this is the rewview Susie left on my WeddingWire account after her wedding!
susie
Wedding: 04/25/2009
Reviews: 5.0out of 5.0
Quality of Service: (5.0/5.0)
Responsiveness:(5.0/5.0)
Professionalism:(5.0/5.0)
Value For Cost:(5.0/5.0)
Flexibility:(5.0/5.0)
This location is fabulous! I got married on April 25th and I'm so happy I picked this place! First of all you can not get this kind of deal anywhere else! for what they include in the package, you would think its gonna be upwards of $250 a person. They include everything! A suite for the bride and groom, cocktail hour, a four course meal and a cake! Jocelyn Della Rosa who is the catering manager was fabulous! She would email me almost every day to keep in touch and let me know what was going on. She helped me customize my menu, arrange travel plans for my family, and held my hand when I got nervous! She took care of everything the day of wedding so that I didn't have to think of a thing. Anything I needed, she did. Nothing was too much. The best part of this Hilton is that you feel you are getting personal attention. There was always a prompt phone call back and just a general excitement for me! Also for those of you who haven't stopped in to the hotel in a while it is beautiful. they have totally redone the entire lobby. It is so classy! I had all my family coming up from New Jersey so it was nice that they could have a place to stay as well and so convenient to the city. Everybody could explore Boston without having to navigate the T or a cab. The one thing I was nervous about was the food. Usually hotel food is not that great but the food here is outstanding. I had multiple comments on how great the food was. Plus we ordered our cake from Montillo's through them. We ordered Red Velvet and my maid of honor said it was the best cake she has ever eaten. I would chose this place again and again. Truly made my wedding wonderful!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Susie and Mike's Wedding April 25, 2009
Our second wedding of the season was Susie and Mike! They had the ceremony and reception here at the hotel.
As soon as I took over this wedding, after a coworker left the hotel, I talked to Susie's mom almost everyday! She was a sweetheart; always wanting to make sure everything was all set for her only daughter’s wedding! Her mother was in NJ, and Susie here in Boston, so there were a lot of emails back and forth planning. We definitely made it all work!
I met Susie and Mike for the first time at their Wedding Tasting. Where I could see how much in love they were with each other. They enjoyed the food and hopefully meeting me and that they knew their wedding was in great hands! We chatted a lot over the months up until the wedding, planning every detail with Susie and her mom.
We had a rehearsal on Friday night for the ceremony, as this was my first time taking care of a ceremony in the hotel. It went very well, and I reassured them that I would be there to help with everything during the ceremony on Saturday- Susie was a bit nervous! Then they went next door to the Summer Shack for dinner.
The day started out for me, at noon, at the hotel. I got here and called Susie to let her know that I was here for anything she needed and to give me a call at any time. The order of events for the day were:
While they were taking these pictures, their guests went down into the Fenway Room for the cocktail reception. They added on more food during this hour, lamb chop appetizers, and an Antipasto station. Both were a big hit! The wedding was 76 people, a great number for the size of our Fenway Room. Susie and Mike wanted to be around during the cocktail hour so they hung out with everyone, had some drinks and appetizers and mingled with their guests. They wanted to do it before hand so that they had enough time to dance and have fun during dinner time! During this time, I knew how much Susie wanted to reuse the flowers from the ceremony; since flowers can be expensive you want to get your money's worth. So I ran upstairs to the Maverick Room to get the flowers that were on the pillars and brought them downstairs to be used. I put one vase on the gift table and the other on the Dessert Station table. When it was time to start the dinner portion of the night, we took Susie and Mike and their Maid of Honor and Best Man outside so we could set them up for their introductions. We were on time for everything, so at 7:40 we started with the introductions, Susie and Mike had their first dance as husband and wife. Susie danced with her dad, Mike with his Mom. One of their friends put together a slide show of pictures for them. It was really nice. We had some toasts, from the MOH, BM, Susie's Brother and the BMs father. I stood and watched it, and kept my eye on the clock to make sure that we were on time. Of course we were! At 8:20PM, on the dot, we started serving the Warm Goat Cheese Tart. Bride and Groom first! Which was a big hit, since it is so delicious! The second course was the Baby Frisee Salad with Caramelized Walnuts, Dried Cherries, Cherry Tomatoes, Feta Cheese and a Mango Vinaigrette. We did the cake cutting ceremony- their cake was really cute- the cake topper were REAL flowers that watched her center pieces. it was a red velvet cake! You can't get much better than that! They offered the Filet and the Chicken to their guests for their main entree- which they all eat and enjoyed! I went and checked on Susie and Mike to make sure the food as up to par and if they wanted anything to drink, 2 diet cokes! Coming right up! I also checked in with the brides parents! Who were doing wonderful. They were enjoying the food. I always like to check in on everyone to make sure they know that I am here for anything they may need and that I am on top of everything that is going on. Then Stephanie and I cut and plated the cake so that it was ready to be served when it was desert time! Susie came up to me while some of their guests were still eating their entrees and asked when the dancing could begin- I told her it was her day and they could start whenever she wanted! (Her dad really wanted to get onto the dance floor! :) ) so the dancing started- and never stopped! At this point, I was in the kitchen making sure that their dessert station was being prepared and was ready to be put out. They ordered a modified version of our Death by Chocolate dessert station. This consisted of: Fruit (cantaloupe, strawberries, honeydew and pineapple) to be used in the chocolate fondue! Also there were petit fours, chocolate truffles, and cookies. Yum! (There’s a picture below!) This was a great touch to the night! The dancing lasted all night! They all had a great time! I went over and said goodbye to Susie and Mike and congratulated them again! I said goodbye to her parents. I wanted them to know that I was leaving and if they needed anything to ask Stephanie. Susie gave me a hug and thanked me for such a great wedding. I left that night with a HUGE smile on my face. Thinking, I love my job! It was great knowing that they had a great time, it was perfect, exactly what they wanted, and I helped make it happen!
Susie and Mike stayed with us Sunday night too! I got a call Monday morning from the front desk saying the Susie and Mike wanted to see me. They just wanted to thank me for such an amazing weekend! They are so sweet! I am glad that they had the weekend they hoped it would be!
As soon as I took over this wedding, after a coworker left the hotel, I talked to Susie's mom almost everyday! She was a sweetheart; always wanting to make sure everything was all set for her only daughter’s wedding! Her mother was in NJ, and Susie here in Boston, so there were a lot of emails back and forth planning. We definitely made it all work!
I met Susie and Mike for the first time at their Wedding Tasting. Where I could see how much in love they were with each other. They enjoyed the food and hopefully meeting me and that they knew their wedding was in great hands! We chatted a lot over the months up until the wedding, planning every detail with Susie and her mom.
We had a rehearsal on Friday night for the ceremony, as this was my first time taking care of a ceremony in the hotel. It went very well, and I reassured them that I would be there to help with everything during the ceremony on Saturday- Susie was a bit nervous! Then they went next door to the Summer Shack for dinner.
The day started out for me, at noon, at the hotel. I got here and called Susie to let her know that I was here for anything she needed and to give me a call at any time. The order of events for the day were:
10:30AM Susie at the Salon
12:00 PM Susie to arrive at the Hotel
3:00 PM Photographer Arrival
3/3:30 PM DJ arrival
3PM-5:00 PM Picture Room
(Place card table set up)- me to do!
(Programs to be placed on Chairs in Maverick)- me to do!
5:30PM Doors for Ceremony in Maverick
6:00 PM Ceremony
6:30 PM Cocktail Reception in elevated Fenway & in pre function area* Bride and Groom will be attending.
7:30 PM Doors Open
7:40 PM Introductions
7:45 PM Bride and Groom Dance
7:50 PM Father/Daughter Dance
7:55 PM Mother/Son Dance
8:00 PM SlideShow Presentation
8:10 PM Toasts* (2) Best Man and Maid of Honor
8:20 PM Dinner
9:20 PM Cake Cutting (bride and Groom will NOT feed each other the cake)
12:00 PM Susie to arrive at the Hotel
3:00 PM Photographer Arrival
3/3:30 PM DJ arrival
3PM-5:00 PM Picture Room
(Place card table set up)- me to do!
(Programs to be placed on Chairs in Maverick)- me to do!
5:30PM Doors for Ceremony in Maverick
6:00 PM Ceremony
6:30 PM Cocktail Reception in elevated Fenway & in pre function area* Bride and Groom will be attending.
7:30 PM Doors Open
7:40 PM Introductions
7:45 PM Bride and Groom Dance
7:50 PM Father/Daughter Dance
7:55 PM Mother/Son Dance
8:00 PM SlideShow Presentation
8:10 PM Toasts* (2) Best Man and Maid of Honor
8:20 PM Dinner
9:20 PM Cake Cutting (bride and Groom will NOT feed each other the cake)
Above is the actual Order of Events that were given to the banquet department so they knew what was going on during the day. I like to have everyone in the loop!
The Ceremony took place in our Maverick Room. Susie and Barbara (her mom) had the florist bring pillars and beautiful flowers for the room. They had a friend/judge from NJ marry them, where he told the great story of how Susie and Mike met, and then had them say their vows and say their "I do's"!
I was in the back the whole time! I coordinated the set up, walking down the aisle and all of that. It was great!
Here are some pictures.
After the ceremony, they went with their photographer to different areas of the hotel to take some amazing pictures... here are a few of my favorites..
While they were taking these pictures, their guests went down into the Fenway Room for the cocktail reception. They added on more food during this hour, lamb chop appetizers, and an Antipasto station. Both were a big hit! The wedding was 76 people, a great number for the size of our Fenway Room. Susie and Mike wanted to be around during the cocktail hour so they hung out with everyone, had some drinks and appetizers and mingled with their guests. They wanted to do it before hand so that they had enough time to dance and have fun during dinner time! During this time, I knew how much Susie wanted to reuse the flowers from the ceremony; since flowers can be expensive you want to get your money's worth. So I ran upstairs to the Maverick Room to get the flowers that were on the pillars and brought them downstairs to be used. I put one vase on the gift table and the other on the Dessert Station table. When it was time to start the dinner portion of the night, we took Susie and Mike and their Maid of Honor and Best Man outside so we could set them up for their introductions. We were on time for everything, so at 7:40 we started with the introductions, Susie and Mike had their first dance as husband and wife. Susie danced with her dad, Mike with his Mom. One of their friends put together a slide show of pictures for them. It was really nice. We had some toasts, from the MOH, BM, Susie's Brother and the BMs father. I stood and watched it, and kept my eye on the clock to make sure that we were on time. Of course we were! At 8:20PM, on the dot, we started serving the Warm Goat Cheese Tart. Bride and Groom first! Which was a big hit, since it is so delicious! The second course was the Baby Frisee Salad with Caramelized Walnuts, Dried Cherries, Cherry Tomatoes, Feta Cheese and a Mango Vinaigrette. We did the cake cutting ceremony- their cake was really cute- the cake topper were REAL flowers that watched her center pieces. it was a red velvet cake! You can't get much better than that! They offered the Filet and the Chicken to their guests for their main entree- which they all eat and enjoyed! I went and checked on Susie and Mike to make sure the food as up to par and if they wanted anything to drink, 2 diet cokes! Coming right up! I also checked in with the brides parents! Who were doing wonderful. They were enjoying the food. I always like to check in on everyone to make sure they know that I am here for anything they may need and that I am on top of everything that is going on. Then Stephanie and I cut and plated the cake so that it was ready to be served when it was desert time! Susie came up to me while some of their guests were still eating their entrees and asked when the dancing could begin- I told her it was her day and they could start whenever she wanted! (Her dad really wanted to get onto the dance floor! :) ) so the dancing started- and never stopped! At this point, I was in the kitchen making sure that their dessert station was being prepared and was ready to be put out. They ordered a modified version of our Death by Chocolate dessert station. This consisted of: Fruit (cantaloupe, strawberries, honeydew and pineapple) to be used in the chocolate fondue! Also there were petit fours, chocolate truffles, and cookies. Yum! (There’s a picture below!) This was a great touch to the night! The dancing lasted all night! They all had a great time! I went over and said goodbye to Susie and Mike and congratulated them again! I said goodbye to her parents. I wanted them to know that I was leaving and if they needed anything to ask Stephanie. Susie gave me a hug and thanked me for such a great wedding. I left that night with a HUGE smile on my face. Thinking, I love my job! It was great knowing that they had a great time, it was perfect, exactly what they wanted, and I helped make it happen!Susie and Mike stayed with us Sunday night too! I got a call Monday morning from the front desk saying the Susie and Mike wanted to see me. They just wanted to thank me for such an amazing weekend! They are so sweet! I am glad that they had the weekend they hoped it would be!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Claire & Paul's Wedding- March 21, 2009
Our First wedding of the season, Claire and Paul. College sweethearts, who wanted a fun wedding and that is what they got. I had been in contact with Claire and Paul since November 2007 about their wedding. we talked quite a bit- them explaining to me what they was most important to them, and what they wanted. They came in for a Wedding Tasting, where they tasted everything from the hors d'oeuvres, appetizer, salad and entree. They told me it was delicious! Before the wedding, I had given them a seating chart/diagram of the set up of the entire evening, a time line of the evening; from the arrival of the guests to the time dinner will be served and the cake is cut.
On March 21st, I was very excited for our first wedding, to share such a special day with Claire and Paul. It was my first real wedding here at the hotel, where i had complete control and took care of everything. The Cocktail Reception was set to start at 7:00PM, so I came in around 2PM to get the ballroom ready with Stephanie (our Director of Banquets) and the rest of the team here at the hotel. I set up the place card table, the gift table, made sure that we had their toasting flutes, cake cutter and server, their card holder to be put on the gift table, that their DJ showed up! Along with the florist and their cake! 3 of the most important parts of the evening.
With a crowd of 175 guests, eating Shaved Tenderloin of Beef with Onion Relish, Brie on a Crostini with Strawberry and Grape, Scallops wrapped in Bacon and Mini Chicken Wellington for their passed hors d'oeuvres. Their guests ate, while I waited for Claire and Paul and their wedding party to show up on their Trolley. They both went to BC so they got married at the church on campus. They didn’t show up until 7:45! They made a pit stop on the way over to the hotel :) But they got there with plenty of time to have some hors d’oeuvres and a few drinks before we opened the doors for dinner and introduced them into the room for the first time as husband and wife. Anything they needed i was there for!
As the night went on, and the guests ate a Warm Goat Cheese Tart for their first course, Baby Frisee Salad with Caramelized Walnuts, Dried Cherries, Tomatoes, Gorgonzola Cheese with a Mango Vinaigrette for their second course, and every guest had a piece of Filet Mignon with 3oz of Cod with a Port Wine Demi Glaze, seasonal vegetables, and Truffle Mashed Potatoes. Yum!
They cut the cake around 930! This wasn’t just any ordinary cake. They got their cake through our package from Montilios- who made them Cupcakes instead! they had a cute cupcake tier with a small cake on top for them to have a cake cutting ceremony. (Check out the cake/cupcake pictures below). With everyone getting a cupcake and a chocolate covered strawberry for dessert- they were happy!
Then the dancing began. Everyone had a fantastic time!
I got an email from my bride a few days after saying that she and her husband heard a lot of “that was the best wedding I’ve ever been to”!
She also said, I’m actually quoting her I took this from the email she sent me, "we couldn’t be happier. From the beginning, our guests were our priority and therefore to hear feedback like that from them has been just what we were hoping for. Everyone appreciated the service and hospitality from the Hilton from check-in, to our gathering at the bar on Friday night, to everything on Saturday and the final touch with the brunch on Sunday. It was just what Paul and I were hoping for."
"My Aunt (the one you spoke with, Jerilyn) told me that when the doors opened to the ballroom it was breathtaking. She couldn’t get over the atmosphere and how great everything looked."
She ended the email with, "Thanks again for all your hard work and working with me to make everything just as I had wanted and dreamed of. It’s not an easy thing to deal with brides and their wedding day visions!"
So as you can read- it was a HUGE success and I was glad that I could make Claire and Paul's wedding everything they wanted it to be! :)
Below are some pictures!
On March 21st, I was very excited for our first wedding, to share such a special day with Claire and Paul. It was my first real wedding here at the hotel, where i had complete control and took care of everything. The Cocktail Reception was set to start at 7:00PM, so I came in around 2PM to get the ballroom ready with Stephanie (our Director of Banquets) and the rest of the team here at the hotel. I set up the place card table, the gift table, made sure that we had their toasting flutes, cake cutter and server, their card holder to be put on the gift table, that their DJ showed up! Along with the florist and their cake! 3 of the most important parts of the evening.
With a crowd of 175 guests, eating Shaved Tenderloin of Beef with Onion Relish, Brie on a Crostini with Strawberry and Grape, Scallops wrapped in Bacon and Mini Chicken Wellington for their passed hors d'oeuvres. Their guests ate, while I waited for Claire and Paul and their wedding party to show up on their Trolley. They both went to BC so they got married at the church on campus. They didn’t show up until 7:45! They made a pit stop on the way over to the hotel :) But they got there with plenty of time to have some hors d’oeuvres and a few drinks before we opened the doors for dinner and introduced them into the room for the first time as husband and wife. Anything they needed i was there for!
As the night went on, and the guests ate a Warm Goat Cheese Tart for their first course, Baby Frisee Salad with Caramelized Walnuts, Dried Cherries, Tomatoes, Gorgonzola Cheese with a Mango Vinaigrette for their second course, and every guest had a piece of Filet Mignon with 3oz of Cod with a Port Wine Demi Glaze, seasonal vegetables, and Truffle Mashed Potatoes. Yum!
They cut the cake around 930! This wasn’t just any ordinary cake. They got their cake through our package from Montilios- who made them Cupcakes instead! they had a cute cupcake tier with a small cake on top for them to have a cake cutting ceremony. (Check out the cake/cupcake pictures below). With everyone getting a cupcake and a chocolate covered strawberry for dessert- they were happy!
Then the dancing began. Everyone had a fantastic time!
I got an email from my bride a few days after saying that she and her husband heard a lot of “that was the best wedding I’ve ever been to”!
She also said, I’m actually quoting her I took this from the email she sent me, "we couldn’t be happier. From the beginning, our guests were our priority and therefore to hear feedback like that from them has been just what we were hoping for. Everyone appreciated the service and hospitality from the Hilton from check-in, to our gathering at the bar on Friday night, to everything on Saturday and the final touch with the brunch on Sunday. It was just what Paul and I were hoping for."
"My Aunt (the one you spoke with, Jerilyn) told me that when the doors opened to the ballroom it was breathtaking. She couldn’t get over the atmosphere and how great everything looked."
She ended the email with, "Thanks again for all your hard work and working with me to make everything just as I had wanted and dreamed of. It’s not an easy thing to deal with brides and their wedding day visions!"
So as you can read- it was a HUGE success and I was glad that I could make Claire and Paul's wedding everything they wanted it to be! :)
Below are some pictures!
Hotel Renovation
In 2008, we completed a $9 million renovation to the hotel. Renovating the guest rooms, our resturant (FORTY DALTON), the lobby, the coffee shop/bar, our Belvidere Ballroom, the Fenway Room.
The guest room amentiies that we have here at the hotel are: The Hilton Serenity Bed (which is the most comfortable bed a hotel could ever have), Flat panel LCD Televisions, Crabtree & Evelyn bathroom amenities, innovative easy to set alarm clock radio with a jack for ipod, mp3 player, high-speed wireless internet access, and much more!
Above is the new coffee bar/shop in the lobby where we Proudly Brew Starbucks Coffee, offer other items such as salads, snacks, water, soda, beer, breakfast pastries, and Gelato!
Above are the pictures of our resturant, FORTY DALTON. which was renovated last year as well. FORTY DALTON takes a new and upscale turn on classic American dining. Chef Thomas O’Connor skillfully blends his new-American culinary style with hints from his experience abroad.
You should come in and try some of our new dinner favorites such as Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops , Brick Chicken, Lobster Shrimp and Scallop Mac and Cheese, and the FORTY Burger.
Or come after work and join the crowd at the bar for a Slider Trio, Hot Wings Three Ways, or a Grilled Beef Salad.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog! My name is Jocelyn and I am the Social Catering Manager at the Hilton Boston Back Bay. I take care of weddings, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, bat/bar mitzvahs and more! I have been at this hotel since June 2008, but have been with Hilton since May 2007. I love it! I love my job, helping plan and taking care of such special occasions for my brides and grooms as well as their families.
Our Wedding Season started in March this year and doesn't end until November- its a long one!but I am very excited for it! Our first 3 weddings have been a HUGE success so far that I can't wait for the rest!
My boss and I came up with the idea as a blog, for all you potential brides that may be looking for the perfect location in Boston and want to see what we, the Hilton Boston Back Bay, has to offer. I'll be posting pictures from our weddings, new/recent wedding trends,and let you know more about weddings here at our hotel.
We have an AMAZING wedding package here at the hotel. Its our "Dream Wedding Package", it's only $99.00 per person, and that includes all taxes and gratuity. Actually, it includes literally everything you could possibly imagine, from the hors d'eourves and one hour of hosted bar during the cocktail reception, elegant floor length linen, 4-course dinner, the cake!, champagne toast, complimentary night stay for bride and groom and much more!
Please make sure you check back in often! there will be tons of pictures to look at! and do not hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any questions, or like what you see and want to come in and take a tour of the hotel. I would be more than happy to meet with you and talk more to you about your wedding.
I am here to make your Dream Wedding Come True!
Our Wedding Season started in March this year and doesn't end until November- its a long one!but I am very excited for it! Our first 3 weddings have been a HUGE success so far that I can't wait for the rest!
My boss and I came up with the idea as a blog, for all you potential brides that may be looking for the perfect location in Boston and want to see what we, the Hilton Boston Back Bay, has to offer. I'll be posting pictures from our weddings, new/recent wedding trends,and let you know more about weddings here at our hotel.
We have an AMAZING wedding package here at the hotel. Its our "Dream Wedding Package", it's only $99.00 per person, and that includes all taxes and gratuity. Actually, it includes literally everything you could possibly imagine, from the hors d'eourves and one hour of hosted bar during the cocktail reception, elegant floor length linen, 4-course dinner, the cake!, champagne toast, complimentary night stay for bride and groom and much more!
Please make sure you check back in often! there will be tons of pictures to look at! and do not hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any questions, or like what you see and want to come in and take a tour of the hotel. I would be more than happy to meet with you and talk more to you about your wedding.
I am here to make your Dream Wedding Come True!
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