Atlantic City Weddings - Professional Portrait

Tell me about the vision for the Carriage House and what type of events do you plan to have at the Carriage House?

	The vision of the Carriage House is an elegant setting that was designed from the ground up with the bride-to-be in mind. We set out to be not just a beautiful facility, but one that would be rivaled by no other. The Carriage House can handle parties from 100-350 in it's three ballrooms and is a wonderful setting for not just weddings but social gatherings, bar mitzvahs, holiday parties and corporate events.

So you’ll have three ballrooms, the first one holds up to 180, the second up to 220 and the third one up to 350?

	That’s right. The Azalea is the smallest, holding up to 150 people. The Magnolia is the second largest holding up to 220 people and the biggest is the Grand Savannah Ballroom which holds up to 350 people.

The Carriage House is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2006. If I’m a prospective bride and I want to get married next summer, what would you tell me about the expected completion date, in case it might be held up, to relieve certain nervousness about that?

	With respect to the completion date, rest assured we have planned for all the possible contingencies. Our parent company, ICON Hospitality, is an expert in designing and building our facilities. Currently our timeline has our completion date set for July, far in advance of our late September opening. Just drive by the site and you can see the tremendous progress that has been made just in the past month. The pace of construction has been terrific, the weather has us already ahead of schedule.

What is the first date you’ll be starting to book for?

	We’re already booked. Our first wedding is Sept. 22. That’s our first date. We will not book anything before that date, based on our projected timeline. We want a month and a half to be able to go into that building and start playing around with it to see how it operates and to make sure that everything is perfect for that first function. And then we will plan out a grand opening, so we need time to make sure that we have everything up and running smoothly. Our thought process is … do we feel that we’re pushing it back a month more than we really need to? Yes we do. But we obviously want to be able to refine everything we do.

If things are completed ahead of schedule would you hold a wedding or special event prior to Sept. 22, 2006?

	We won’t have a wedding, but maybe a rehearsal dinner or special event. That may be possible.

What can you tell me about the menu and the type of cuisine you’re going to offer?

	It’s an elaborate mix of traditional wedding favorites. We place special emphasis on the reception, and we feel that our reception is at a much grander scale than any of our competition. That’s where, in our opinion, all of the socialization happens at a wedding, that’s when everybody is really having fun and enjoying each others company. The reception will be the perfect complement to an elegant dinner created by our award winning chefs.

Will there be on-site ceremonies outdoors?

	Yes, with the contingency to have them indoors as well. That’s all based on availability.

You mentioned that you’re going to focus on the reception part of the wedding to make the Carriage House stand out. What else do you think is going to set the Carriage House apart from other reception sites?

	When you get our welcome package you'll find everything is listed in our menu. We don’t have any hidden fees, and we’re very honest, upright and forward. Our linen package – if you look at our tables that is our standard linen for every wedding. It’s probably the nicest linen out there right now. The fact that we’re continuing the whole southern plantation theme throughout the entire building, with our uniforms and the southern style of our plateware, the cream colors, etc. will make the Carriage House the perfect setting for a wedding. I think the whole neutral theme of the building, which was chosen for the social atmosphere of a wedding, is unique. Other buildings are more corporate businesses and they’ll throw a wedding in there. With The Carriage House will not have outlandish colors to throw somebody’s dress off. We also spend several hours trying to make the process of planning a wedding with us that much smoother. We’re not putting any hidden costs in there. We’re trying to take the confusion out of planning a wedding. Everything is right in front of you. Do we have upgrades? Yes, just like everyone else, but we feel that we offer a very nice package for the price. We also have two bridal suites which are true bridal suites – that’s the only reason they’re going to be used. They’re on the second floor – each with a walk out balcony. They each have fireplaces. They each have their own personal bathroom. I think that’s a big selling point that very few properties have. The whole building is also built for pictures. We have double staircases through the buildings; we have a minimum of four fireplaces that we’re putting in the building; we have a side lawn with a gazebo or trellis; and the landscaping is going to be pristine. The entire building is built specifically to have various photo opportunities. We have a lake out front; we have valet service, which is all included.

What are some of the things that are included with your reception package?

	Bartenders are included. In the initial action stations in our package, the chefs are included, the cake is included, as well as the Viennese table. An ice carving is included. Tablecloth and napkins are included. We have a few items that are extra but we don’t get people in here and say, "Oh, by the way, the champagne costs an extra $3.50 per person." It’s all part of the package. In reading wedding packages from other reception sites we found that it was very cumbersome to make a decision, because one thing led to another which led to another thing. The cost of a reception package wasn’t a straightforward process. We tried to take the confusion out of planning your reception by offering a comprehensive package that is straightforward. Our packages offer a lot that our competition does not offer. For instance, the cakes we offer that are standard are very elegant. Shown above (samples on display at The Carriage House Sales Center) are two very different styles of wedding cakes you can choose from that are included with our packages. We have the ability to create a custom cake for our guests as well. The linen itself is probably the nicest linen you could have for a wedding, very high-end. We have matching napkins that go with the linen and they’re the exact same pattern in cream or white.

Are chair covers included and if my bridesmaid gowns are burgundy or purple can I get coordinating bows for the chairs?

	While chair covers and bows are one of the few things that aren't included we use the same company that does our table linen for the chair covers. We would handle all of the planning so that everything is properly coordinated and set up on time.

Is there anything else that you would like to tell prospective brides and their families about the Carriage House?

	At the Carriage House you'll have the same event planner throughout your wedding planning process. So, from day one, say you came in here today, you would have me throughout until the day of your wedding. It's about making our guest's special day as perfect as possible. They will not have to worry about a thing.

So, you would never take a vacation on the day one of your clients was planning a wedding or special function?
	I probably won’t be taking a vacation in the first year and a half of the building, anyway. Vacations are the last thing on my mind.

Additional Information on the Carriage House For more information or to book your event contact Michael Levine at (609) 748-2400 email: mlevine@the-carriagehouse.com ~ www.the-carriagehouse.com