Congratulations to Tara & Ilya!

They had a romantic garden wedding ceremony followed by a reception at The Skylands Manor on April 13, 2012.  It was a gorgeous spring day at the NJ Botantical Gardens with tree buds blooming, string players setting the romantic mood, and a very happy Bride and Groom. 

See more of Tara & Ilya’s amazing wedding photographs created by Erin H. Photography on our Facebook Page and read about their love story and fantastic, first-hand event planning tips on their very own wedding website.

Andrea & Daniel Will Wed in Sept. at The Villa

We are just 4 months away from Andrea & Daniel’s all-vegan wedding to take place this September at The Villa at Mountain Lakes.

When I first spoke with Andrea, she explained that she’d been searching for a sophisticated wedding venue in NJ that could provide elegant all-vegan catering for a very, very long time without any luck.  When Andrea discovered and fell in love with The Villa at Mountain Lakes she asked me about possible vegan catering options fearing that she would not be able to find the perfect match, yet again.  I was not going to let that happen!

At Frungillo Caterers we are dedicated to customizing our menus and making our clients’ dreams come true.  A few years ago my colleague Amy Vecchione hosted an all-vegetarian wedding at The Oakeside Mansion and we were always interested in hosting all-vegan events as well.  I told her I would do everything and anything possible to make her wedding a reality.

I immediately reached out to Chef Mark Rasmussen, a renowned vegan chef, consultant, cookbook author and entrepreneur.  He’s currently executive chef and consultant for Subia’s Organic Café and Market in Jersey City and the author of “Veggie Works Vegan Cookbook” (2001)

Visit Chef Rasmussen on FB for New Vegan Recipes

Chef Rasmussen agreed to consult with Frungillo Caterers to craft an extraordinary vegan wedding menu that would impress the Bride, Groom and all of the guests (most of whom are actually not vegan).  When Andrea met with me and Chef Rasmussen for an initial tasting she was totally “WOWED.”  Andrea (a vegetarian her entire life and a vegan since college) could not believe that the savory filet mignon and juicy skewered chicken entrées were not real meat.  She absolutely loved the variety of dishes, excellent textures and flavors, and fancy presentation…and booked her wedding at The Villa.

Chef Rasmussen and I were thrilled to make Andrea happy.  Andrea offers great inspiration for being true to yourself and following your dreams.  We are eagerly anticipating her special day!

John Fucci
john@frungillo.com
973.335.5300

Liberty Science Center, Third Floor Exhibition Spaces

Host a special event with Frungillo Caterers at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ!

A room from the Third Floor exhibition spaces is featured in this post. Guests will be awed by all the things they can see and do, like create electronic graffiti, or laugh out loud as they try “language karaoke” in LSC’s Communication exhibition. They can also learn about predator-prey relationships in Eat and Be Eaten, an exhibition featuring their live animal collection. Finally, in the Infection Connection gallery everyone will learn how to stay healthy as they discover the giant world of tiny microbes. Perfect for special events including Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Sweet Sixteens and Quiceañera celebrations. 

Reception: 300 guests / Seating: 100 guests

Contact one of Frungillo Caterers’ award-winning event specialitsts for more information and to schedule a tour of the unique spaces available for special events at Liberty Science Center: 973.256.9380

Skylands Manor

Springtime has arrived!  Nestled in the New Jersey Botanical Gardens, this is a wonderful season to tour the grounds and plan an overnight or weekend stay at Skylands Manor. The trees are budding, flowers are blooming and the sun is staying out longer into the evenings.

Our dedicated event specialist, Linda Pergola (973.962.9370), can also assist you if you are interested in planning your dream wedding at this gorgeous venue.

Miss McCutie at The Inn at Millrace Pond

Last Saturday, Jerry Frungillo led a group of his friends on a unique St. Patrick’s Day Crawl through two of our very special venues.   They started with dinner and drinks at our historic B&B, The Inn at Millrace Pond (Hope, NJ), which was hopping with guests celebrating the Irish holiday.  We were very proud to set a new record that evening for the highest number of dinner guests at The Inn since purchasing the establishment in September of 2010 ~ Erin Go Bragh!  

“Miss McCutie” was one of our most festive guests…how adorable is she?  Jerry himself went full-on Irish ordering the delicious homemade corn beef and cabbage special-of-the-day paired with a chocolate stout.  The guests at his table made selections from both the holiday and house dinner menus. As always, the Grilled Atlantic Salmon towering over steamed spinach and hand-mashed potatoes in buerre blanc sauce received many raved reviews…it is sooo delectable….  

Meanwhile, the Inn’s cellar-level Fireside Tavern was hopping with friends and families giving cheers with green beers as live performances by The Skinny Singers featuring Brian St. John provided the crowd with incredible sets of classic rock and folk music.

Behind-the-Scenes at The Villa

After dinner, Jerry gathered up his group of friends from the crowd to go snatch up some of John “The Baker” Williams’ signature red velvet cupcakes back at The Villa at Mountain Lakes
where two weddings were in full swing ~ Congratulations to both Katie & Ron and Yesi & JC!  Immediately upon arrival, both adults and kids alike raced through The Villa’s rear staff entrance and headed straight to the catering kitchen to devour their special batch of cupcakes.  Matt Frungillo (Jerry’s youngest nephew) was already waiting for them in his St. Paddy’s Day getup and the night ended with the kids jamming behind-the-scenes to dance songs being spun in the two ballrooms by Mix Master DJs and Diamond Productions.

Only 361 more days until St. Patrick’s Day 2013…start the countdown!

Our Fireside Tavern will be serving $5 pitchers of GREEN BEER and featuring an Irish Pub Menu from 6pm-10pm on 3/17

Call us for more information: 908.459.4884

We are just 6

This is an exciting “Frungillo First” for us and throughout the coming months we’ll feature stories about the couple, Frungillo Caterers’ vegan chef consultant, and the couture wedding menu underway for the event. You can read a recent blog post written by the bride-to-be Andrea right now at: Vegan Nutritionista

E! commentator Giuliana Rancic wore a stunning Tony Ward couture gown to the Oscars.  Can’t you just can picture yourself as a beautiful bride donning a Giuliana-inspired look to your Hollywood glamour wedding at The Oakeside Mansion? It would be absolutely spectacular!  Visit The Oakeside Mansion today and start turning your own dream day into a reality…

~Alexandra Castainca-Costa, Sales & Event Specialist

alexandra@frungillo.com / 973.256.9380