Anxiously awaiting your wedding day, the pieces are slowly coming together. You have set the date, chosen your wedding venue and selected your photographer. One hurdle that is making things difficult is the location of your wedding photos. Where can you go locally in the Jersey Shore that will have an air of dignified beauty and timeless perfection? As a native to the area you think there is not a single place you can go that will measure up to your ideal wedding photos. You are mistaken. There are a dozen of places you can go in Ocean County, New Jersey that will leave your friends and family admiring your wedding photos for years to come. Here are our top 5 wedding photo worthy places for you to consider near your wedding venue.
1. Georgian Court University’s Sister Mary Grace Burns Arboretum
Located in Lakewood NJ, only 10 minutes from the Versailles Ballroom at the Ramada of Toms River and 15 minutes from the Hilton Garden Inn, Georgian Court is a gorgeous campus. With five different gardens, you have your pick of which breathtaking setting you want featured in your photos. The Italian Garden features the Fountain of Apollo and floral urns that bloom with fiercely colored geraniums between mid-May and late September.
The Japanese Garden is home to a quaint teahouse surrounded by pink and white flowering trees in April-May and deep red flowering trees in October-November. The Sunken Gardens features a marble fountain and a great, double staircase in white marble that overlooks the pond. On the opposite side of this garden there is a brick and marble bridge overlooking Lake Carasaljo.
Photos taken at Georgian Court University with reception at the Versailles Ballroom
The Formal garden is at its peak in July with lush green hedges and bronze statues. The stable house is a picturesque location to pose for your photos. Founder’s Grove is full of “unusual trees” including the Weeping Norway Spruce, the Sourwood and many more. The gardens are only open to those who are connected to GCU by either being a student, alumni or family member of a student/alumni. There is a minimal fee of $350 for those who have family members who attended GCU, and $35-$50 for Alumni. Current students can use these spectacular hidden gardens free of charge.
2. The Lavallette Gazebo
Located in Lavallette on Camden Avenue, 15 minutes from the Atlantis Ballroom at the Holiday Inn of Toms River and 20 minutes away from the Versailles Ballroom at the Ramada Inn of Toms River, the Gazebo overlooks the Barnegat Bay. The gazebo is available year round and if your date is available you will receive a two hour time block to take your photos. To use this particular location there is a $200 fee and application process. You can check the availability of the flower surrounded gazebo and download the application.
3.The beach, boardwalk or Island Heights
The beach is a classic setting for wedding photos. No matter what your color scheme or kind of wedding dress, the beach is a setting that fits any bride’s unique theme. Both the groom and bride, and bridesmaids and groomsmen, will look spectacular with the ocean and horizon as your backdrop. If you’re looking for NJ wedding reception facilities near picturesque shore points, our Ocean County wedding ballroomsare 5 to 20 minutes from the Jersey Shore.
Photos taken at the beach with reception held at the Versailles Ballroom
The boardwalks of NJ are also a wonderful place to take photos on your special day. Worried about sand or the water conditions? Then why not take your photos on the boardwalk with the beauty of the ocean still behind you. With golden sands and surf in the background a boardwalk pavilion is a great site for memories to be captured on film.
Photo taken at the Boardwalk near the Merry-Go-Round. Reception held at the Atlantis Ballroom.
For those who do not care too much for bridges but still want to take photos with the surf in the background, Island Heights is for you. With a grand pavilion, open skies, and stunning scenery this is a good option. These locations are all great for any bride who wants photos she and her groom can admire for years to come.
4. Lake Horicon in Lakehurst
Getting married in the fall and worried about a lovely outdoor location to take your wedding photos? Have no fear. Lake Horicon is a gorgeous spot during the fall. Located just 20 minutes from the Versailles Ballroom and the Atlantis Ballroom, the reddish water makes the colors of the trees pop during this time of year and the little strip of beach is a great place for photos as well as the secluded benches dotted around the edges of the lake. A pavilion with a fireplace is also located on the banks of Lake Horicon and would make a great local stop to capture your wedding memories.
5. Huddy Park Gazebo in Downtown Toms River
With a three part gazebo and bridge, Huddy Park Gazebo is a convenient, wonderful spot for photos. The gazebo has one large centered area with two smaller adjoining gazebos on each side. The bridge, surrounded by lush green trees and plants is a romantic spot to share a memorable moment with your partner. This lovely area is only 12 minutes away from both of our Toms River hotel locations. These five locations are wonderful for brides that have booked at local, NJ wedding venues and banquet halls in Ocean County. These wedding photo ideas are great for brides who want outdoor photos that compliment the beauty of the bride and attractive outdoor locations in New Jersey.
Join the Ramada of Toms River or the Radisson Hotel of Freehold for an Easter Sunday Brunch on April 8, 2012. The Ramada of Toms River, Ocean County NJ will be offering a buffet at both 11:00am and 1:30pm in the Versailles Ballroom. The buffet will include dishes such as roasted turkey, scrambled eggs, bacon, salmon, prime rib, fresh fruit, assorted salads and much more. To book your reservations please call 732-905-2626 x154. For more information on pricing, food, and the address of the hotel please see our flyer.
The Radisson Hotel of Freehold, Monmouth County NJ will be offering a buffet at both 12:00pm and 2:00pm in the Crystal Ballroom. The buffet will include dishes such as glazed ham, scrambled eggs, sausage, french toast, NY strip steak, fresh fruit and cheese, assorted salads and much more. To book your reservations please call 732-780-3400 x6108. For more information on pricing, food, and the address of the hotel please see our flyer.
Come celebrate Easter Sunday 2012 with delicious food and great people in the Central New Jersey area. The Ramada of Toms River and Radisson Hotel of Freehold can’t wait to celebrate this special holiday with you and your family. See you for Easter Sunday Brunch!
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:
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.
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.
In honor of the wonderful year in 2011, each Hotels Unlimited property likes to host an annual Holiday Party for our loyal patrons and friends in the neighborhood. We invite you to take a look at the Versailles Ballroom of the Ramada in Toms River, and wish you the happiest for the season. For more information, please contact us at 732-905-2626 x164 or at www.versaillescaterers.com
Whether the company is having a fourth quarter report meeting or strategizing for the upcoming year ahead, one needs a meeting space that is convenient and centrally located. Our Central NJ meeting and banquet facilities are holding a deal for the businesses that look forward to 2012. With this offer, people who book 5 rooms inside our hotels can redeem a FREE meeting room space up to $500. Companies can take advantage of getting a well rested night’s sleep before the big meeting early in the morning.
As a way of saying thank you, we are inviting you to our New Year’s eve 2012 celebration. Help us kick off the new year with Versatile DJs along with a 5 hour open bar, gourmet cuisine, and of course free champagne at midnight. The party will be hosted inside of the Atlantis Ballroom at the Holiday Inn of Toms River. This location is 10 minutes from the Seaside Heights boardwalk which is a nice peaceful walk during the day just before you gear up for the big party at midnight. This central NJ party is one that no one should miss.
With the continuing success of the construction of our wedding fruit sculpture video, we thought that we would continue our Central NJ wedding catering video series by including a fast-forward video construction of a vegetable platter. These beautifully hand crafted pieces are created on-site by our executive chefs and come as a standard with our elite catering packages. We promise that our food displays are just as gorgeous as they are delicious. Bon Appetit!
Thanks for watching.
