Morris Plains, NJ 07950
(map) Phone: 973-538-9000
Reviews for Bretton Woods
GUEST




Bretton Woods saved the day for our wedding!!! Hurricane Irene destroyed our original wedding venue a month before and we were frozen in disbelief and did not know what to do or where to turn. Our caterer stepped up and contacted Joe Zingale at Bretton Woods and they were able to accommodate us last minute and for the same price we were planning on at the original venue. Not that I am happy to have been that stressed out a month prior to our vows, but the venue switch was a blessing in disguise. The grounds at Bretton Woods were the perfect background to capture our big day. The staff was amazing!!! I loved the feel when you fist entered the mansion. You felt at home with all the separate rooms and the fire places we were able to adorn with pictures of Chris and I through the years!!! We were blessed to have been able to meet them and will forever recommend their service to friends and family!!!
GUEST




Everything was well run and absolutely beautiful. I wouldn't have changed a thing. My father wanted to serve local wine with dinner, and that was forgotten, but it wasn't really a big deal. I never even thought of it...and the wine was handed out as a gift to our guests when they left. So everyone got to enjoy it anyway! But everything was set up beautifully....and the bridal attendant was extremely helpful to both the bridal party and the groomsmen. We originally were going to have our ceremony outside, but it rained about 30 minutes before, so everythign had to be switched indoors....but it was done so quickly and smoothly it was like it just magically happened! Overall- everything excellent!
GUEST




We had an amazing experience with Bretton Woods. The place is beautiful, and their staff were more than helpful, especially on the wedding day itself. They helped everything to go smoothly, and all our guests had a great time.
GUEST




Bretton Woods was a great location for our wedding. It was intimate by only having one wedding at a time. The setting made us feel we were getting married in a family member's house. The service was outstanding by all the staff and very attentive to our needs. Judy, the bridal assistant, was absolutely a savior for me on that day. She was so attentive and friendly. It made my stress melt away. Working with the manager was very pleasant, until the day before our wedding. He was very defensive during the actual rehearsal when we wanted to make changes to the 'traditional' way of holding a wedding ceremony. Not in a religious sense, but with the processional, etc. I was taken aback since he was very flexible during this whole process. But that didn't take away from our experience at Bretton Woods. I would still recommend to future brides.
GUEST




The creatived a beautiful wedding- it was a wonderful and romantic setting. They created a "homey" feel and were attending to our ever need.
GUEST




They were very helpful from beginning to end. Beautiful venue with outdoor ceremony space and a lot of room inside. The ony do one wedding a day which we were looking for and they made our Wedding Day perfect.
GUEST




The Mansion at Bretton Woods was amazing. They were so helpful and accomodating. The venue was gorgeous and the service was amazing not to mention how great the food was!! Our guests are still complementing how perfect the service was and how amazing the food was. They made my dreams day better than I could have imagined.
GUEST




When I first walked into Bretton Woods, I felt that I was at home.I looked at my mother and by her face I could tell that she felt the same way.We had seen so many typical wedding halls with commercial spaces and cavernous ballrooms with imposing chandeliers.We had been to venues with no windows, few trees and no outdoor gardens.But at The Mansion at Bretton Woods there were windows everywhere to see the beautiful gardens with a carriage house, green house and an outdoor gazebo for ceremonies.And if that were not enough, I was the only bride!When we returned to see the Mansion set up for a wedding, we were treated to a taste test of the food being prepared for the cocktail hour. It was amazing! My guests were amazed, too, and have continued to rave months after my wedding.
GUEST




We were so delighted that our daughter chose The Mansion at Bretton Woods for her wedding in June. It was important to her that only one wedding was held at a time and she specifically wanted her guests to feel like they were in a private home (although a very grand one) for the most important day of her life. From her initial meeting with Joe to our final good-byes, we were treated with the utmost care. The food and displays were spectacular; the gardens (where the outdoor ceremony was held around the gazebo) were exquisite and the ballroom was dazzling.The staff worked hand-in-hand with our daughter to insure that her day was everything she had dreamed of. They were attentive but unobtrusive, making certain that every little detail was attended to.If you are looking for a mansion setting on beautiful grounds with beautifully prepared food, The Mansion is for you.
GUEST




Our day was perfect at the Bretton Woods. I am so glad we chose them as our venue, everything went so smoothly, when it could have all went wrong. We got married on a friday night and when I first got to there to get ready workers were still working on renovating the entryway with new wallpaper, so of course I was nervous that it wouldn't be done in time and my guests would walk in to see a huge mess, but in fact they were done and cleaned up in plenty of time, and none of my guest were any wiser to the changes that took place just hours before, it was amazing. Joe & Dan did a great job and making sure all our needs were met and weren't at all intrusive or pushy. Everything went according to schedule from the ceremony straight thru to the reception. I was amazed at how well they put it all together. My guests were shocked at how much good food there was all throughout the mansion, some didn't even see it all! They were raving about everything they sampled and went back for seconds. My mom particularly loved sitting on a the wrap around porch and said the Bretton Woods felt like the wedding took place in a home and not a stuffy venue. The attention you recieve and the cozy feeling within the premises is something I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. I often pass the Bretton Woods now and sometimes pull in the parking lot just to reflect on the wonderful day we had. Highly recommend!
GUEST




Bretton Woods was a great place to have my wedding...but I do have a few complaints. First the good things: very intimate, pictures on mantles are a great touch, food was great, the wait staff was great, and we we came in under our guaranteed amount of people so they worked with us to get a venetian table set up so that we would have more value for our money. Now the bad things: we picked a cake from the book they provided and asked to change the color of the flowers and the cake that we got was so ugly that my husband and I were actually dreading cutting the cake and it bothered me that people would think that I had picked that out. We dealt with Joe Gatti and he "seemed" like a nice guy but he didn't really listen to me very well. I had to repeat myself a few times before he would actually listen to what I was saying instead of just assuming he knew what I was going to say. On the day of our wedding I asked him if they were bringing up the hot appetizers from coctail hour and he actually said to me "You didn't tell me that you wanted to stay upstairs during coctail hour!" I couldn't believe he said that to me on my wedding day. In my opinion, that should have been his job to ask me. I mean, I am only doing this one time so it doesn't necessarily occur to me to bring this up...I thought it was customary for the bridal party to stay upstairs during coctail hour. He does this all the time, so I definitely do not think he should be blaming me...especially not on my wedding day. And the other thing that bothered me...they have a form where you fill out how many favors go to each person and I circled "one for each person". I assumed this meant that they would be putting them on the table one in front of each person. They did not put them on the table and so by the end of the night, I still had about half of my favors. Very disappointing because we spent time and money on them.So, in summary, everything was wonderful and I do not regret my decision to have my wedding at Bretton Woods. I received so many compliments on the venue, food and staff. However, I do not like how I was treated by Joe Gatti.
Vendor response to review
Dear Cherry94, Thank you very much for your positive review and also for bringing your concerns to our attention. It was our pleasure and privilege to host your wedding. We would like to inform you that Joe Gatti is no longer part of the Bretton Woods team. We appreciate your taking the time to share with us the truly wonderful details of your event. We always do our best to make every aspect of a wedding run a seamlessly as possible. We hope to celebrate another special occasion with you in the future.Yours Truly,Earl Freeman, Managing DirectorThe Mansion at Bretton Woods
GUEST




The Joe's at the Bretton Woods are amazing. Everything was so organized and the whole night ran smooth. This is the best setting ever for a wedding if you're looking for something quaint, classic or modern. It's suitable for all themes. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremonly..exterior is well groomed and full of beautiful flowers. Love the fireplaces, went so well with my Victorian theme.
GUEST




Great Venue, Great Food! All in all, I had a very positive experience with Bretton Woods. The owner is very sweet, and most of the staff (with the exception of one of the managers) were extremely easy to work with. They were very flexible about any changes/additions I wanted to make. Everything is included in their package (ceremony venue, reception venue, food, linens- even cocktail table flowers). They let you put pictures up on the mantle- although mine were removed 1 hr before my time was up, so when I walked by to see them, the next wedding couple's pictures were already up! :( That was one of the only negatives. All our guests raved about the food. Gardens are gorgeous and are changed for every season.
GUEST




the most beautiful place i have ever seen. such nice ppl. made us feel like we were family the day of our wedding, it was truely all about US! FOOD WAS AWESOME TOO
GUEST




Bretton Woods was a venue I grew up near, drove by a million times, but did not know it existed until I went searching for a venue. We looked at at least 20 venues and Bretton Woods was the most unique to us. It has a colonial feel, complete with fireplaces and mantels, in which we put many pictures on, as well as a beautiful wood deck which overlooks the gardens. We intended to get married out in the gardens at Bretton Woods, which are absolutely gorgeous--cobble stone path, immaculately manicured gardens, beautiful garden gazebo, but it rained the day of our wedding. The manager was understanding and flexible...he set up chairs both inside and outside just in case the rain stopped. Unfortunately, it did not, but they made every effort to make it as beautiful as possible inside for us, and it was beautiful. We've received many compliments on how intimate the venue was, and how tasty the food was, especially the cocktail hour. No regrets - great venue!
GUEST




Bretton Woods did an amazing job for our wedding. We only had our reception there, as we got married in a church. The food was amazing, the attentiveness of our matre d was spectular, the drinks were great. We really felt like Bretton Woods was on our team in making the wedding great!




My fiance and I had an appointment to view their facility, showed up on time, only to have to wait for someone to show up- there was no one waiting or anyone to tell us where to go. The staff we had spoken to on the phone was rude, and the individual who showed us around was equally impolite.
The decor & wallpaper reminded me of what I'd expect to find in a elderly woman's home, and the rooms for the cocktail hour had no "flow" and were awkwardly spaced. Their outdoor ceremony site would have been quite beautiful if you were not looking into their parking lot, with sounds of the highway which is directly behind the property. The flowers planted along the walkways and off of the porch were all dying and brown.
When we inquired about a tasting, as my family has a culinary background and food was very important part of our decision process, we were told that they do not do tastings. I could wait a few months and come to a bridal show they were having, but was told "we would be booked for your date by then anyways."
So then I asked if he could provide me with some references, and no joke, he said "Why bother. I'd just give you my niece, and my friend's daughter who wouldn't say anything bad anyways." He also made sure to remark to me "By the way, don't believe any reviews you read online. Writers are liars." He made a lovely face when he found out what I did for a living....writing.
Don't waste your time. There are much nicer facilities with PROFESSIONAL staff available.
GUEST




BEWARE OF BRETTON WOODS. Beautiful lovely place, but the person you will deal with can not be trusted. Very duplicitious. Tried to raise prices on the day I was coming to sign the contract and put my potential wedding in terms of "supply and demand". Told us one thing in our meeting and then changes it at the last minute - as I'm about to give the a $2500 deposit. Bad business! Cannot be trusted. I'm only relieved that I found out before I booked...who knows what else this person would have pulled during the planning of my wedding.
Vendor response to review
Dear Mary, We regret any miscommunication that occurred between you and the catering manager during the planning of your wedding. We pride ourselves in the ability to provide quality and value to our clients. There are many variables that can affect the cost of catering for a wedding including certain meats, fish, captain stations, and additional appetizers. We also do our best to provide all the information our clients need prior to signing a contract and submitting the deposit. Each day, our goal is to help our brides plan the wedding of their dreams and to maintain the stellar reputation we have worked hard to achieve. Again, we regret that you did not have a positive experience. We wish you the best of luck.Sincerely,Ear Freeman, Managing DirectorThe Mansion at Bretton Woods
GUEST




Bretton Woods was not the first reception hall we visited during our planning, but it was the first one we fell in love with! As soon as we walked in the front door, we knew we wanted our wedding reception there. Joe was so helpful to us along every step of the planning process and his honesty, professionalism, and responsiveness were all greatly appreciated. He helped us pick out all the best appetizers that he knew from his experience our guests would love. And he was right. The food was delicious and so many of our guests told us that. The decorations for Christmas were beautiful--wreaths and lights and the lit fireplaces...it was the perfect setting for a Christmas-time wedding. Our guests were greeted with champagne and hot apple cider that was quite possibly the best cider I've ever had! Thanks to both Joes, our reception was everything we could hope for. If I could do my wedding day all over again, I would definitely choose Bretton Woods!
GUEST




The Bretton Woods was great. So many people have told us that it was the best cocktail hour they have ever been too. The food is excellent. The hard part was narrowing down all of the food choices when putting together the menu. The price was very good for the area and the service was great. It has an intimate feel. The porch is stunning, the grounds are always manicured, and since we got married in the fall the leaves were beautiful. One of the things my husband liked most was the personal attention we got on the day of the wedding... Joe & Joe & the staff treated us like royalty, making sure we got all the food & drink we wanted. The other bonus is that you get the use of the private bridal suite included... from being in other weddings I know other places charge. I would recommend the Bretton Woods to anyone.
GUEST




everything was great-beautiful facility, great value, good food
GUEST




It's a very personal experience at Bretton Woods. The facility is beautiful, including the gardens. You have the whole place to yourself and they even let you put family photos on the mantle.




Bretton Woods ended up being a good choice for us as we wanted a place that only did one wedding at a time and was a reasonable price. The cocktail hour food was fantastic, and the reception food is fine as wedding food. We had difficultly dealing with the management who had an inflexible way of doing things. Luckily, the maitre 'd was extremely helpful and understood what we wanted. However, the place is unique and has a great deal of character and is a great value.




Bretton Woods was amazing. The staff were all so helpful, they made us feel right at home. The food from the cocktail hour to the reception was amazing! The grounds are beautiful, perfact for pictures. There is only one wedding at a time so you get the whole place to yourself and all of the attention. I highly recommend Bretton Woods as the perfact place for your dream wedding!
GUEST




Bretton Woods was the best choice for our wedding because my husband and I came from two HUGE families and Bretton Woods allowed us to completely take over the grounds because they are a "one event at a time" venue. Their grounds are beautiful, and our photographer got some great shots of the two of us strolling around their garden, which was pretty even in mid-april, so I can't even imagine how nice it is in the late spring or summer. All of our guests raved about the food, especially the cocktail hour.
GUEST




This was an amazing vendor. Joe & Joe were so wonderful at making the planning process go smoothly. We ended up being 50 people short on the minimum so they gave us a huge desert bar and seafood bar. They were spectacular. The house has been newly redone and it is beautiful. Really gives the feeling of being married in your home, but someone else gets to set up and clean up! i would recommend this vendor to anyone and everyone!
GUEST




I loved Bretton Woods. They really did an outstanding job. One thing my husband and I were so impressed with was not ony the level of service to our individual guests, but to us as well - one of the owners of Bretton Woods was near us all the time, making sure we got every food, drink, and thing we could possibly want!! They were very accomodating. The food was UNBELIEVABLE. We had a cocktail hour before the meal, and I had many guests tell me that the cocktails were so delicious, they could barely eat the beautiful, 3-course meal! I would recommend Bretton Woods to any of my friends. Also, the grounds are beautiful!
GUEST




I had a winter wedding, Bretton woods was PERFECT. They have many fireplaces that warmed the different coctail hour rooms. we were able to put out own photos on the mantles... which we did. photos of us dating and our families...the owner and main matre D couldnt have been more accomodating, helpful, friendly and professional. i have brilliant memories of the day!!!
About Bretton Woods
At Bretton Woods, your marriage will begin in a gorgeous, elegantly appointed colonial mansion - steeped in the romance of history, and surrounded by sweeping lawns and luxuriant gardens. The expert staff at Bretton Woods will attend to your every need with white-glove VIP service. You will create treasured memories with an exquisite wedding feast in our magnificent receiving rooms, decks, gardens and Grand Ballroom.
Extraordinary cuisine, attentive service, classic colonial charm and an ideal location mean that your wedding at The Mansion at Bretton Woods will leave an unforgettable impression - a triumph of gracious, intimate hospitality. For style and
service … an enduring sense of history … and a glorious aesthetic indoors and out, The Mansion at Bretton Woods is the matchless setting for your wedding.
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