The Rockleigh | Personalized Experiences

Personalize Your Wedding

Unique Weddings ... Tailored for Each Couple ... “We just completed our third major renovation to stay current with today’s trends,” says Jeffrey Spivack, director of catering at The Rockleigh. “The entire venue, in subtle grey and white tones, reflects a contemporary atmosphere, with Palladian windows overlooking our beautiful, manicured gardens. We’re also redefining our menus to further enhance the culinary experience we offer our couples.”

New Menus ... “For example,” adds Susan Sunshine, Rockleigh’s media director, “our menus now lean more towards recreating a high-end restaurant experience. So our menus are more contemporary, with chefs preparing small plates and tapas style items right before guests, which we believe will be the new trend.”

“Our unique grounds also allow our couples to begin their day doing first looks and portraits in a gorgeous setting,” says Jeffrey. “Our couples can do their outdoor ceremony amidst the Tuscan Gardens and then continue their evening experience at our outdoor bar and terrace for cocktails.” Having multiple settings at your venue is something most couples may want to look for in any venue they consider.

Multi-Cultural Events ... The Rockleigh also hosts many multi-cultural events due to the versatility of their space. “We can customize an exclusive experience based on our couple’s needs and traditions.” As Susan explains, “By utilizing our entire building, South Asian couples are able to begin their celebration outdoors with their baraat (even including a horse for the groom!), a choice of our beautiful indoor chapel or our outdoor courtyard for their Mandap and luncheon beside our Georgian Gardens, followed by their reception in our Grand Ballroom. Our goal with every couple is to determine what is culturally important to them.”

To meet such a potentially wide variety of cultural traditions, which is a concern shared by many brides, they offer in-house and outside catering. They also have an experienced culinary team which can provide traditional stations and types of cuisine relevant to their culture.

“Our Russian clients love our ability to serve traditional Russian small plate items family style to each table, along with different vodkas. One of our Nigerian brides even had her Mom come in and prepare a traditional Nigerian station for the cocktail hour. Our event management team has become well-versed in the many customs and traditions of all our multi-cultural clients, which enables us to perform these types of events seamlessly.”

Susan also tells us that their Glatt Kosher couples appreciate their ability to expand the Grand Pavilion to accommodate over 500 guests and also offer plentiful outdoor areas. “We’ve often set up their bedekin in the Georgian Garden with a separate area indoors for the tisch. Using our entire building allows couples to design the flow of events according to their vision. Many of our Asian couples, for example, request a private personal space for their tea ceremony, which we can easily accommodate. Middle Eastern couples require halal meat and no alcohol and love tea and coffee stations, customs we’re always aware of.”

Personalized Weddings ... The Rockleigh takes great pride in personalizing each event, which is an outlook that we at Manhattan Bride encourage all our wedding couples to look for in any venue they might consider. “Many couples come in with ideas and photos they found in their research for the perfect wedding,” Susan tells us. “One bride loved our fireplace and decided to switch the floor plan so their sweetheart table had the fireplace as their backdrop. Another bride wanted mini bottles of Don Julio with salted rims and straws at their Mexican station. A big hit! Our favorite was the bride who hired dancers dressed up as waiters, who suddenly did a flash mob dance!”

Budgets ... “Our menus and wedding dates range in pricing to accommodate our couples,” says Jeffrey. “We can always suggest ways you can adjust menus and event dates to make your dream wedding at The Rockleigh a reality, within your budget.”

At their menu development meetings, they meet with their couples to learn about their tastes. “For example, we can diversify cocktail stations to include your favorite foods, whether it be a Caribbean station, a Carnegie Deli station, or a Brazilian station. One groom adored popovers which we were happy to serve with dinner.

“Desserts can be as flamboyant as a Viennese Table with flaming cherries jubilee or individually served sampler plates or we can have our waitstaff pass favorite desserts to all guests. We can create whatever atmosphere our couples can imagine. Our highly recommended florists and decorators also can assist in creating almost any decor you can imagine.”

The current ownership of The Rockleigh is going into their 28th year of private event catering, “which shows we’ve transformed with the times, knowing we’re only as good as our last event.
“We understand our couple’s expectations and strive to exceed them. We pride ourselves on the expertise of our sales team, administrative staff, operations department, and waitstaff. It helps us form a strong connection with our couples throughout the planning process.

“Our sales team is always available via cell phone or text,” say Jeffrey, “so we can maintain a constant connection with our client.” (Editor’s note: look for this in any venue you consider.)

“We understand the importance of accessibility with the people responsible for your special day. We want you to feel confident that all of us are there for you every step of the way. It helps us create a truly memorable event.”

Dreams Come True ... As a child, Jeffrey’s family owned and operated a steakhouse and catering restaurant. It inspired him to beg his grandfather to let him be a busboy — at the age of five! 
“Making people happy was in my blood. Starting out as a waiter at The Rockleigh while in college introduced me to the excellence of the management team.

“Now, as director of catering, I want our team to provide an amazing experience for each of our couples. The most exciting part of hosting a wedding at The Rockleigh is learning our client’s vision — and then being by their side on their wedding day and watching all their dreams unfold.”

The Rockleigh, 26 Paris Avenue, Rockleigh, NJ 07647
Jeffrey Spivack 201.768.7171
[email protected], www.therockleigh.net