The Grand Colonial

Wow where do I begin....I happened to get married during that freak October snow storm...go figure... but everyone at the Grand Colonial conducted business as usual in a great way, we had been getting trouble from other vendors but not these guys. But in the beginning, I just like that last two reviewers had been shuffled around with wedding coordinators yet in the end Dan was truly the best and anything we asked for he gave. I could see how when people speak with him he could come off rude but its actually as my husband explains "knowing" the trade. As we brides fiddle over all the details and stress over the unknowns when you speak with Dan he has an "I got it, don't worry" attitude which really helped this type A bride. I dropped off four storage bins of decorations not including our photo booth and favors which was another several boxes and it was all placed exactly where I wanted it. They answered all calls within 24 hours and emails within a few. Seriously everything I asked he did and with a "no problem" answer. The food was seriously OUT OF THIS WORLD. I was at four weddings this past summer and in two but this food was the best out of all of them and probably more... and that's not because its was my wedding.. good food is just good food. I was able to get a signature drink which they made to perfection and everyone loved. The apps were also seriously seriously amazing the potato pancakes were to die for as well as pasta dishes and the list goes on and on. The cake was equally amazing it was chocolate ganache with fresh raspberries!! Also, they aren't picky like same places about the designs allowing you to choose more then a standard, plain cake. I choose a detailed one from an internet picture and it was executed perfectly. The entrees were all great I was able to sample at our tasting which was the stuffed pork, cod filet with shrimp, and steak. They do offer three here which when we researched not all venues do as well as not needing the numbers before hand and guests order on the night of which I just loved. We got rave reviews after and while on our honeymoon for both the food and the beautiful place. Also, we had a right hand lady, Debbie, during the evening who came out to the party bus and helped me off of it (not even my new husband did that, lol) but she was great she calmed me with a drink after our hectic ride and not only followed me but my father who was stressing about the weather. I cant thank this place enough what they did on the day of. Oh and they do have back-up generators!!! For those brides who have never thought of this I say do because if it wasn't for those I don't know what would of happened (and as a side note our photographer did inform us that another venue his colleague was working had none that same night...could you imagine that on your wedding day?) All in all I say visit, try and see for your self but this place is absolutely worth it!!!

We started planning our wedding approx 1.5 years prior to our wedding date. We had spencer as our coordinator from the start. We never came across any issues with him- He was always polite, and was always prompt in returning phone calls and emails. Then, one month prior to our wedding, we had a difficulty getting in touch with him- We then were told by a receptionist that Spencer no longer worked at the Grand Colonial, and that we would now have Dan, his mananger, As our Coordinator. We were a bit surprised that no one had contacted us prior to Spencer leaving to warn us, and to let us know that someone else would be assisting us through our process. It took a few phone calls before actually reaching Dan. My parents were extremely nervous about the change, and they went to the Grand Colonial to meet with him- He assured them he was in the business a very long time and that there would be no issues. Two nights before the wedding, we had our rehearsal at the grand colonial- Everything went well- Food was absolutely delicious! We were finally looking forward to our wedding day! The morning of the wedding I called Dan to go over a last few minute details ( I didn’t have a chance to talk to him at the rehearsal, and I had never actually talked to him about any plans)- He seemed rushed, and very RUDE on the phone. I thought it was because he was in the middle of setting everything up and was just busy. I brushed it off. When we finally arrived at the wedding hall- My mom noticed that all the table numbers were wrong- They did the room backwards and actually had my bridal party sitting at the farthest possible table from us. Problem Fixed, we got over it. Dan had introduced me to my assistant ( I forgot her name) and was explained that she would be glued to mine and my husband’s side the WHOLE night. Prior to the ceremony beginning, she asked my husband and I what we both wanted to drink- We told her what we would be drinking for the night. Well… I never saw her again until after cocktail hour- Not once during that hour did she every come near my husband nor myself to ask if we needed a drink,food,anything etc. We were very shocked. We then only saw her about 2-3 times the rest of the night… I barely had a drink in my hand the whole night. She did a terrible job of tending to our table. Dan also NEVER came up to us or my parents (who paid) the whole night. At one point my husband tracked him down to get us both a drink. When it came time to the Cake tasting- as soon as I took a bite, I realized that it was the wrong flavor. Prior to the wedding, we specifically requested 2 types of beer … Surprise… They didn’t have either one there. It was also brought to our attn the next day that he was rude to my mom, and someone else heard him talking down to the staff. All in All, the Grand Colonial is a BEAUTIFUL place- The reception hall is great, the ceremony site was beautiful, and the Food was awesome ( we did get a lot of great reviews). We had the opportunity to take some of the most beautiful pictures on the property - It is just unfortunate that the coordinator is not friendly, nor attentive. Someone in that position should be extremely pro active, which he was not.

The Grand Colonial hosted our wedding for 200+ in May 2011. The setting was lovely, clean and efficient. The food was fantastic. However, we were very disappointed in the management.During the ten-months that we planned our wedding three different people filled the all-important wedding coordinator position - Spencer, Taryn and Dan (the manager). Each time there was a changeover, we were not informed until after numerous phone calls and e-mails went unanswered. In fact, we made more than one trip from our house (an hour away) to the Grand Colonial just to locate a person - any person - who could answer our questions and tell us who was in charge.Trying to order linens was frustrated by the lack of communications. We finally used an outside company (Elegance Remembered - they were great). Spencer encouraged us to meet with the linen company at the Grand Colonial to view the tablecloths in the ballroom. However, once there, Spencer was rude and difficult when we asked if he could set out a round table, turn on the lights in the room and bring us a plate or two to help complete the picture.A few weeks later, we learned that Spencer was fired and that all of the notes on our arrangements were misplaced. Tayrn met with us and we repeated all of our previous information about the time the wedding was to start, the number of tables, etc. However, after she failed to respond to follow up phone calls and e-mails we learned that the manager, Dan, had taken over as wedding coordinator.Before the wedding, we received apologies and reassurance from Dan that everything was under control. Dan was accommodating to our lighting person and the florist, but the service provided by the Grand Colonial itself was a little chaotic and unorganized. The room looked beautiful, but the air conditioning wasn't working properly and our cake (which was delicious) began to melt. Also on the cake - the venue forgot to refrigerate the piece they saved us, which meant we never had more than our initial bite in front of the photographer. Given all of the previous positive reviews, I hope that they sort out their staffing issues and that their future service lives up to the beauty and reputation of the venue.

I didn't intend to give 5 stars across the board, it makes me look biased but this place deserved it. The staff is excellent, the food is great, working with Spencer, the Director of Catering, could not be easier. This place is a no brainer. You can call, give a head count and basically be done but if you want to really specialize, they go above and beyond to accommodate. I threw a shower for approximately 50 women there. Several, not one, but several, people said it was the best shower they ever attended. Their afternoon tea is nothing short of a steal.

We had our reception at The Grand Colonial the first weekend in October, and I can not say enough about how great everything was---it was absolutely perfect! I'm a detailed person, and Marybeth didn't miss a thing! The food was amazing, everyone is still raving about how wonderful and how much of it there was! We got so many compliments on all the dinner selections, especially the tuna and the filet mignon, and cocktail hour overflowed with more choices that one could ever imagine.I would recommend The Grand Colonial to every bride- if you don't want the same old banquet food, you have to have a tasting here, you will be impressed! The service is just as great- if you want someone who responds to every email, and will make your day perfect, give Marybeth a call! We couldn't be happier that we did!

Marybeth made sure everything was great at our reception. The food was really good & the bar tenders (especially the woman) were a lot of fun. Marybeth helped us decide how to set everything up & it all came out perfectly, even though my husband & I were running so far behind schedule. Many of our guests told us how much they liked the food, the cake & the venue. It was really great to have the ballroom, the cocktail hour room with the bar & the outside patio for the smokers. No one had to hang out in the parking lot if they didn't want to dance. Plenty of room for all different types of guests & the kids had plenty of room to run around. Chef Christine was able to make a larger replica of our cake from St. Lucia (where the ceremony took place) & it was beautiful. Marybeth took care of coordinating with the DJ & so we were able to actually enjoy our reception. =) Our reception was perfect & exactly the way we wanted it to be. We'd have it at the Grand Colonial again in a heartbeat. Thanks Marybeth!

The venue is beautiful and the food is excellent. Spencer is fantastic to work with! I highly recommend

The Grand Colonial was beautiful but the food was AMAZING.

This place was simply perfect for our intimate wedding. Spencer and his crew really did it right!

We had the most excellent wedding and the time of our lives at the Grand Colonial! As soon as we walked into the ballroom we absolutely knew that we had to have our wedding there. The place is gorgeous and all the other venue sites we looked at did not compare. The entire wedding was perfect from start to finish. The service was first class and the staff was super friendly and accommodating. Ray, our Madre D� was awesome and we really enjoyed working with him over the past year. Our guests were surprised by the Grand Colonial�s impressive service. Every time we walked away our napkins were folded and our glasses were filled up, I never once had to go to the bar. The food was delicious and enjoyed by everyone. We loved the food especially the Ch�teaubriand, make sure you have that dinner for your guests, it's A+. All other weddings I have attended the food has been okay and I have never had a hot meal at a wedding. Our plates came out hot, the presentation was pretty and the food was served in a timely fashion. All of our guests had a fabulous time and we have received tons of positive feedback. People can�t stop taking about our wedding and they are saying it was the BEST wedding they have ever been to! I will defiantly recommend brides and grooms to have their wedding at the Grand Colonial. I intend to have another event there in the future. We are so happy and blessed to have had such a wonderful wedding at the Grand Colonial. Thank you so much!

It has been a little over a month since our wedding and we are still getting rave reviews from our guests, especially about the food! The Salmon was a hit with us at the tasting and even better the day of. We added the chocolate fondue and that was a HUGE hit with the guests, they could not believe the variety of things they had to dip into the chocolate. We also added a late night package which allowed our guests to enjoy themselves for another 2 hours after the reception in the hip Ice Bar area and Perryville Room.It did rain the morning of our wedding and I feared I was not going to be able to have the outdoor ceremony I had been dreaming about for over a year. The staff at the Grand Colonial wanted that to happen for me and held out as late as they could (despite the fact that I was told a 12pm rain call would be made when I booked the place � which shows how flexible and easy they are to work with) to make it happen, it did, and it was beautiful.The staff at the Grand Colonial (Ray, Jason, Yvonne, Danny, etc) really made me feel like a Princess. I was attended to (by Yvonne) from the very first minute I arrived to get ready. I would suggest adding the lunch if you are getting ready there, it was delicious. I literally did not hear the words �No� or �We can�t� the day of, or days leading up to the big day. I was gently reminded to relax, enjoy myself, and even re-apply my lipstick! We chose the Grand Colonial because of the style of the place. It really is done beautifully in warm earth tones; the ceilings are not the ugly drop ceilings you typically see in reception halls. You have to see it in person to appreciate it; the pictures do not do it justice. The outdoor ceremony area is magical and not for a second during the ceremony did we hear any traffic noises from 78. Plus, there is a sound system outside with microphone. The Bridal Suite was large enough for several of us to have hair and make-up done and get dressed before the ceremony. We even took some pictures in there. There are less expensive places to have your wedding in New Jersey, but you do get what you pay for. I read some reviews about things being stolen out of the bridal suites in other reception halls and I have to say that was not a concern of ours at all. There were several purses, electronics and cash in the room all day, and it was all there at the end of the night.Remember, you can have the perfect dress, flowers, and music, but if the food, ambiance, and service is lacking, that is what your guests will remember! It is your big day and you only get one shot to do it right. Booking the Grand Colonial for our ceremony, reception, and after party was definitely the right thing for us. We look forward to celebrating many special occasions at the Grand Colonial in the future. We plan to go back every year for our anniversary and enjoy a delicious dinner, not many banquet halls in NJ afford the opportunity to do that since they are not also full service restaurants.

When we first looked at this venue we thought we couldn't afford it, but they worked with us to get the price down. We had a Friday wedding and adjusted our menu to get the price within our budget. Food and service was great. Ray was very helpful and the staff took care of us all night. My wine glass was never empty. We received a lot of positive feedback from our friends and family about the Grand Colonial. They all said the place was beautiful and the food was delicious.

The Grand Colonial is a beautiful place for a wedding and we loved having ours there. The food was amazing and the chef was more the happy to help me with my dietary needs (gluten-free). All of our guests loved the atmosphere and the surroundings of the Grand Colonial. The main issue that i had was that the person in change of my wedding was changed 3 times and the last time was 2 weeks before the wedding. i know that this was not done on purpose but it was very upsetting to me to have worked with someone for months on what you were expecting to have and then have to explain everything over again to someone else 2 weeks before it needs to get done. I�m the end everything worked out and we had a wonderful time!I would recommend the Grand Colonial to anyone looking for a beautiful night in a beautiful place!

Ray and the staff at Grand Colonial did a wonderful job and made us all (bride, groom, bridal party AND guests) feel very special. We didn't have to worry about a thing. The setting is beautiful, the food was amazing and they were even able to help me with the planning by recommending a wedding officiant and florist who were also perfect for us. I would definately highly recommend them.

I would recommend the Grand Colonial to ANY couples looking for a wedding venue, or any group looking to schedule a dinner or party. The entire staff was extremely professional and constantly asking if they could do anything else for me as a bride. The food was EXCEPTIONAL, in fact, people still talk about the food at the wedding a month later. We had a Sunday wedding which reduced the cost per person, but trust me, every penny is worth it! You will NOT regret booking your wedding here!

If your getting married the grand colonial is the perfect place for you. All of my family and friends raved about how beautiful it was inside and out. The food was phenomenal. Service was great! Chef Christine Ayer's is amazing! I have two complaints about the grand colonial. One, the night of my rehearsal my banquet coordinator was mia and two he constantly reminded me and my family that his tip was not included in the final amount and that his tip was due to him the night of the wedding and to be in cash. It was getting to be the end of the reception and he had asked my father how everything was and where his tip was. If his tip wasn't included then what the hell is the " 20% service fee and gratuity" in the contract for?! I found that to be very distasteful!

The Grand Colonial provided a picturesque venue for our wedding reception. They were both flexible and highly professional throughout the entire planning process. The general manager was quick to respond to our calls and e-mails. Two months after the wedding, our guests are still talking about the quality of the food and service. Our favorite wedding photos were taken on the Grand Colonial grounds. We highly recommend the Grand Colonial.

The Grand Colonial is beautiful!!!! It was just what we were looking for (after we saw many, many sites). The staff was great with handling the pre-wedding planning and our rehearsal practice. We were able to have our ceremony outside. Cocktail hour was inside/outside which we and our guests loved! The food was delicious and there was a lot!!!! We loved our cake, it came out just like the photo we showed them. My bridal attendant was amazing! She was always around to get me anything I needed and help however she could. We too, as some other reviews mentioned, had an issue at the end of the night when the banquet coordinator had a problem with the amount we were tipping him. We gave him more than they originally suggested and even gave an additional tip to bartender and bridal attendant.

Everyone did an outstanding job and we have recommended the Grand Colonial to our friends and family for upcoming events. An excellent time was had by all! We can't thank you enough for helping to make our day very special. Please share our gratitude with the entire staff.

I would recommend the Grand Colonial to anyone. Our guests loved the venue and complimented us on the quality of the food and drinks and the outrageous service. Finding a reception venue was the most difficult part of our wedding until we found the Grand Colonial and worked with Dan to make the wedding of our dreams come true.