Altamont Manor

I almost hate to rate all five categories with 5 stars, because it seems like maybe I just rushed through and rated everything 5. But, Harvey and Altamont Manor truly deserve all 5 stars in all 5 categories.

Quality of Service:
I can't imagine a better experience with this. Harvey treated my wedding like it was his own daughter's- he gave honest feedback and opinions about everything I proposed to him- which was so helpful since he has tons of insight into the wedding world. I joked with my friends that Harvey is me in a different body- I am always getting teased for being a type-A, OCD, crazy list-maker. He was just as on top of all the teeny details for our wedding as I was, maybe even moreso, which previously I wouldn't have imagined was possible. He is extremely organized and detail-oriented. He will make absolutely sure that every detail for your day is taken care of. He's someone you can trust to just take care of everything without having to check on it. It was a very comforting feeling!

Responsiveness:
The longest I ever waited for a reply to an email or phone call was maybe 6 hours- tops. I think that says it all. Usually he would call me first, because he anticipated the questions I hadn't even thought of yet.

Professionalism:
Harvey and Donna (his wife, who helped take our wedding photos- they are photographers as well as owning the Altamont Manor) were both extremely professional, but not beyond being really friendly. They were professional yet also made us feel as comfortable and close to them as if we were an old family friend.

Value:
Honestly, we fell in love with this venue right away, so we only looked at one other before booking. So I don't have a lot of other estimates to compare it to. But, based on what I've heard from others, and how amazing the wedding was, I feel like the value was incredible.

Flexibility:
I think what sums up Harvey's flexibility most was that he allowed our two pit bulls (who he hadn't met at the time, yet never judged them based on common misconceptions of the breed) to not only be in our wedding ceremony, but also to stay on premises (we didn't want them in the reception room and didn't ask if that would be ok) during the reception so that no one had to leave the wedding to bring them home. I think that sums it up. But, I will say, he was extremely flexible to the point of not compromising the quality of your wedding. I think if we had requested something that he thought would compromise the wedding, he would have explained why he wouldn't recommend it, but then allow us to do it if we still wanted, to a certain point of course. And I would appreciate his opinion because, being so experienced in the wedding business, he would have more experienced opinions than me and would probably think of things I never would.

Overall:
Harvey, Donna, and the Altamont Manor were amazing. I would recommend them to anyone, closest friends and family included. We truly had a great experience there. Through the year and a half of planning, up to the actual wedding day, Harvey made everything so easy, and so perfect. I highly, highly recommend this venue!

Thank you Harvey and Donna! We couldn't imagine a more perfect day!!

Tara & Carmen

As the mother of the bride, I was very impressed with the Altamont Manor! Harvey was so exprienced with weddings that he helped make all the arrangements easy for us. He recommended caterers & DJ's, which was a big help. He & his wife Donna were the photographers & we found them to be wonderful to work with! They knew all the perfect spots for photos, using the best of the lighting & landscaping. They offered ideas for casual in-the-garden shots as well as more traditional poses, always with an easy going manner. We loved their idea of having all the bridal party & guests gather near the building after the ceremony for a shot from the 2nd floor porch! We can't wait to see the pictures! Our daughter chose to do many of the pictures ahead of the wedding ceremony- I would highly recommend that to new brides! It allowed them to relax & enjoy their guests at the cocktail hour. We arrived at the Manor in the early afternoon for the 5:00 wedding ceremony, so there was a lot of time for photos & relaxing a bit before the guests started to arrive. They set up the "first look" photo on the porch, with the groom on the porch & the bride walking out of the door. They even caught the bride's maids peeking out of the side, glass doors, ready to snap their own pictures with camera phones. During the reception, Harvey & Donna took many pictures- they seemed to know right where the best shots would be. When our groom's family surprised the couple with a special dance number, they were right there taking pictures of it. It was a wonderful experience dealing with them! Perfect location, perfect people- they made it a day we'll always remember!

Right when we walked around the corner of the house and saw the gardens, we knew the Manor was perfect for our wedding! Harvey was available to answer any questions we had at any time. He not only served as the location vendor but he is also a built in consultant. He was able to provide us with names of other vendors (florists, catering, dj/musicians, etc) that have worked at the Manor and was able to advise us on who would work within our budget. He also worked really well with our minister and dj to make sure the rehearsal and wedding went perfectly smoothly. With the Manor and Harvey you just don't get a location for the wedding you get a personal touch and personalized attention to help make sure your wedding is everything you dreamed it would be. With him it honestly didn't feel like he was working for the money, but working to make sure we were happy with our wedding day. I would recommend the Manor a billion times, over and over again. I hear so many people say planning a wedding and the wedding day is super stressful, but with Harvey working with us...our day was perfect. We loved every minute of it and appreciate everything (big and small) that Harvey did. It was everything we dreamed it would be. Thank you Harvey!

My husband and I had our medieval style wedding at the Altamont Manor on August 27th, 2011 and we also hired Harvey and Donna to do the photography for the event as well. From the first time we met with Harvey to discuss the photography we found him to be charming and down to earth...very easy to work with..straigtforward and honest. Although he does offer many photo packages, he is not pushy and we never felt like we were going to end up spending way more than we budgeted for. On the day of the wedding, Harvey and Donna were a delight to work with! They were so creative with the formal shots, and since they own the manor they really know the best places to shoot and set up the photos. During the reception they were always present, but never intrusive, and took some wonderful photos!! And, we had the proofs back in only 4 weeks!! We are absolutely thrilled with the service that Harvey and Donna provided and would absolutely recommend them without hesitation!

LOVE the Altamont Manor. Harvey was incredibly helpful organizing the details of our wedding. He had 3 options for us for the ceremony and the venue is amazing! The property is very well maintained and it has the feel of getting married in your own backyard with a lot less work and a lot better scenery. He provided suggestions for photographs and was there all night to help organize and keep everything on track. We really can not say enough for how special this venue is and how fantastic it made our big day. Thank you!!!

My husband and I got married at the Altamont Manor in August of 2010. The venue was beautiful, and we loved how private it was having just us and our guests present without other events going on concurrently. We had our ceremony and cocktail hour outside, and dinner and dancing inside. The grounds are impeccably maintained and all the greenery made a lush and romantic backdrop, perfectly suited to the red kilted groom and groomsmen. All our guests had a wonderful time and still are complimenting us on our wedding. Everyone was impressed by the efficiency and professionalism at the Altamont Manor, how relaxed the atmosphere was, and how well the day went. In addition, Harvey and Donna Vlahos, owners of the Altamont Manor, did our wedding photography and did a fantastic job.

The Altamont Manor was such a beautiful place to have a wedding. My husband and I got married outside in the gardens and had the reception indoors. Harvey and Donna made our wedding day so pleasant and non-stressful. Between the staff at the Altamont Manor and the Caterer everything was taken care of, my husband and I didn’t have to worry about a thing. We had such a simple wedding and I couldn’t believe how beautiful everything was between the amazing flower gardens outside and the way the reception room was decorated. We also used Harvey and Donna’s photography services, they knew their grounds so well that they knew the perfect places to take the photos. They took such amazing photos that we will relive the memories forever. If you want to have the perfect, most amazing wedding, I highly recommend having your wedding at the Altamont Manor.

We were married in June of 2007 at the Altamont Manor. God provided the perfect weather and Harvey & Donna took care of the rest!
We still hear from guests that it was the best wedding they've ever attended.

As all we wedding people do, we "kicked tires" at a dozen (or more) reception halls while deciding on a place for our festivities and were looking for comfort, class, beauty & uniqueness...all without breaking the none-too-plump piggy bank we had to work with. From the initial meeting with Harvey we knew we'd found our home. A bonus was that after one walk through the grounds, the decision to hold the ceremony in the garden was a no-brainer.

Harvey & Donna professionally and patiently guided us through the planning process, made suggestions, were very open to our suggestions and made our stressfully important planning-proccess an exciting little project for us to work on together. Save the stress for the seating chart. :)

"H & D" were awesome with the florist and DJ folks and extremely accomodating and gracious to our guests. How they kept over 100 partiers organized and progressing through the evening's events with ease and a big smile I'll never know.

We've been back for three weddings since ours and always feel we're returning to our private, secret, special club. It's always a pleasure to see Donna & Harvey and relive a bit of "our" day back in '07 and catch up with each others' travels and goings-ons through the years. We've since been blessed with twins and the Vlahoses have been as excited to see pictures as any of our own family members. Classy folks.

The Altamont Manor? "Highly Recommended" would be an understatement.

p.s. go with the in-house photography option.

There is not much to say about the Altamont Manor except that I could not have found a better place to get married. Just stepping foot on the grounds of the Manor, a bride would automatically know that it's the place for her like I did. As for Harvey, he did such a great job making that special day absolutely perfect...I did not have to worry about a thing!

My husband and I simply cannot say enough good things about Harvey and Donna Vlahos. We married at Altamont Manor in May of 2010, and we are so very glad we chose Harvey and Donna for both the venue and the wedding photography! Some of our happiest memories of our special day was how welcome, valued, and fabulous they made us feel! They made our day absolutely perfect. Not only did they help us organize and plan our event (which made our wedding smooth, enjoyable and something we could actually remember!), but the photography was simply amazing. To say they are talented is an understatement. We couldn't be happier with the photography, both the candids and posed portraits were simply outstanding. We recommend Harvey and Donna to everyone, and will continue to do so.

My husband and I were married at the Altamont Manor in July 2010. The ceremony was outside, and the cocktail hour and reception were inside. The grounds and gardens were beautiful and made for amazing pictures. There were about 95 people, including the wedding party, and the site was a perfect choice for an intimate feel. From the day we went to see the Manor for the first time to the day of our wedding, Harvey and Donna were nothing but patient and accommodating. We had many questions along the way, and they were more than willing to help in any way they could. Harvey and Donna were also our photographers, and they made it a wonderful, relaxing experience; they listened to our requests and preferences and worked with us to ensure we were pleased with our photos. Working with Harvey and Donna was an absolute pleasure, and getting married at the Altamont Manor created a beautiful atmosphere for a wedding that was above and beyond our expectations.

We have recently been working closely with Harvey and Donna to create our wedding album. There are so many wonderful photos to choose from, it has been tough deciding which to include in the album! Among the wide range of images, they created a stunning black and white fine art print for us that truly captured the mood of the day. Even before our wedding, Harvey was easing our nerves by discussing the options we had as far as family, posed, and candid photographs. Their idea of creating a list of images we hoped to capture was helpful in really making us think about what pictures were important to us on our big day. Harvey and Donna had the list out on the day of our wedding so we could go through it throughout the day; they made sure we were getting a variety of shots and that we were nothing less than happy with our pictures. My husband and I both said we’re not fans of having our profiles photographed, and they were very respectful of our request. We never felt like we were being a bother, even when we asked to fit in a few last minute fun shots later in the evening! They were open to ideas throughout the day, which made the atmosphere very relaxed. And, no details were overlooked, not even close ups of my gown minutes before the reception ended. Harvey and Donna are a great team; having two photographers throughout the day really made us feel like no moment was being missed. They were willing to take as many, or few, pictures as we wanted during our wedding. My husband and I would absolutely recommend choosing Harvey and Donna as your photographers for an Altamont Manor wedding, because their affordable prices, professionalism, and knowledge of the grounds ensure you will have a variety of beautiful and tasteful photographs to take you back to your wedding day time and time again!

The Altamont Manor Facebook page has examples of some beautiful photos:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Altamont-Manor/112405112131996?sk=app_6261817190

We had our ceremony in a church and used the Altamont Manor as our reception site. The owner, Harvey, was very polite and nice in helping us get everything together. I was planning the wedding while I was out of state, so I didn't meet Harvey or actually see the Manor in person until the week before the wedding. Even with that, Harvey was great about answering my emails and phone calls, and he made it very easy to plan the wedding, even when I couldn't be on site.
Our guests were delighted with the beauty of the manor. The reception room was beautiful enough that we really didn't have to do much with decorating it.
I had an outside photographer come in for my photos, and Harvey was very helpful in pointing out some of the beautiful places for pictures.
Our wedding at the Altamont Manor is a memory I will cherish, and I would highly recommend it as a wedding venue.

The Altamont Manor was the perfect place for our wedding. Harvey was wonderful, and everything went out without a problem. The setting is absolutely beautiful and ther is no other place like it!

My husband and I had our wedding at the Altamont Manor in June of 2011. It was beautiful! It is perfect for a small summer wedding outdoors. We had our ceremony in the garden (though they do have back up plans in case it rains), and then a cocktail hour on the porch/lawn, and then reception inside. Everything went really well and we had many comments from the guests about how beautiful the place was.

We hired Harvey and his wife to do our photography as well. As others have mentioned, they did a great job and obviously knew the best places to take pictures since it is their property.

I would highly recommend taking a look at the Altamont Manor if you are planning a wedding for 120 or less (their max is 150 guests). Good weather in the summer allows you to take advantage of more of the grounds. I imagine in the winter it wouldn't be as worth it.

Good luck planning!! :)

A Beautiful Location, prefect for a summer wedding.

The Altamont Manor is absolutely beautiful; the grounds are immaculate, with scenic views, beautiful rose bushes and many other beautiful flowers that are ever changing for each season.

The Manor offers three plans for wedding ceremonies (in cases of inclement weather), outdoors by the beautiful fountain, on the wrap around porch (for I would say no more than 50-60 guests max) or inside.

There are 4 catering vendors that are available to choose from, while they are very reputable vendors, it would have been nice to have more options.

The owners of the Manor, Harvey and Donna, live on site. Harvey is very meticulous. He has a great attention to detail, with the exception of the noticeably yellowed tulle that is draped on the inside pillars, Donna indicated that she has asked him to change this out, and I hope that he takes that advice or removes it all together. It was a bit of an eye soar and required additional directions to detract from it.

Harvey and his wife Donna were also our photographers, and did an impressive job. They are expensive compared to other photographers that we looked into, but they know the grounds and the best locations to take beautiful pictures. I highly recommend taking as many pictures as you can pre-wedding, so that you can enjoy your reception. Donna is very relaxed and made me and the wedding party feel at ease. Harvey was a little bit unfocused at the beginning trying to direct the High school students that he hires as to what they should be doing while we were taking photos.

I looked at numerous venues in the capitol region, and overall, by far the Altamont Manor is the best location hands down for an intimate, scenic wedding of 100 or less guests.

THe Altamont Manor is absolutely beautiful, especially with good weather, but there is a nice place for a ceremony inside as well. The grounds are very well maintained and the view is priceless. The owner lives on the site and therefore they are a little particular about what you do and don't do on your day which limits a few options, but overall we didn't find it a problem.
Our pictures on this site are so far coming out amazing.

Fabulous gardens and view to make your wedding close to nature yet elegant.

The Altamont Manor is a spectular place to celebrate a Wedding Day! The Victorian Manor is beautiful! The grounds are picture perfect! Great setting for your Wedding Ceremony. Harvey is one of nicest guys in the business! 5 STARS!

As a disc jockey, the Altamont Manor is one of my favorite places to work. Harvey keeps his grounds and garden beautifully groomed. Inside, the space makes me feel like it's a party in someone's home. When I turn up the music after dinner, there's enough room for everyone to get out there and have fun. I'm not the prop and group dance type of DJ, so my style fits right in.