Details, details

Jen Grogan sweats the small stuff for your big day

By CARI SCRIBNER

During her tenure as banquet manager for the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Spa State Park, Jen Grogan has seen it all.

The grand ballroom, which seats up to 500 guests, is a popular choice for wedding ceremonies and receptions. There are also side rooms adjacent to the ballroom for smaller, more intimate receptions, but Grogan said the average headcount is 200 to 250 guests. If you’re planning a wedding, is it possible to get into the Hall of Springs? Only if you make reservations far in advance.

"We’re booked every weekend with at least one wedding," Grogan said. "There are many weekends when we have one reception in the morning, then change the entire set-up for a second wedding that night. But we’re not a wedding factory; there’s a lot of flexibility and nothing is the same at every wedding."

Two of Grogan’s strengths as the go-to person at the hall are remaining calm and keeping lots of extra supplies on hand.

"Florists come rushing in, and vases fall over as they’re filling them with water, and they’re frantic." Grogan said. "But we have tons of glassware stored downstairs, because over the years, many brides just leave the centerpieces to us. They just don’t have a use for 50 glass bowls."

When it comes to ambiance, Grogan said it all comes down to personal taste.

"Not everyone conforms to tradition," Grogan said. "You don’t need to wear a white gown and have very formal wedding attendants. I’ve seen some wild color combinations that work really well, like lime green and hot pink, and fuchsia or turquoise with black linens. More recently, I’ve seen navy blue as the accent color, which looks beautiful. Other families want to follow the architecture of our building and go with beige or ivory to match the ballroom with its chandeliers and high ceilings."

The large tables need centerpieces, and thankfully, guests aren’t likely to see a small school of fish swimming in a glass bowl in the middle of their table, which was all the rage a decade ago.

"Many girls are doing their own centerpieces; glass vases with tall pillar candles on mirrors scattered with rose petals is a popular choice," Grogan said. "When it comes to managing a budget, making your own centerpieces is a way to keep costs down. One bride and her family came in and worked for five hours to set up the flowers, and it looked lovely."

The hall has its own catering company, Mansion Catering, with a full kitchen on the premises. Grogan goes over every detail of the reception menu in advance and said serving gluten-free food is the No. 1 special request, followed by meals for people with nut allergies, and also vegetarian meals.

"We have a rigatoni with butternut squash that’s terrific, and I’m not even vegetarian," Grogan said.

Other favorites are rib-eye steak, seared salmon or sea bass and pasta. But the food doesn’t end after dinner and cake. After guests have spent a few hours on the dance floor, servers will roll out a Viennese table with fun food such as milkshakes, cotton candy, or ice cream sundaes, or more substantial fare like mini-sliders, fries and chicken fingers.

One of Grogan’s most memorable weddings was an Oct. 31 reception with a black and white theme reminiscent of "Phantom of the Opera."

"Everything was black and white, right down to the guests’ clothing; it was very modern and striking," Grogan said. "They put lounge furniture around the room and had a whole room of desserts like pumpkin cupcakes and cookies."

An old-fashioned candy bar is also a frequent choice, featuring up to 20 miniature treats displayed in oversized martini glasses.
Some brides also opt for "sweet memories," which are take-home goodies like cocoa and cookies or apple cider donuts and hot cider for their guests to enjoy later.

There are plenty of last-minute emergencies, all of which Grogan has handled smoothly.

"There are a lot of hiccups, and I have to always be ready because you never know what may happen," Grogan said. "I’ve had members of the family come in and all the linens are the wrong color, but we have back-ups for those, too.

Brides and attendants need bobby pins all the time. I remember one bride dancing and her dress completely fell apart from the cleavage down. It just came unstitched, and we literally had to take her to a private room and sew her back into her dress. Fortunately, she had a good sense of humor."

Grogan has had to do emergency surgery when the ribbons holding together bridal bouquets unwind right before the bride walks up the aisle.

Uncooperative weather also has interefered with the day's plans.

"We had an outdoor fall wedding, and the weather suddenly turned freezing cold," Grogan said. "One of the readers lost the passage they were supposed to read, and we had to go find a computer to print it out of her e-mail. I could see the guests turning around in their seats to see why they were sitting for an extra 15 minutes."

During emergencies large and small, Grogan said the goal is to remedy the situation quickly, because after all, the wedding must go on.

"Sometimes guests won’t even be aware of it, but there’s always a glitch," Grogan said with a laugh. "You just stay calm, be prepared for anything and keep saying, `it’s fine -- let it roll.’ "