What could be worse than losing the backs of the perfect earrings you are going to wear to your dream wedding in less than twenty-minutes? Maybe finding a tear in your hem or losing that crucial bobby-pin? These crises can be averted with a simple fix. Be prepared.
One thing that NJ brides seem to forget about is being prepared for minor issues that could lead to total emotional chaos, like those situations mentioned above. Keeping all the things that could go wrong in mind, we’ve compiled a list of things that should be included in your “Bridal Survival Kit” on your big day at your central NJ wedding venue.
Folding brush with mirror: for those last minute touches in the limo.
Hair spray:for a touch-up to tame escaped tendrils after taking your wedding photos outside (in the unpredictable New Jersey weather).
Tissues: to dab your eyes or to offer to your mother at your wedding reception and ceremony.
Safety pins: just in case the zipper or clasp on your gown decides to be difficult, or one of your bridesmaids didn’t wear the heels she promised she would and her dress is now too long. (Hem tape can help too!)
Mending kit: for situations that a safety pin can’t fix. (Make sure your colors match the thread!)
Super glue: the crystal adhesives that were supposed to decorate your veil are falling off and they need to be reattached, quick!
Static remover: no stand up hair, or stuck-to-your-face veil.
Pain reliever: for that terrible night sleep you got, for the stress you are putting yourself through, and for the member of your bridal party who has a hangover and needs to perk up.
Breath freshener: no groom wants to kiss a bride with bad breath.
Band-aids: standing for pictures and at the altar all day may result in some really attractive blisters.
Bobby-pins: in case your up-do starts to fall!
Stain remover: that little chocolate strawberry that your mom gave you may not just end up in your mouth.
Waterproof mascara: black tracks down your face are not what you want in your wedding photos.
Nail file and nail polish remover: in case the manicurist missed a spot or you nicked your nail on something.
Earring backs: these things go missing all the time, lost in the carpet, the grass, or just disappear.
Straws: so you can stay hydrated without ruining your make-up!
Clear nail polish: in case you have runs in your stockings or pantyhose.
Flat shoes: for the ceremony, as hours upon hours in heels do not look kindly upon feet.
Lint brush: get all the fuzz off your dress, and off your bridesmaids and the ring-bearer who spent the morning crawling under the beds looking for an escape.
Antacid and upset stomach medicine: nerves can sometimes get the best of us.
And just in case, request one of your bridesmaids to carry a back up “Bridal Emergency Kit” because you just never know.
As the spring 2012 season approaches so quickly, the deals at Hotels Unlimited continue to grow as the flowers bloom. During April 2012, Hotels Unlimited is proud to announce its Central NJ Bridal and Baby Shower deal. Throughout the month of April, brides and mothers to be can take advantage of 15% off with our April Showers deal. (Hopefully rain boots are not required.) Parties who book can take advantage of our available dates throughout 2012.
Parties who book can also take advantage of our referral discount and receive an additional 5% off their baby or bridal shower for each friend who books at The Versailles Ballroom, The Atlantis Ballroom, The Sterling Ballroom, The Windsor Ballroom, and The Crystal Ballroom. Each of these Central NJ ballrooms provide a great variety of banquet spaces for any social affair. Each ballroom located in Mercer County, Monmouth County, and Ocean County can give their shower a unique flair while providing the utmost care to service to the event. For more information, please see our flyer.
A wedding is a once in a lifetime event, and with it comes a MOTHER IN LAW monster lurking in the shadows…. Ok, although the reality is not all mothers- in- law and mothers- of brides are terrors. Some moms are quite nothing short of angelic guardians who guide us all through the process of life through their infinite wisdom and unrequited love. (I love you mom!)
As we all know in New Jersey weddings, family is family and no one should be disrespectin’ nobody’s mom and brides are no exception. (So put down the claws Bridezilla). After all, part of the whole marriage process is a joining of two families and our central New Jersey wedding venues celebrate this unity of family by treating our brides as family of our own.
After seeing an article posted by OneWed featuring the What Not to Wear for MOBs and MOGs, Hotels Unlimited decided to take a crack at this (with of course a bit of sensible tongue in cheek and a drawing ability of a fifth grader, since that is how we roll here in Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean County, NJ)
How does the bride then ask the mother in law about her attire for the big day?
After deciding on a color palette and a theme, it is time to do some dress shopping. Why not make a day of it and enjoy it? Take the mom(s) out to lunch, order a few drinks, and have a fun day of shopping together. Get to know the woman you are intending to dress and imagine what her wedding dress was once like, because she too was once in your shoes.
Some tactful ways to approach this can be covered in conversation and in the right questions:what style of dress mom wore to her wedding?, what were her wedding colors?, who was her favorite fashionista-type celebrities? Somewhere behind that mother -in-law -death- glare- of- love is a woman.
WHAT IF MY MOM…. Says she likes 80s grunge and would like to be dressed out of a combination of a dumpster and Lady Gaga? (and please, no meat dress at my wedding!!)
Although that is a tough combo to salvage, even Lady Gaga has had her classy moments that could make any woman beautiful. Show mom the Lady Gaga-esque styles that you would like and see what she thinks. Fortunately, there are enough styles and variety that it can loosely tie into the bridal theme without making the mother-monster miserable. (yes, pun was intended.)
When all else fails, at least the bride can say she tried. Although a NJ wedding is one of the biggest milestones, one has to ask the important questions of what truly matters: family. After all, remember that the family will still exist long after the wedding is over so it is best not to burn any bridges since you will be with them until death do you part.
As the temperatures outside become slightly warmer outside we are reminded that spring and love are coming into the air, and what a better way to celebrate love than through a wedding? When selecting your central NJ wedding venue, one must consider the value that the venue can provide for their special event. Today, Hotels Unlimited announces its One Day Wedding Sale for our Ocean County wedding facilities: The Atlantis Ballroom & The Versailles Ballroom. With half price enhancers and prices starting at $45-$49 at the Atlantis Ballroom and $49-$59 at the Versailles Ballroom, Hotels Unlimited has not had a better wedding package deal for 2012.
Versailles Ballroom at the Ramada of Toms River
Particularly, Hotels Unlimited already offers in our packages:
-One on one personalized service and a commitment to your vision
-Table linens & centerpieces
-Catering package options
-On-site ceremony space and overnight stay
Atlantis Ballroom inside of the Holiday Inn of Toms River
Both the Atlantis Ballroom and The Versailles Ballroom have won The Knot Best of Weddings awards thanks to our lovely brides who rated us among the best. To see the Versailles Ballroom reviews and the Atlantis Ballroom reviews be sure to check out our pages on The Knot, our website, or on WeddingWire. To see more details on our offer see the
Interested parties are invited to participate in our New Jersey wedding catering tastings during our 2012 Mercer County bridal shows. Here we took a short preview video to allow interested couples an insider’s look into the world of The Windsor Ballroom as part of our Behind the Scenes YouTube Video series.
Our Central NJ wedding venues are available for tours and to schedule a meeting with you. We look forward to hearing from you:
When searching for the perfect Central NJ wedding venue, look no further than the Sterling Ballroom in the DoubleTree of Tinton Falls to suit your wedding catering needs. The Sterling Ballroom can be used for many events such as weddings, bar & bat mitzvahs, and Sweet 16 birthday parties. As one can see in our latest YouTube video below, the Sterling Ballroom can be used for both the wedding ceremony and the reception. The difference between the two set-ups is so drastic that you forget you were in the same room only moments earlier. After the ceremony, a cocktail hour takes place in the Sapphire Room while the Sterling Ballroom is transformed into a beautiful reception space. To view more wedding pictures of the Sterling Ballroom visit our website.
Tour the Sterling Ballroom by watching the Youtube video above featuring a typical wedding ceremony, and cocktail hour setup in the Sapphire Ballroom. There are many options of food displayed served by our enthusiastic workers. Hotels Unlimited invites you to take a look for yourself.
After corresponding with our friends at Eastern European Photography, we at Hotels Unlimited had to share some of these wonderful pictures of this couple who was married at the Atlantis Ballroom located inside of the Holiday Inn of Toms River. This Central NJ wedding banquet hall had a taste of an edgier style bride that chose a black, white, and red color palette. Featuring the beautiful courtyards at Monmouth University, and the reception at the Atlantis Ballroom this NJ wedding couple dares to push the envelope that much further with these fun and bold wedding photos.
Whenever anyone is holding any significant Central NJ events one needs to consider the food that they will be serving to their guests. Today, we will be taking an inside look of a typical cocktail hour inside of the Crystal Ballroom inside of the Radisson of Freehold, NJ as a continuation of our Behind the Scenes of a NJ Wedding YouTube series. All of our properties have a similar menu and are committed to a standard of excellence. This cocktail reception is very versatile and can be applied to any of our wedding, bar/ bat mitzvah, sweet 16, and corporate meetings packages.
Happy New Year everyone! There are some great opportunities and great deals to be had when planning your NJ wedding for 2012, and here at Hotels Unlimited we have some exciting news to tell you about. Looking forward to the new year, we are excited to see what the latest trends for 2012 will be for weddings. Here are some popular trends for the upcoming year.
The Dress
According to Brides.com, some really popular dress trends for 2012 include the invisible neckline that would allow for additional support for any bride. This also includes lace sleeves.
Although some consider it taboo to not have a white dress, the wedding industry is slowly starting to break from the 200+ year Victorian tradition and is starting into blush, lavender and green accents into the dress.
Finally the other significant change is the double skirt look. Rather than bunching and gathering, a double layered skirt can accent a bride’s curves.
Flowers… or perhaps not?
With the high cost of flowers, many brides are getting craftier and going the DIY route on their bouquets. This can mean using non-traditional accents such as small berries, fruit, buttons, fabric, broaches, gems, wire and more. This is also a more eco-friendly option as flowers wilt and die within hours of the wedding. However, brides that opt for an all floral bouquet can choose locally grown options for the season as it is a more cost-effective option than ordering flowers and paying for shipping.
Vintage Themes
Looking to save some money on the big day? Many brides are looking towards the vintage route to include being crafty and incorporating the family theme. Some brides have done this by including old marriage photos from the family, incorporating older elements into their wedding.
“Santa baby did I forget to mention one little thing? A ring.” Although Christmas and the holiday season is a popular time to propose, there are many different styles of rings that can reflect the style of the bride. This cute article by bridal guide, gives some cute insight into cuts of diamond engagement rings.
Round
The look: Also known as brilliant-cut, this tried-and-true shape reflects more light than any other, and is the most popular. Avril Lavigne showed her traditional side by wearing a round diamond engagement ring.
This choice says you’re: Trustworthy and easygoing.
Emerald
The look: Inspired by the Asscher, this glamorous choice is also a rectangular step-cut shape. It has fewer facets than some of the other shapes, so look for an emerald-cut that offers maximum brilliance.
This choice says you’re: Efficient and straightforward.
Cushion
The look: Rectangular with curved sides, the cushion-cut first hit big in the 18th century. A recent resurgence in popularity has given it a modern-meets-vintage feel. Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Garner a cushion-cut rock.
This choice says you’re: Organized and daring.
Princess
The look: This relatively new square shape, with a modern, understated feel, combines a sparkly, brilliant effect with a geometric step-cut. You can attribute its spectacular glitter to extra faceting around the rim.
This choice says you’re: Decisive and fun-loving.
Heart
The look: This century-old shape, symbolizing love and devotion, should be well proportioned for optimum sparkle. Kid Rock proposed to Pamela Anderson with a yellow heart-shaped diamond.
This choice says you’re: Sentimental and dreamy.
Pear
The look: Resembling a teardrop, a pear-shaped diamond has the fire and beauty of a round shape, but with a less conventional look. This shape can also make a wide finger look slimmer.
This choice says you’re: Even-tempered and adaptable.
Oval
The look: If you love the gorgeous sparkle of a round, brilliant-cut diamond but still want something unique, consider an oval. A fresh take on a timeless style, this new shape came about in the early 1960s. Actor Jerry O’Connell recently gave his betrothed fashionista, Rebecca Romijn, an oval-shaped sparkler.
This choice says you’re: Risk-taking and creative.
Asscher
The look: Square with angular corners, this shape dates back to the late 1800s. If you look closely, you’ll see that it’s step-cut, meaning the facets are rectangular and seem to descend into the stone.
This choice says you’re: Feminine and meticulous.
Diamonds by the Numbers
73: Percentage of brides who help choose or affect the choice of engagement ring.
4: Average number of jewelry stores those brides visit.
$2,600: Average amount spent on an engagement ring.
50: Percentage of diamond engagement rings that include round diamonds. The runner-up: square shapes like princess and emerald-cut. The biggest rise in popularity has been in vintage-inspired shapes like cushion and Asscher.
Welcome to the Atlantis Ballroom of the Holiday Inn of Toms River. This Central NJ wedding destination is an ideal location that is ten minutes to the beach but without the banquet catering prices found with venues on the water.
This behind the scenes wedding video shows the Atlantis Ballroom features including:
Veranda cocktail hour space
Ice Sculptures included in our packages
Wedding Food Displays
The Ceremony Space
The Dance Floor/ Reception Space/ Sweet Heart Table
Be sure to leave us a comment. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for watching.