Branches Catering

Our wedding ceremony and reception at Branches were PERFECT!!! John, Stasia, Debbie, Chris and their entire staff paid attention to every last detail and helped to make our wedding day even more beautiful than we imagined! We have been receiving rave reviews on how beautiful the venue was and how the food was delicious! Thank you for helping to make all of our wedding day dreams come true!
-Cheryl & Brad Gilbert

Our wedding could not have been more perfect. Everything was absolutely beautiful. The cocktail hour and reception completely exceeded my expectations! The food and desserts were delicous!!! My husband and I could not have been happier with our special day. Stasia was the best! She did so much, and she is so patient and sweet! Thank you again to all of the staff at Branches!!!
Katie and Chris!

Branches was a wonderful venue to have a wedding! They are accommodating and flexible with all the changes and creativity we had put in the last minute details! Stasia was beyond wonderful and so helpful! I recommended this to a couple people!

Branches was amazing from start to finish! We worked with Stasia and she was so accomodating. They helped us every step of the way and even when we didn't make our guarantee guest count they added on items so that we did not have to over pay!

I had my ceremony and reception at Branches and they did an incredible job. The staff was very accommodating to anything I asked about. Our wedding coordinator, Stasia, was very helpful in the planning process and would always respond right away. They take care of many of the details you may not think about. The food was amazing as all my guests reported and really got a lot for what you pay for. There was also plenty of room in the ballroom for almost 300 guests. Great venue to have your own wedding!

The staff at Branches, especially Stasia, are amazing! They went out of their way to make sure every need was met. The ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception spaces were beautiful. The food was exceptional. Stasia took care of everything the day of the wedding. I was able to relax and enjoy my wedding with no worries!

Branches did an amazing job with everything. Our wedding was exactly how i pictured and more! Stasia was great and answered any and every question I had. During the reception my mother in laws dress ripped and not one but three waitresses rushed to her with sewing kits and safety pins. Everyone that attended our wedding said how amazing the food was and that it was the best and most beautiful wedding they have been to!

We cannot say enough good things are the food at Branches! We keep getting compliments on the cocktail hour, which was most important to us, and the amount of food! The venetian hour was amazing and they were so extremely accomadating. Stasia was our wedding planner and she was so helpful during such a stressful time! The value is truly there and it was an amazing wedding!

Where do I start? If we could give branches more than 5 stars, we would do it in a heartbeat. Our wedding at branches was absolutely phenomenal. The GM John Lombardo is a comsummate professional and a perfectionist, who along with our wedding coordinator Stasia, bent over backwards to make our wedding dreams come true. Our guests are still raving about how wonderful it was almost a month later, and I'm positive they will still be raving about it years from now. Our guests were blown away by the gorgeous venue, the beautiful outdoor cocktail hour in the waterfall garden, and the outrageous food. The unanimous verdict was that this was the BEST wedding they had ever been to. My husband and I were thrilled with Branches from the very beginning and they did not let us down. Our wedding day was the most amazing day of our lives thanks to John Lombardo, Stasia, and everyone at Branches. Beyond the terrific day we had and the unparalleled service, Branches also offers so much more for the money compared to every other venue in the area. I want my friends to get married at Branches so I can go back!

John, Stasia, and the rest of the Branches staff, thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for our amazing wedding.

-Cari and John Panossian

Everyone at Branches was very helpful, professional and kind. It was a pleasure working with them.

I had my wedding here. Everyone said the food was great and they had a blast!

What can I say......my family and I are absolutely amazed at the job Branches did for our wedding. We were exceptionally pleased from the very first time we met with Branches as a potential reception venue. My husband and I probably visited a dozen venues in our area and NO ONE compared to Branches. From the very beginning they asked us our interests to ensure our day was personalized to our personalities. They even made a very special hors'deurve just for us. The cocktail hour was the biggest we have ever seen and the raves from our guests are non stop. The food was outstanding and there was an endless supply of it. The mashed potato bar was a HUGE hit. When we met our maitre dei I quote him in saying "I treat every wedding as if it were my daughters" and that is JUST what he did. He stood by us the entire night, made sure we had a fresh drink, everything was going the way we wanted it and that we were enjoying ourselves. The best was when my husband and I finally sat down to eat dinner, the general manager and maitre dei literally ran to us to make sure our food was hot and just what we wanted. We didn't eat much due to excitement so they made our entire family plates to take home so we could enjoy the meal. Stasia was our wedding planner and what a wonderful time we had planning everything with her. She was extremely sweet, professional and prompt with replying to emails with questions we may have had. There was not one bump in the road while planning our wedding with Branches. I recommend Branches to everyone getting married. Not to mention the pictures taken in their garden are breathtaking!!!!

We absolutely loved having our wedding at Branches! The staff was wonderful to work with and the food was incredible. We are still getting compliments from people at how beautiful everything was and how delicious the food was. The entire wedding ran smoothly, from ceremony to reception - I couldn't have asked for a more amazing night. Everyone was so well organized and incredibly professional. Thanks so much to everyone at Branches for making our night so special!

Wonderful! Everyone had an amazing time! Their food is tasty and beautiful prepared.

We worked with Alissa at Branches who made sure every single detail was in order. We did not have to worry about a single thing the whole night. Our personal waitress made sure we were taken care of from the second we arrived. The food was EXCELLENT. Our guests have been taking about the food since the wedding. I would absolutely recommend Branches to any couple looking for a venue site.

The Branches’s special attention to detail and thorough professionalism contributed to what we like to call our dream come true wedding. We couldn’t have been happier with how everything revealed. Special thank you to Stasia, one of our wedding coordinators, for listening and understanding how important it was to us to have the ceremony outdoor and making it happen despite not a very cooperative weather right before the wedding ceremony. Everyone loved the arrangements, the warmth of the fireplace right next to the dance floor, to die for food and friendliness and courteousness of the staff.

Throughout the whole process we felt complete trust in Branches’ ability to create an unforgettable and inspirational event, which will forever stay in our hearts. We asked for an outdoor ceremony at the beautiful Gazebo right off the Pier Village, we dreamt of an intelligent and yet intimate family and friends gathering and we got not just that but a lot more. We received a special dream transformed into a reality.

Thank you for everything

Branches was amazing! Everything went just the way we wanted it to, from the ceremony to the food, it was all perfect!

Branches Catering truly makes the bride and groom feel at ease throughout the entire planning process; the staff all have a welcoming and warm attitude. The day of the wedding could not have been any more perfect. I always heard of stories of things going wrong on one's wedding day but I can honestly say, there was not a single thing that went wrong. Everyone from the owner John to each server was right on top of every detail of the day. I had so many people at my wedding rave about how they had not been to a better wedding than mine. The food was great... everything was simply wonderful! If you are looking for a place that actually cares and treats you as though you were there only client, then Branches Catering is the place for you!

We had great complements on the food and the staff. The waiters and waitresses were very attentive to the needs of our guests. Lawrence and I had a fabulous time at Branches. Thank you very much! -Lawrence and Nataly Zucconi

Branches did a wonderful job on my wedding!! Alysa was always there to help and answer any question my wife and I had. The food was fantastic, everything from the hor dervs to the main course was perfect. Weeks after my wedding my guest still tell me that was the best wedding they every attended and that they are still full from all the delicious food!!

We would recommend this venue for any event you could think of! They did a FANTASTIC job!!!! We couldn't have been happier!

John and Kate were so easy to work with. Honestly... I planned a wedding from another side of the country! So stress-free. They were flexible, always accomodating to my schedule (as well as to other vendors that I was working with that needed to see the space prior to the wedding) and the entire staff worked tirelessly to ensure that the day was seamless. Branches only has one wedding at a time so we had cocktails by a fireplace, dancing in the ballroom and the waterfall outside for pictures--all to ourselves! It was so magical!

My wife and I loved having our reception at Branches. I have been in the DJ entertainment industry for 10 years and have been at just about every catering hall in the tri-state area and we chose to have our reception at Branches. Melanie could not have been any easier to work with. She helped make our wedding the most incredible day ever. She worked with us on everything. We had phenominal food, great service and the place looked great. We loved Melanie and Branches so much that they catered my wife's off premise medical school graduation party as well. This is the place to go for a wedding day that you and your guests will never forget! Enjoy and call Melanie now!

The site is beautiful and everyone that works there is very helpful and attentive. It has been 4 months and people are still telling us how great the food was at our wedding. We went with the cocktail reception which was about 6 different stations including a mashed potato bar, wok station and pasta station just to name a few. This option allowed our guest to get as much or as little food as they wanted and made for great mingling. No one had to wait for food to be served or on line like with a buffet. Also the rooms are beautiful and neutral so what colors you are using will look great. The staff was awesome too!

I cannot say enough good things about Branches and Kate Stevens. I am so thrilled that we picked Branches for our wedding. It was the best wedding I've ever been to (I know, I'm a bit bias). Everything was perfect, the food, the service, the atmosphere. They really know how to do weddings. I wish I knew someone getting married there because I can't wait to go back!

I would recommend this venue to any bride looking to have a stress-free wedding in Monmouth County NJ.....After searching high and low for the "perfect" place to have our wedding, I finally found Branches in West Long Branch, NJ. I could not have been more please with EVERYTHING Branches had to offer. Alissa was AMAZING and was by my side to keep me comfortable and relaxed two weeks prior to my wedding-I cannot thank her enough. I am so pleased with Branches. I am getting so many compliments about Alissa, along with the food and atmosphere that each guest encountered-I could not be happier!

I have been to a lot of weddings in my life and without a doubt this was the best! And I'm not only saying that because I'm the bride. Every guest (family and friends) raved about the food, the service and the atmosphere. The owner was on site for the evening and everything was perfect!

My Husband I were just beginning our search for a Wedding Venue... we happened to visit Branches during the tail end of a Wedding show... the facility was filled with vendors from all over the area... it was PACKED! We walked through... feeling a bit overwhelmed... taking notes & we were finally ready to leave & begin again another day. We stopped to grab a brochure from the representatives of Branches & began talking with Melanie. Things had started wrapping up... the food was put away... the chefs, I could only imagine, were packing up to go home for the night... Before we knew it... we were showered an entire tray of freshly prepared samples from filet mignon... shrimp cocktail shooters.... ratatouille... pesto penne... seafood tempura... countless options I am finding it difficult to remember them all... Melanie sat with us for what seemed like hours discussing the facility & what was offered... different price points... food options.... ceremony & reception details... By the end of the night, we fell in love with Branches & Melanie! We began planning what was to become our DREAM WEDDING!

The Waterfall Garden was just the perfect setting for our ceremony... the cocktail hour followed & was nearby... but did not in any way take away from the beauty & tranquility of the ceremony... our reception was held in doors & was simply breath taking! The entire day was so perfectly orchestrated... Every detail planned by my husband & I was taken care of by Melanie & the staff @ Branches! It was incredibly worry-free... :)

We, like many brides & grooms missed out on eating the delicious array of Hors d'oeuvres during our cocktail hour. Between our photo session with our photographer & visiting with our guests.... we did not eat a thing.... Melanie had arranged the kitchen to prepare our favorite dishes of the hour & gave us time in our private Bridal Suite to relax & enjoy!

From start to finish.... we do not have a single complaint about the service & care taken to help plan our Wedding day! Thank you!

Sincerely,
Jeanette & Craig Harris
Wedding Date:
August 23, 2008

Branches gave my husband and I the perfect day. I don't use the word perfect often but perfect it was. I would relive the day everyday as long as Branches was providing all that they had.

Overall experience at Branches was FANTASTIC. Our families and friends talked about our wedding for months. Everyone raved about how great the food was - and I come from a big Italian family so a review like that can be hard to come by! They also did our beach ceremony for us and it was PERFECT. The whole day was magical and beautiful and exactly what my husband and I envisioned. The whole staff at Branches was professional and helpful. They accomodated our wishes and helped us to make it a warm and intimate day for us. We especially loved working with Melanie who took care of all our needs and was a personable person to have helping you put together one of the most memorable and important days of your life. It was the best wedding either one of us has ever attended, and yes because it was ours, but we weren't the only ones saying it!

Branches was very open to all of my needs. Kate was fantastic, very nice to work with. We were married very close to the time for holiday decorations, yet they did not work with my theme. So, Branches staff was wonderful and removed any decorations no matter the size for our event. The food was out of this world, from the cocktail hour to the four course meal. We continually get complements. Facilities were very clean, bridal suite was great.

It is hard to believe that our wedding day was already one year ago this week...the time flies by! Thinking back on that day, I could not imagine it being more perfect!
My husband and I fell in love with Branches after looking at numerous venues throughout Ocean and Monmouth counties. We loved the Branches' facility and food and had a great experience at one of their Bridal Showcases that we decided to meet with the staff to book our 2007 wedding (we booked two years prior to our date).
The physical building and food was important to us, but so was the service we expected to receive. I personally work in the event industry and have high customer service expectations...my expectations were not only met, but the Branches' staff (especially our banquet manager Kate Stevens) went out of their way to make this day incredible! I was impressed with Kate's organization and attention to every little detail! She eased many of my pre-wedding apprehensions...working with a Branches' banquet manager means that you should have no reason to turn into a "Bridezilla" when it comes to the catering/reception part of your day!
From the moment we arrived on the Branches property that day we were treated like a queen and king...everything that we had discussed had been executed perfectly! The food was delicious and the event was exquisite. It was wonderful to also see one of the partners (Jon Lombardo) on site that day, he too is phenomenal to work with.
If you are a bride and groom to be thinking about Branches for your wedding day...do not think any longer, book this venue, it is AMAZING! If you would like further details, please feel free to ask Branches for my contact information and I will gladly answer any other detailed questions that one may have.
THANK YOU AGAIN BRANCHES for making our wedding day an event of a lifetime!

Sincerely,
Jenn & Tom Harris

It took my husband and I alot of searching before we found Branches. We knew we were going to take our pictures at Monmouth University so we had to find somewhere in that area. The minute we walked into Branches I knew it was the place where we were going to have our reception. Kate Stevens is wonderful. When we booked Branches the garden was only a drawing on paper. She sat us down and showed us the plans and I was sold. (Too bad we got married on the hottest day in August and couldn't have our cocktail hour outside, but it's ok). The reception was beautiful. It was more than I could of asked for. Kate took all my visions and made them a reality. I can't say enough good things about John Lombardo (who was overseeing or cooking, no sure, in the kitchen the night of my wedding and Kate. The staff was wonderful. The food was great. I would recommend Branches to whoever is looking to have a party there. Maybe I will have my Baby Shower there when the times comes. I want to have another party there so bad. LOL

Branches exceeded all expectations we had. I was finding it difficult to find a place that was flexible enough to let me have the wedding with the food options I prefer. Not some pre-packaged service. Their sales staff were polite and accomodating.

Their wait staff was professional and courteous. The food is amazing in not only taste, but also in presentation.

I would reccomend this place without a second thought and would definitely have an event there again.

Branches, and especially our wedding coordinator, Stasia, really made our wedding day one of the best day in our lives. They listened to what we wanted, and in the end everything we told them was done. Our wedding was Kosher, and in the beginning, to be honest, I was a little skeptical about the food tasting good. I was completely wrong. The food was so delicious. We even had our engaged friends ask us who are caterer was! Branches made our day very special, and one we are not going to forget!!

We had a great time at our wedding and most importantly, everything ran very smooth and we did not have to worry about a thing! Great food, great ambiance, and great response from our guests.

Recommend 100%

Stasia was a great wedding coordinator throughout the whole process.

Overall, I was highly satisfied with Branches quality of service.

My wedding was 9/10/10, and thanks to Alyssa and all of the staff at Branches, we had the best time and the best food. From the initial visit, up until the actual wedding day, the entire staff helped to make my day perfect. And after the wedding, all of the guests could not stop talking about the venue, the food and overall how beautiful the entire wedding was. I have and will continue to recommend Branches to any potential bride!!!

The staff at Branches went out of there way to make us happy. Alot of things went wrong before the actual ceremony, and Alissa fixed them all! including doing my hair!!! The ceremony was great, the food was great, I couldnt have asked for anything more!!!

Awesome Venue. The rooms are beautiful and the food was delicious

Branches was wonderful. Food was excellent, staff great and responsive. Only 1 thing kept it from a perfect 5 for me. My groom's cake was not displayed and I had to ask where it was. When it was brought out, a lot of the guests had already left and we did not get photos of it. Other than that, they were great to work with and I highly recommend them and will probably do future events with Branches.

The entire staff was very pleasant, helpful and accommodating. The set-up, decor, and food were all excellent!
My only complaint was that potential customers were being walked through our wedding area while we were getting ready for the ceremony. Other than that I could not have asked for a more perfect day!

Stasia and Chris were very helpful in planning our wedding as well as
helping us with any problems. Stasia as our planner gave very good
advice and was always available. Room was set up beautifully. It was
a great wedding and will always be a wonderful memory. You should find a
better way to bring people in to Branches if guests can't arrive through the
garden . Walking up a concrete ramp in the back looks poorly until you
enter into the very nice reception area and bridal room.

Our wedding was a timeless and exquisite event because of Branches. I have been dreaming of my wedding day since I was a little girl and you made it a reality. Words cannot truly express how wonderful, magnificent and fantastic our wedding day was at your establishment. From the food to the décor, everything was perfect. All of our guests loved Branches. They thought it was classy, sophisticated, refined and the ideal place to have a wedding.
The food was superb.
The service was outstanding.
The ambiance of the waterfall garden and the magnolia room was unparalleled.
I cannot thank Branches enough for all the wonderful work you have done for us and our family. From the beginning stages of planning the wedding, Kate was there for us all the way. When we needed guidance on stages of the event, she was always there with a smile. As an event coordinator, she did a marvelous job of attending to every part of the wedding. The staff, as a whole, was exemplary and it is no wonder considering the professional, considerate, and leadership qualities that John Lombardo exhibits. As a man who leads by the highest standards, we knew that we would receive nothing less and that our wedding would be a premiere event. We owe Branches our deepest thanks for providing us and our family and friends an occasion that will be a lifetime memory to cherish.

When i first looked into having our wedding here, i read reviews that all seemed to be great. My review is going to be average. I felt like because we weren't having a big extravagant wedding with 200 people, we weren't given as much attention. A few of my emails sent to our sales person weren't answered. I wasn't told about the sweet 16 party that was going to be held outside after our ceremony. Our photographer was the one that told us about the party. The sales person that I thought was going to be there the whole time during our ceremony and reception was only there @ the ceremony then Chris, the banquet manager was there afterward. Chris was nice and helpful. I rather not name the girl that was "helping" and supposed to be answering my emails. What I will say is that the food was great, Chris again was helpful and the site was pretty.

One of the best places you can host your wedding reception on the Jersey Shore. They have a beautiful area that allows you to do your portrait photography on site. The food is amazing, and the atmosphere is elegant.

Branches is a wonderful venue for a wedding. The setting is perfect, the food beyond compare and the staff makes sure everything is perfect.

As an outside vendor of Branches, providing wedding officiant services to engaged couples, I have had many an opportunity to work with bridal consultant Stasia at Branches Catering. She shows that she is always right on top of all of her couple's wedding arrangements, taking charge when necessary, and conveys a very warm, friendly, and professional manner. When a couple calls me and tells me her bridal consultant is Stasia, I know they are in competent hands and will be quite happy with their event. Stasia is a dedicated professional, and I highly recommend her services.

What a pleasure it is to work with Branches. Their food is, of course, creative and delicious, and the outdoor waterfall garden offers the perfect backdrop for your ceremony and/or cocktail hour. But the real difference is the care that their staff puts into every detail of your day. From the first signature cocktail to the last crumb of delicious wedding cake their team is mindful of every detail that makes your day uniquely yours, and that makes all the difference. You can just relax and enjoy the day knowing that they will take care of everything.

Branches is a must see. The staff and food are amazing and what a beautiful venue. Check them out

I always enjoy photographing a wedding or event at Branches in Long Branch. John and his staff have always been a pleasure! The outdoor waterfall gardens are beautiful for a ceremony and cocktail hour plus they always have indoor options along with a very cool painted landscape wall if you want to do formal photos indoors. They always do a wonderful job with the cake and table details in the main ballroom. See you again soon!

It's always a pleasure to work with Branches. They are very dedicated to giving each couple the wedding of their dreams. A wonderful experience every time!

Branches is a wonderful place to host your next big affair. Weddings, or any private party would be a great time at Branches. The facility offers excellent menu selections and gorgeous indoor and outdoor settings. Their garden is impeccable and they will work with each client to customize their vision. John and his team are extremely professional and offer terrific packages.

John Lombardo is a pleasure to work with. When planning an offsite affair, this is a caterer to consider. His organization and presentation is unbeatable.

Branches has a lovely courtyard that is beautiful for ceremonies and portraiture. The food and service are outstanding! I love to work at Branches!

We just LOVE Branches... Wish we were there a lot more!

I have photographed many weddings at Branches and each and every time, the reception was flawless. The staff and management goes beyond their duties to make sure that the bride and groom are pleased. The grounds are a photographers dream and it allows me to take my exception photos to ensure my day is complete.
I highly recommend "Branches" to all those seeking a wonderful banquet facility, complete with great service, food and atmosphere. J&R Guarino Photography & Video