As the saying goes, the only certainty is uncertainty. And so it has been for us all this past year, as situations way beyond any of our control have had colossal impacts on our lives.
At the end of 2020 we publicly committed ourselves to making “2021 a year to remember for all the right reasons”. We knew then that by being unflinchingly focused on our core mission of self-improvement and superior client service, we would continue to thrive irrespective of what happens around us.
And it turns out we were right!
Blueprints becoming a Reality
For many of our guests, The Crystal Plaza was reborn in 2021. This is because we completed all the constructional modernization we undertook in 2020. And we could not be more proud of the transformation. With a keen eye for detail we were able to add a contemporary, fresh feel to the existing majestic and ornate beauty of the 19th century mansion…
The Vault
Located on the sub-level at The Crystal Plaza, this spectacular space is often used as a Men’s Lounge for pre-event activities – where the guys can catch up over a cocktail, reminisce while playing pool, or even try their hand at some simulated golf!
The Chandelier Suite
Another private en-suite room, The Chandelier Suite is resplendent with its marble floors and an oversized crystal chandelier. As with The Vault, brides and their closest friends and family often choose to hang out here ahead of their wedding, enjoying a glass of champagne in each others’ happy company.
The Corridor
We have built an incredibly elegant passageway that connects with almost every room at The Crystal Plaza, ensuring our guests are immersed in a world of charm and sophistication wherever they go.
The Atrium
One of the jewels in our already majestic crown is The Atrium. With its glass ceiling, white & silver hardwood floor and outdoor balcony, this multi-function private room can be used for ceremonies of all kinds – including weddings, corporate events, and cocktail parties. Honestly, it has to be seen to be believed!
The Garden Patio
The Garden Patio is pure fairytale. With specialized, weather-proof chandeliers and a breathtaking blanket of foliage overhead, this indoor-outdoor space is the perfect spot for cocktail hour as guests catch up with old friends, or meet new ones!
All-in-all, we are incredibly proud of all the work that has gone into our refurbishment and believe the results speak for themselves. As one guest whose family has visited The Crystal Plaza over multiple generations said “I honestly didn’t think it could get any better!”.
A clear vision and a flexible approach
If recent times have taught us anything, it’s that we have to be flexible. As the renovations were being completed we purposefully made alterations that allow for the new world we live in. This includes adding outside doors to our beautiful atrium – not just improving the design and space, but also allowing for increased airflow.
By constantly considering both form and function with everything we do, we know that our guests’ every need and desire will be perfectly taken care of.
Remembering who we are
Despite the incredible modifications that we have undertaken, we also made sure that all the elements remain in place that make The Crystal Plaza the preeminent wedding and events venue in the Tri-State area. This goes beyond the magnificence of the Grand Ballroom, with its 30 glittering chandeliers, or the heavenly gardens, in which 18,000 new flower bulbs are planted each year. We also mean the intangible things like our first-class white-glove service or our unbending commitment to only hosting one event at a time.
But perhaps even more important still are our values.
Supporting our Local Heroes
We are very proud to be from Livingston, NJ – and we do all we can to support our local fire, police and healthcare workers. As ever, this year we were thrilled to host the annual holiday parties for nearby police departments.
Wish Upon a Wedding
On May 26th we had a double celebration. Not only was it Director of Sales Max Janoff’s birthday, but we also hosted our inaugural Wish Upon a Wedding event, when we donated our venue and catering services to husband and wife, Kristina and Joseph Moore. The lovely couple renewed their vows with us following the recent and devastating discovery of Joe’s stage four cancer.
“Hosting an event for Kristina and Joseph was incredibly special for the Crystal Plaza, but for it to fall on my birthday really made it feel even more personal. They deserved every second of that amazing evening,” said Max Janoff.
Here are some of the trends we’re predicting for 2022:
Bringing the outside indoors
We think we’re going to see a lot of use of greenery and natural beauty in weddings. This will come particularly easy to us, given the extraordinarily beautiful 5 acre grounds from which we can draw our inspiration (and in which we can also host year round weddings, too!).
More Wedding Bands
In addition to the energized and energizing DJs, we think we will see an uptick in weddings featuring live bands. From classical string or harmonizing barbershop quartets to swinging jazz and rock ‘n roll bands, we expect live music to take center stage in 2022.
Midweek Weddings
As we noted recently in our post “Saturdays are benched, Thursdays are up”, we have seen a notable increase in midweek weddings, as brides and grooms (and their guests!) see the benefits of a Thursday wedding. Not just are there more vendor options (sometimes at lower cost), but everyone usually takes the Friday off – meaning a 3+ day weekend!
What’s Next for The Crystal Plaza?
The self-improvement continues! Our executive chef, Paul Fonte, has been using any downtime from this past year to continue experimenting with his craft. 2022 promises to be very exciting as he unveils a brand new menu, which reflects some of the culinary trends we have seen emerging. He is also proud to announce new pairing stations for food and drink, which we know will be extremely popular with our guests.
Aside from which, we are continuing to offer family celebrations, bar / bat mitzvah parties and seasonal events, as well as our best-in-class weddings, of course. And increasingly popular are our holiday parties, with many key dates in December 2022 already being booked! As ever, if you are interested in discussing The Crystal Plaza as a possible venue for your celebratory event, please do get in touch on 973.992.8100 – we’d love to hear from you.
The Crystal Plaza- New Jersey’s finest wedding venue
About The Crystal Plaza
The Crystal Plaza is widely regarded as one of the finest wedding and event venues in the US. Based in Livingston, NJ we offer impeccable white-glove service to meet the exacting needs of our guests. Our newly renovated mansion can be rented for any function that you wish to host, while abiding to all proper social distancing protocols and procedures – including weddings, birthdays, graduation parties, photo shoots, corporate gatherings, reunions and family gatherings.
Please contact us on info@crystalplaza.com to learn more.