Booking with bear brook valley is so easy! And staff is very flexible and helpful!

We went for a visit and right away they poured us a glass of wine or beer. The grounds are beautiful, everything was explained thoroughly, and the presentation was exquisite. We booked right on the spot. After we booked they immediately got in touch with us and communication has been open ever since. I look forward to working with them

We booked our wedding with Rock Island Lake Club for 9/18/2020. Given COVID, our wedding reception was going to be held in a tented outdoor space, lakeside; however, the week of the wedding, the owners offered us an option to switch our reception to their sister location, Bear Brook Valley due to expected low temperatures on our wedding day and being in an outdoor space. They explained how Bear Brook Valley was newly renovated to allow indoor/outdoor access throughout the reception space and increased comfort for our wedding guests. We were initially wary of changing the location of our venue the week-of (due to logistics and fear of guests declining to attend since the reception would no longer be fully outdoors), but we were also concerned about how a tented reception outdoors could be chilly for our guests if we kept the reception as planned. Ultimately, we decided to take the owners up on their offer to switch to the renovated space at Bear Brook as we were assured this would be a ... Read moregreat option for our guests. We met the owners and Bear Brook staff on 9/17, saw the renovations and incredible space, and were SO excited to host our event at Bear Brook the following day. We had zero doubts that our wedding would be incredible and fully trusted the staff to accommodate our wedding details as originally planned at Rock Island. Even still, they beyond exceeded our expectations on our wedding day. From the very moment our wedding party arrived on 9/18 to the very end of the reception, we were treated like royalty. The service provides was seamless and top-notch. Our guests had an awesome time and followed up with us the next day about how great our event was. Truly, we couldn’t have been happier with how our day went and are so grateful to the owners and staff for having our day run so smoothly. We have been raving about our wedding ever since and encourage all couples to trust that the renovations and indoor/outdoor access is a great option! Our only hope is that we will attend a future wedding at Bear Brook or Rock Island as guests ourselves because we had such an incredible time! Thank you to Rock Island/Bear Brook for making our wedding day the best day of our lives.

I am a professional florist (ANDERSON FLOWERS, METUCHEN, NJ) and I just did my first wedding at Bear Brook Valley - and the people there are so nice to work with. And - That surely translates into a great experience for the Bride, Groom, Their Families and Friends. Look forward to being back there

I don't think Bear Brook Valley needs any more 5 star reviews, but here goes. This is hands down the most amazing place you could imagine to have your wedding. It is absolutely stunning! The attention to detail to making this place exclusively a wedding venue is extraordinary. Not a single square inch of the venue is wasted; it was designed to host a wedding from start to finish. Planning with them was so simple! You have your one point of contact the entire time and they handle everything. No worries about rentals, overwhelming options, and hiring multiple different companies. Bear Brook is your venue, caterer, bartender, rental supply, cake supplier (included in contract price but you order at provided bakery), set up and tear down crew, and even day of coordinator! The amount that you are saving by having BBV provide all of this for you is priceless! Like, do you know how much an independent day of coordinator costs? Oh, and their prices are inclusive of sales tax and they don't cha... Read morerge a service fee. Venues we thought were more affordable really weren't after you add on that tax and 22% gratuities. I love the honestly and integrity behind their no hidden fee pricing and their "leave gratuities if you feel moved to" tipping philosophy. At BBV you are a part of their family. Even though they do so many weddings a year, it's always like you are their top priority. For our wedding, we dropped off our decor 2 days in advance and had the place to ourselves with Becca, the day of coordinator, and Juanna the Maitre D, and were able to set some stuff up with them and they had no problem with me meticulously telling them how I wanted everything. They were happy to oblige! After the wedding, we left my husband's truck in the parking lot and they had it packed up ready to go with all our decor the next day. Like, what venue does that?! That's just a little peak into the service the staff will provide to make you feel like royalty on your special day. In all, BBV is just the perfect modern wedding venue. It's rustic yet timelessly elegant. You can get ready in the beautiful Silo Suite that has everything you need, or the Woodford Lounge with all the games your groom will love. You can get married on site and have a perfectly seamless transition from ceremony, to cocktail hour, to reception; guests are never bouncing back and forth between locations. You have an abundant of stunning locations for photos so you have all different kinds of backdrops without ever having to leave the venue. You get a flexible and accommodating staff that says things like "well we've never done that before, but that sounds great, let's do it!" or "we reduced the price of [an upgrade] in our package this year so I credited your account the [few hundred dollar] difference!" And you get the job of 6 different vendors all rolled up into one easy package, no complex tiers to weigh options. You will not regret booking Bear Brook. That's just the honest truth :)

My fiancé and I looked at about 10 places when we decided to visit Bear Brook. As soon as we walked onto the property we knew we loved the venue. Then meeting all of the staff, seeing the bridal and groomsmen suites, and the gorgeous rustic romantic decor sold us. Our wedding coordinator made everything idiot-proof for us: reminding us about payments, timelines for vendors, etc. We recently had our wedding there and people have not stopped complimenting us about their experience at Bear Brook. They loved the food, the staff, and the overall ambiance of the place. We are so thrilled with how our wedding turned out, thanks to Bear Brook!

I booked Bear Brook Valley for my upcoming wedding. So far the experience has been perfect and with such professionalism. Every so often someone reaches out to see how we are doing and to give us some helpful tips. The place itself is amazing. Can’t wait to marry my best friend there!!!

Wow where to even begin about how AMAZING Bear Brook Valley was for our wedding on 8/17/19! Katrina Boyle, our wedding coordinator, was absolutely INCREDIBLE during the entire planning process. From her helpful checklists and suggestions, to her on the spot magic she pulled, she made sure every detail was what we wanted and made sure our wedding was exactly what we dreamed of. Franklin and the bridal attendants were also fantastic the day of as they were SO attentive, helpful, and readily available to help with any request throughout the day. Our food was spectacular, the cocktail hour was raved about, and the end of the night food stand on the way out was a huge hit. I could rave about the beauty of Bear Brook all day, but the people made it that much better and easier to work with. I couldn’t imagine having my wedding anywhere else and I’m SO greatful for Katrina’s patience, flexibility and her eagerness to accommodate our every request. I would highly recommend Bear Brook Val... Read moreley and once again Katrina was an absolute pleasure to work with as her professionalism and experience is invaluable.

My husband and I researched venues throughout New Jersey and New York in search of the perfect place to celebrate our wedding. Bear Brook Valley was the most incredible venue that delivered the best wedding day we could have imagined. We wanted a day that was exceptional and extravagant without being stuffy; Bear Brook certainly provided the most upbeat, fun, lavish day. Logistically, Katrina is extremely organized and prompt; coordinating with her throughout the wedding process was truly a joy. She provided clear lists and benchmarks that helped keep us organized and on track with a timeline; she was so communicative that we did not need to hire a wedding coordinator outside of the venue. On our end, I have an extreme attention to detail (a little OCD!), and Katrina was on top of every last item that made it easy to give her full control and relax on the day of. Stylistically, Bear Brook allowed us to truly personalize the reception so that it felt like us. Everything from the... Read more food to the décor had nods to us as a couple. On the day of, the food is nothing short of exceptional; our wedding was almost a full year ago, and our guests are still talking about the outrageous cocktail hour. The “package” that Bear Brook provides far exceeds that of any other venue. Perhaps the most underestimated quality, though, is how amazing the staff is. Everyone - from the coordinators, to the attendants, to the waiters, to the bartenders - is joyful, knowledgeable, and efficient. They have the process of putting on a 200+ person wedding down to a science, while still letting it feel unique, fun, and personal. I wish that we could get married a second time just to be able to work with the people again. If you’re thinking about Bear Brook Valley, don’t hesitate another second and book!

I don't know where to start - everything about BBV is perfection. I got married here a few weeks ago in what would be BBV's first "big fat Indian wedding". We had picked Bear Brook Valley a year ago knowing that they hadn't necessarily done a wedding like ours, but regardless selecting them was the easiest decision to make. Katrina was incredibly warm, welcoming, attentive, and so excited - we knew that this was going to be the place for us. The chefs worked with us to create a nearly custom menu that helped us accommodate all of our guests many different dietary restrictions and they executed everything so well - every single guest is still raving about it. We were honestly able to enjoy our entire day at Bear Brook Valley, because the staff made it so easy for us to relax and not worry about any details. Frankly, we're already discussing getting married again so we can be back at BBV ;)! Don't overthink and go with BBV, you will not regret it!

When I first stepped foot in Bear Brook Valley, we knew we wanted to get married here based on how beautiful it was. After we booked, Katrina communicated with us about every detail and made us feel at ease throughout the wedding planning process. The venue is gorgeous, with so much natural beauty. We didn't need to worry about a thing the day of because the service was impeccable from arrival in the morning to the minute we left at night. The whole staff was so attentive all day and night and made the day perfect. The food was amazing, and the guests are still complimenting how great the venue was. I highly recommend Bear Brook for your wedding day.

My now husband and I knew from the moment we walked into Bear Brook Valley that it was going to be "the one". I already had a feeling based on how excited I was from pictures alone, and how spot on everything was in person. (The drive in was also gorgeous!) We live in NYC and often travel upstate for long weekends, day hikes, etc., so our first thought was to look for a venue in the Hudson Valley. The vibe we wanted for would include both indoor and outdoor space, a modern take on the farmhouse/barn house style, hold only one wedding per day and be surrounded by trees and/or mountains. Bear Brook Valley checked every single box and then some! It is nestled in the greenery of northwestern New Jersey, so the lushness and connection to nature was perfect. I could go on forever about how much we, and all of our guests, LOVED our venue, but instead I'll highlight key areas we thought were important and stood out from all the other venues we considered. KATRINA, FRANKLIN & STAFFFirst and fo... Read moreremost, our entire experience, including our wedding day, would not have been as magical as it was if we did not have Katrina. She is the secret sauce to BBV's success, in my opinion. She is the wedding coordinator & manager for the venue, with you through every single step of the process once you've locked in your date. I really don't know how she does it -- her attention to detail is unmatched. Of course that is part of her job, but what I mean is, she goes beyond the basics. She really made us feel like our day was the most important on her list of weddings and she truly cared about even the smallest details because they mattered to us. She is hands-on on your wedding day making sure everything runs smoothly and up until then, your right-hand-woman. Franklin was our head server on our wedding day, paying close attention to our needs as well as all guests. He was absolutely on point and our guests noticed as well (several commented on how friendly and accommodating the entire staff was). Overall, the bridal attendants, servers and Katrina were amazing and brought our day to life. I could easily recommend this venue based on their services alone! PROPERTY The grounds are beautifully manicured and offer a variety of landscape for photos as well as your guests to peruse. BBV provides a golf cart that will take you through the property with ease. The ceremony space overlooks a pond with the vineyard visible in the distance. During cocktail hour on the lower level, there is plenty of outdoor patio and seating and a space to gather around a bonfire cauldron. There is a large outdoor balcony space with an active fireplace that runs the full length of the building, available during your reception time upstairs. Decor throughout the inside is well-planned and offers the perfect modern-romantic-rust feel for your wedding day.  BRIDAL & GROOM SUITESI have never experienced anything like this! Although these are add-ons to have for the entire morning, they are absolutely worth the experience and the reduced stress-levels, because you can be on property early and eliminate travel to/from. It definitely makes sense if you're getting married on site. The bridal suite is gorgeous! BBV thought of everything -- you'll have drinks/breakfast/lunch provided, a salon-like section for hair and makeup, long mirrors, a large bathroom and awesome center room to relax in, with great lighting for pictures. You can also watch your ceremony space come to life and you're on the opposite side of the building from your partner. The groom's suite comes equipped with drinks/lunch/games, billiards, table shuffleboard, comfy chairs and access to play some outdoor games. My husband was not going to use it at first but ended up being really glad that he did -- why not feel a little pampered on your day? (P.S. you are granted access to the bridal/groom suite up to 1hr before ceremony at no cost for the rest of the day, if you do not choose to upgrade to use them earlier.) INCLUSIONS PER PERSONI had read some reviews where couples felt that pricing changed throughout their planning process or there were hidden costs. However, in my experience, I do not feel like I had to shine light on any hidden fees or sneaky add-ons. Katrina and her team are VERY transparent in pricing and can answer any questions related to cost. You'll also have access to your contract digitally and it will be updated several times throughout the process allowing you to modify whatever you'd like up to a few weeks before your wedding day. That aside, I felt that all of the inclusions in the price per person went above and beyond. BBV supplies tables, chairs, china, silverware, glasses. Included in the in-house catering at no additional cost are 8 passed h'oeuvres, 3 chafing dishes, 3 live chef stations, 2 block stations, many of which come with paired drinks, and an extensive open bar that included local craft beer. Our guests raved about cocktail hour, which probably looked like we upgraded, but did not have to! The meal includes a salad, up to 5 entrees, viennese dessert, ice-cream and your cake, plus wine for the table and a champagne toast! All of these are things that other venues may charge separately, require upgrades or are not include at all. All of the food we personally tasted was delicious -- guests always comment on a venue's food, and ours gave nothing but positive praise. Bonus -- my husband and I were offered the option to order all entrees on our menus as our dinner options, should we want to try more than one dish each.  We highly recommend Bear Brook Valley for your wedding day -- it did not feel like an ornate or factory-style wedding venue. It was personal, open and cozy. Take a tour, you will not be disappointed!

My son’s wedding last Saturday was absolutely magical. Everything was just perfect but had one flaw. The dinner was terrible. I had the salmon which was so dry, I could not swallow it. Spinach was swimming in salt and sweet potatoes was raw. My husband had the lamb. It was overdone and dried out. Our entire two tables were totally unhappy with their meals. The cocktail hour food was delicious and plentiful. I have never seen a spread so large and diversified. It really made up fir the awful dinner.

I am writing this review to alert people of the unethically business practices of the Bear Brook Valley Wedding venue in Newton, NJ. They are callous and only care about their bottom line. They are unaccommodating and not flexible in anyway shape or form. They don't care about clients. This is by far the worst experience I've had with a vendor. When awareness of the pandemic first became prominent, I reached out to my contact at the venue Heather Truesdale in March, to ask about what their procedures were on handling upcoming events during these unprecedented times. My concerns were dismissed due to my wedding being in July, with no consideration for the other facets that goes into executing an event of this magnitude (sending out invitations, dress fittings, food tasting, other vendors, etc). Hi reached out to the venue again in April after they began "rebooking" March and April dates. I was told as of right now they were only rebooking through May. I reached out again in April expres... Read moresing my frustrations, but again I was dismissed and the reason being, that they were "waiting on answers from the state as to when [they] can or cannot host". However, at this point the governor of NJ placed a ban on all large gatherings until further notice and to date that hasn't been lifted. So to me that clearly states that you cannot host until further notice. Nonetheless, yesterday May 7th I received an email from Heather stating that the venue plans on staying open for July, (even though on their website it states they are currently closed) and I had 24hrs to decide whether to keep my date and put a tentative date on hold or completely rebook to a new date based on the currently available dates. I paid almost the full balance for a peak month and weekend day wedding date, to only have the winter season or Thursday's options to choose from within 24hrs. I asked for more time to think about my options and that was denied. I asked to be better accommodated financially given that July weddings are a peak month and pay higher than most months and that was denied. The best they could offer was 5% off our subtotal which is a mere $1,600. At this point we've made a deposit of about $25,000. This is what they consider fair. We eventually got to the point where I asked for a full refund, giving that we couldn't come to a mutual agreement to rebook and the uncertainty of the venue being able to perform the service they are obligated to in our contracted July date. I was then directed to their legal them, as according to them it would be a cancellation on my part. I never reached out to cancel or mentioned anything about cancellations. I requested a full refund based on the fact that we couldn't come to a mutual agreement on rebooking a new date and on the CDC, government regulations, the environment of uncertainty and unpredictability that we should not hold any large gatherings until further notice. I spoke with Steven A Loeb from the legal team who was very unhelpful and unprofessional. He stated that he would recommend that Bear Brook Valley terminate our contract. I asked him on what basis, he said he doesn't represent me. So I asked if that meant he couldn't explain on what basis our contract would be terminated? He repeated himself and eventually we got no where. I reached back out to Heather to inform her of how my call went with Steven and to let her know at this point I can't make a decision. We went back and forth a bit for her to basically say if I keep my July contracted date and they are unable to perform the venue will keep my full deposit based on their force majeure. Given the recent COVID-19 pandemic and shelter in place mandates across the United States, it is not ethical for vendors and venues to capitalize on such misfortune of human beings. It's not our choice to cancel.