The Highlawn Pavillion

Nestled at the top of the hill in the Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange, the Highlawn Pavilion features a breathtaking view of the New York skyline and surrounding areas. The lower level houses an upscale restaurant, while the upper floor is dedicated to weddings and special events. An elevator provides easy access to the upper floor.

The reception room has large windows and your guests can enjoy the view of Manhattan as they dine and dance. A separate area is set aside for the cocktail hour. The cocktail hour features many exceptionally well prepared dishes and the hot food is all labeled. I personally always like to know exactly what it is I am eating.

The seating and dance floor form a "T" shape. The guests are seated at the top of the "T" along the windows. The dance floor forms the base of the "T". The tables at the ends of the "T" cannot see the dance floor from their seats. People who enjoy conversation at weddings view this as a big plus. The separation from the dance floor is also a separation from the sound, making conversing during the dancing a breeze. On the flip side, if you are thinking of dancing and want to know if there is anyone else out there before you join in, you cannot tell from your seat. If you have some guests who do not like loud music and do not care to dance (and we all do), the outside edges are a great place to seat them!

For more information, visit the Highlawn Pavilion online at:

http://www.highlawn.com/

The Atrium

The Atrium Country Club in West Orange, NJ was always a bit of a puzzle to me. The facility has a beautiful glass Atrium--and you could not see it from the outside. The trees had grown over the years and the building had disappeared! What a pleasant surprise to pull up to the building and witness the new landscaping! There really is an Atrium under all those trees and it looks beautiful! In addition, the inside looked spruced up as well.


Guests were greeted at the door as they arrived with champagne and their place cards and directed to the cocktail hour room.

The cocktail hour space at the Atrium is exceptionally roomy. Plenty of seating--in fact probably one of the biggest cocktail hour rooms in the area. The food is well spread out throughout the actual atrium and the stations were never crowded as a result. Quite a variety of hot and cold dishes as well as butler service. A full list of all the available choices can be found on the Atrium's website A piano player in the room added an elegant touch.

The main ballroom can accommodate up to 400 people, and the dance floor is nice and roomy! The staff was very pleasant and kept the DJ well informed all evening regarding the evening's timetable. The first course, which was a salad featuring fresh mozzarella was delicious!

Restrooms were conveniently located and the building has an elevator for access to the lower floor.

As the guests left, there were additional treats provided near the exit door to enjoy on the way home, which included fresh warm pretzels!

A Kosher menu is avalable.

For more information, you can visit the Atium online at The Atrium