Manhattan Beach Jewish Center(chasdei lev/Ateres Matel Leah)

HakarasHatov

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 9:27 am

Has anyone done a wedding at this hall. I am looking to do a wedding here and want to know your experience.
Is it nice?
what are the pros and cons?
how is the food?
what is the pricing like?
Is there any hidden pricing?
Is there a separate room for the smorg, chuppah, meal/dancing?
Any information you can provide would be helpful.

amother

Ivory

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 9:32 am

I was recently there. I did not like it. They take away your plates the minute the clock reaches the exact time. They also ask you to get up from the tables and chairs once chosen and Kaplan are out from yichud room. Instead of enjoying the evening everything felt very rushed which is how they keep the cost low. The food was typical for a cheap hall. The music was ok. Really what bothered me was the tights schedule and the way the treated the guests.

amother

Mocha

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 9:44 am

It’s true about the rushing to move the tables for dancing. It’s chaotic and uncomfortable. On the other hand there are halls, even some fancy expensive ones, where the chuppa is in the same room as the dinner. The guests get pushed around after the chuppa and it’s just as if not more chaotic and uncomfortable. I like that this hall has a separate place for the Chuppa and it’s a beautiful room. Maybe you can speak to them about keeping the later part of the wedding, the dinner and dancing, more respectful and organized.

chestnut

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 9:48 am

I think the wedding needs to end by certain time. The whole meal is right after the chuppah and then dancing. One dance. Takanah package.

bookstore15

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 9:49 am

There's a separate room for the men's pre-chuppah area, for the "chossons tish". There's also an upstairs gallery overlooking the chuppah room. The chuppah room is really large and nice, that's definitely a pro. The food was alright, I wouldn't complain about it. But they do the entire meal in one sitting, and then move all the tables out of the way for one long dance, not separate courses between dances.
Dessert is served on the side at some point during dancing.
I was there for a few weddings recently.

seeker

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 10:34 am

I have been to quite a number of weddings there and never felt rushed. In fact, I love that the hall is known for running on a specific schedule because then you don't have the guesswork of thinking again every wedding how is it going to run, what time should you go, when do you expect to be back... This place you know exactly what you get.

Every single wedding I've been to there (and it has been a bunch) was beautiful and tasteful. The food was good, I've gone to much fancier weddings with less tasty food. Everything was beautiful without being over the top nor feeling under-anything.

The dance area is not very large but I don't remember feeling uncomfortable.

It's clear to me why so many of my friends and relatives are making weddings there lately.

amother

Freesia ↓

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 10:37 am

I was at a wedding there. Enjoyed it very much. It doesn’t have a high end hall feel. But the food was good and plentiful. The hall is gorgeous. Staff was pleasant.

Ppl just need to know the wedding runs exactly on schedule. Like chuppah started exactly on time. Wedding ends on time. Ppl traveling should be aware of this. It’s nice you know you get home at a normal time.

amother

Burgundy

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 10:37 am

I really like going to weddings in this hall. The hall is attractive. The timing is tight! You eat your whole meal and then do a dance with the kallah. Then there is a buffet dessert and whoever wants can stay for a streamlined second dance. For me it was a mechaya. The wedding was winding down by 10:30. (Compared to my own wedding that ended at 1:30). I have heard that the pricing is good. And it’s close to Brooklyn, Queens, and 5 Towns. I’m pretty sure that there is valet parking as well.

amother

Blue

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 10:38 am

amother Ivory wrote:

All frum halls do those things these days

amother

Cornsilk

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 10:52 am

My daughter got married there a few months ago, and most of the weddings in my social circle are there, assuming the Kallah is from
Flatbush. Overall it was an excellent experience. Yes, the dinner sometimes feels rushed and they do clear the plates abruptly. But the food is pretty good,
the hall is one level, above ground, and beautiful, and the all-inclusive price can’t be beat. The staff takes care of absolutely everything, and they keep the wedding running on schedule. Flatbush residents appreciate the location and the consistent timing. There is no wondering what they’ll be up to or what is taking so long, and once you get into your car, you’re home in 20 minutes or less.

Chayalle

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 10:55 am

My daughter's wedding in Lakewood was similar, we felt that the Manager pushed really hard to rush thru pictures after the Chuppah to keep everything to the minute. I think that's just how it is all over, probably, that's the Manager's job.

amother

Hibiscus

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 11:18 am

I've only been to one wedding there but I will take rushing the meal over sitting around waiting for chosson kalla to make their entrance at 10 pm and only getting main course at 11. Who even wants to eat at that hour?

amother

NeonGreen

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 11:24 am

I think it's great that we have a takanah option in Brooklyn. So many families from Brooklyn used to shlep to Lakewood and can now do it in Brooklyn.
It is takanah so here will be certain rules and limitations and not much flexibility, but that is to keep the price down

amother

↑ Freesia

Mon, Jan 13 2025, 11:34 am

It could be for Brooklyn not takanah wedding it’s diff. But it’s very similar to the lakewood takanah weddings. Just runs even more on time.