Hanger would have forced my early exit. Kudos to you for staying.
On a related note, I would be very curious to attend a big NJ/NY wedding. I don't think that I will ever have the opportunity, does watching RHONJ count? The closest I ever got was marrying someone from NJ. So I had numerous NJ natives at my traditional, Southern country club wedding. At least I fed them! I did nearly have a coronary when I started receiving wedding gifts in the form of very large checks from my new NJ relatives.
I have been to a couple NYC weddings and a couple weddings in the CT suburbs (one in Greenwich and one in Westport), and I did not find them to be as different from the dozens of Southern country club weddings that I have been to as one might expect. The guest list was smaller, the dinner was seated rather than buffet, but the amount and quality of food and drinks provided and general fanciness was just not that different, IME. But I get the impression that maybe NJ is its own animal when it comes to weddings, and I have never been to a wedding in NJ.
Hanger would have forced my early exit. Kudos to you for staying.
On a related note, I would be very curious to attend a big NJ/NY wedding. I don't think that I will ever have the opportunity, does watching RHONJ count? The closest I ever got was marrying someone from NJ. So I had numerous NJ natives at my traditional, Southern country club wedding. At least I fed them! I did nearly have a coronary when I started receiving wedding gifts in the form of very large checks from my new NJ relatives.
I have been to a couple NYC weddings and a couple weddings in the CT suburbs (one in Greenwich and one in Westport), and I did not find them to be as different from the dozens of Southern country club weddings that I have been to as one might expect. The guest list was smaller, the dinner was seated rather than buffet, but the amount and quality of food and drinks provided and general fanciness was just not that different, IME. But I get the impression that maybe NJ is its own animal when it comes to weddings, and I have never been to a wedding in NJ.
Definitely isn't unique to NJ -- Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, etc. wedding mills are the same story. (Note: not all wedding venues in any of these areas fit the wedding mill mold.)
I'd imagine the weddings you went to in Greenwich and Westport weren't at your stereotypical wedding mills. (I've never been to a wedding in CT and don't know whether wedding mills exist in the same way up there.)
I have been to a couple NYC weddings and a couple weddings in the CT suburbs (one in Greenwich and one in Westport), and I did not find them to be as different from the dozens of Southern country club weddings that I have been to as one might expect. The guest list was smaller, the dinner was seated rather than buffet, but the amount and quality of food and drinks provided and general fanciness was just not that different, IME. But I get the impression that maybe NJ is its own animal when it comes to weddings, and I have never been to a wedding in NJ.
Definitely isn't unique to NJ -- Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, etc. wedding mills are the same story. (Note: not all wedding venues in any of these areas fit the wedding mill mold.)
I'd imagine the weddings you went to in Greenwich and Westport weren't at your stereotypical wedding mills. (I've never been to a wedding in CT and don't know whether wedding mills exist in the same way up there.)
The CT weddings were at country clubs, not dissimilar from the country clubs that have been the site of weddings I have attended in DC, TX, or the South. Not what I picture when people talk about wedding mills, but I am not sure I have a good idea of what wedding mills are. Are they free standing venues that do nothing but host weddings?
I have been to a couple NYC weddings and a couple weddings in the CT suburbs (one in Greenwich and one in Westport), and I did not find them to be as different from the dozens of Southern country club weddings that I have been to as one might expect. The guest list was smaller, the dinner was seated rather than buffet, but the amount and quality of food and drinks provided and general fanciness was just not that different, IME. But I get the impression that maybe NJ is its own animal when it comes to weddings, and I have never been to a wedding in NJ.
Definitely isn't unique to NJ -- Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, etc. wedding mills are the same story. (Note: not all wedding venues in any of these areas fit the wedding mill mold.)
I'd imagine the weddings you went to in Greenwich and Westport weren't at your stereotypical wedding mills. (I've never been to a wedding in CT and don't know whether wedding mills exist in the same way up there.)
There are, just not as plentiful. We went to a CT wedding mill wedding a few years back and it was no different than the standard NJ ordeal.
Definitely isn't unique to NJ -- Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, etc. wedding mills are the same story. (Note: not all wedding venues in any of these areas fit the wedding mill mold.)
I'd imagine the weddings you went to in Greenwich and Westport weren't at your stereotypical wedding mills. (I've never been to a wedding in CT and don't know whether wedding mills exist in the same way up there.)
The CT weddings were at country clubs, not dissimilar from the country clubs that have been the site of weddings I have attended in DC, TX, or the South. Not what I picture when people talk about wedding mills, but I am not sure I have a good idea of what wedding mills are. Are they free standing venues that do nothing but host weddings?
Definitely isn't unique to NJ -- Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, etc. wedding mills are the same story. (Note: not all wedding venues in any of these areas fit the wedding mill mold.)
I'd imagine the weddings you went to in Greenwich and Westport weren't at your stereotypical wedding mills. (I've never been to a wedding in CT and don't know whether wedding mills exist in the same way up there.)
The CT weddings were at country clubs, not dissimilar from the country clubs that have been the site of weddings I have attended in DC, TX, or the South. Not what I picture when people talk about wedding mills, but I am not sure I have a good idea of what wedding mills are. Are they free standing venues that do nothing but host weddings?
Well, nothing but events (weddings, but also bat mitzvahs, christenings, anniversary parties, corporate events -- all sorts of big events). But yes, by "wedding mill" I mean catering halls that exist only to host events. Many will host two events a day (so a typical weekend will be Friday evening wedding, Saturday afternoon wedding, Saturday night wedding, Sunday afternoon wedding, Sunday night wedding). Some can host several events at a time, so multiply all that by however many ballrooms they have. Hence, "mill" or "factory." Some have "Country Club" in the name despite not having members or golf or any of that. But those are the places that are known for the over-the-top amounts (though not necessarily quality) of cocktail hour food and all that.
We got married at a country club (one with members and golf) in NJ and I don't think it was any different from the type of country club wedding that you'd find in other areas of the country. Places like that do exist around in NJ!