joke). I mean, they're professional, they keep things on time and under control. Great. But I get the feeling they take their job a little too seriously, and today I was heavily reprimanded for not sticking to their rules. You see, their biggest concern is that the two brides cross paths. When I arrived, the Maître d' requested that I tell him if I was to take the bride and groom outside during the reception, and admittedly I forgot completely. I went ahead and did a few more shots in their gardens while the guests were dancing, and when I was finished up I was told the Maître d' wanted to have a word with me. "I thought I made it very clear that you were not to take the bride and groom outside without alerting me." I confessed that I forgot and apologized, but that didn't stop him from trying to intimidate me with a few stern looks and subtle threats. Simply put, the Seasons staff doesn't fuck around. Whether that's a plus or a turn-off is up to you.
Anyways. Aside from that incident, the staff was pretty helpful. They kept everybody on time, positioned people for pictures, fanned out the brides dress, told everybody where to stand during the introductions, etc. As far as competence is concerned, I gotta give it to them.
So, to recap: the interiors are great, the outdoors kinda suck, the food is terrific, the staff is very competent and almost militant in their organization and have a bit of a reputation for treating vendors like crap, and they will double book your wedding day if they can. But yeah, generally I would recommend it.
Today's wedding entertainment was provided by Paul Knox and his assistant, Chris, from DTM productions and they were damn good, and that's why I'm mentioning them. Paul is one of the better MC's I've ever heard.
If you found this review helpful, or you have a personal story to tell about this place, please leave a comment!
And check out my work at johngallino.com!
However (and this may be a big however), its exteriors are seriously lacking. To their credit, they did the best with what they had, while most of their property is taken up by the parking for the 400 guests (more on that later) they decorated the few spots they had left with lovely gardens and waterfalls.
Lovely, but small.
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| That's about it. |
Every bride wants a sunny day on her wedding, but if you're taking posed shots at Seasons, you better hope a big cloud comes rolling by. Unfortunately the little gardens set up for posed shots at Seasons offer no shade at all until well into the evening, leaving your posed shots full of squinting faces and ugly, harsh shadows if the sun is overhead. Those beautiful outdoor shots on the Seasons website? All shot on cloudy days, or at night, because direct sunlight immediately ruins their outdoor shots.
Seasons is known for its catering. At the wedding I attended today, the cocktail hour was extravagant, featuring nearly anything I've ever seen offered at a cocktail hour, and the dinner was delicious. Simply put, they have a reputation for their emphasis on their food, and that's a big plus.
You should know that Seasons will likely double book your wedding day. They have two banquet rooms, on two floors, and they book them both. What I didn't like, however, is that they almost try to keep this a secret from the two brides.
Allow me to rant for a minute. Seasons is known among vendors for running a VERY tight ship. You'll see several guys in black suits walking around the place with earpieces, walkie talkies, and occasionally talking into a microphone on their wrist (no joke). I mean, they're professional, they keep things on time and under control. Great. But I get the feeling they take their job a little too seriously, and today I was heavily reprimanded for not sticking to their rules. You see, their biggest concern is that the two brides cross paths. When I arrived, the Maître d' requested that I tell him if I was to take the bride and groom outside during the reception, and admittedly I forgot completely. I went ahead and did a few more shots in their gardens while the guests were dancing, and when I was finished up I was told the Maître d' wanted to have a word with me. "I thought I made it very clear that you were not to take the bride and groom outside without alerting me." I confessed that I forgot and apologized, but that didn't stop him from trying to intimidate me with a few stern looks and subtle threats. Simply put, the Seasons staff doesn't fuck around. Whether that's a plus or a turn-off is up to you.
Anyways. Aside from that incident, the staff was pretty helpful. They kept everybody on time, positioned people for pictures, fanned out the brides dress, told everybody where to stand during the introductions, etc. As far as competence is concerned, I gotta give it to them.
So, to recap: the interiors are great, the outdoors kinda suck, the food is terrific, the staff is very competent and almost militant in their organization and have a bit of a reputation for treating vendors like crap, and they will double book your wedding day if they can. But yeah, generally I would recommend it.
Today's wedding entertainment was provided by Paul Knox and his assistant, Chris, from DTM productions and they were damn good, and that's why I'm mentioning them. Paul is one of the better MC's I've ever heard.
If you found this review helpful, or you have a personal story to tell about this place, please leave a comment!
And check out my work at johngallino.com!
I am a young caterer. I have only done a couple weddings. I am so impressed with what I just read about Seasons catering and hope to achieve most of that some day. However, one thing I think is so important, is that the guests feel that the staff is as happy for them as they are. I remember at both weddings that we did, that the bride and groom changed up a couple things as far as order, and whatever, we went with it and it worked out.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, the day is theirs' not the caterers. I hope to have beautiful gardens someday, and water fountains, good food of course but I hope I never lose sight of the big picture, and that is to create a memorable day for the guests full of fun.
I am having my wedding at Seasons in September, 2010. I already am aware of the fact that there is another wedding going on. However, Seasons' staff let me know a few months ago (approximately a year before the wedding!) and offered me the chance to alter the time my reception starts by a half hour in order to avoid guests' confusion about where to go. So, yes, they double book. But they certainly don't keep it a secret. And the outside does sort of look crappy, esp in the winter months. But I am VERY excited about the wedding.
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know! I guess I was misinformed! I'm glad they let you know ahead of time, and they are very on-the-ball about not letting the two brides cross paths as to not take away from the experience of your day. You SHOULD be excited, because it's a great place.
ReplyDeletekiki said...
ReplyDeleteI am having my wedding at Seasons in September, 2010. I already am aware of the fact that there is another wedding going on. However, Seasons' staff let me know a few months ago (approximately a year before the wedding!) and offered me the chance to alter the time my reception starts by a half hour in order to avoid guests' confusion about where to go?
Catering Urn
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ReplyDeleteNice post........
ReplyDelete