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!
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.
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.
Today Hotels Unlimited is happy to introduce Lauren and Matt who were married on September 17th. Lauren and Matt like some of our Toms River couples held their Jersey Shore wedding ceremony on the nearby beaches and took pictures there. Then when it came time to celebrate the reception, they brought elements of the beach back with them to the Versailles Ballroom inside the Ramada Toms River. This is a great way to bring the beach into your special day without paying through the nose for a venue on the water. This locally inspired wedding features photographs from Georgian Court University, Ocean County Beaches and of course the Versailles Ballroom.
According to a recent article found on Business Insurance, event planners are showing a trend of NOT insuring their events. According to research, the article suggests that many of the 50,000 event planners across the country are independently operated and will only get insurance for an event at the client’s request.
Photos of some of our outdoor ceremonies & nearby beach weddings
But like anyone else, we are only human and cannot control everything. For example in last August, Hurricane Irene had ruined more than 6,000 weddings across the east coast according to a report from CNN Money. The average cost of a wedding is about $30,000 and about a whopping $70,000 in New York City.. ouch!
So would you consider insuring your wedding or large gala event? As we all have learned throughout life, poop happens and so does the weather. Although we always can hope for the best for anyone’s big day, we can only do just that. Hope.
It’s time to reveal this month’s NJ Wedding Deal in October! Book your new wedding before October 31st, 2011 and receive 5%- 20% off your wedding package. We will also include a special treat that goes toward your package. This offer is an exclusive Central NJ wedding deal available at the Atlantis Ballroom at the Holiday Inn Toms River, The Versailles Ballroom at the Ramada Toms River, The Sterling Ballroom at the Doubletree Tinton Falls, The Crystal Ballroom at the Radisson in Freehold and the Windsor Ballroom at the Holiday Inn in East Windsor.
Participants who book at any of the Hotels Unlimited facilities will receive a VIP card that will entitle them to exclusive deals and savings that cannot be provided anywhere else. Brides and other event planners can only get a Sound Connection VIP card by booking a Hotels Unlimited event, and can only get a Hotels Unlimited VIP card by booking a Sound Connection event. This card is designed to bring savings and is ready for use.
Happy Friday everyone and the unofficial last weekend of summer at the Jersey Shore. :-/ Although summer is almost gone, we start pulling out our warmer clothes and jackets and get ready for the weather ahead. With the cold, brings the holidays and the families together. Each season has its advantages and beautiful colors that come with it.
