Today’s staff spotlight is on Marcus Grajales, our in-house full time AV Manager. His systematic and coordinated personality suits him well as AV Manager here at The Palace. Clients praise his work for effortlessly run high tech conferences & events. Marcus is an invaluable asset to our team, he is always available, and every clients go-to guy! Here is a little Q and A we did with him so you can meet the man that truly knows what goes on behind the scenes: What three character traits would your friends use to describe you? Hard working, Driven and Helpful.   Do you have any hobbies? Woodworking and Motorcycles.   What was the most stressful situation you have faced as AV Manager? During a meeting of over 1000 attendees, I was called up on stage to assist the presenter with their … Read more

It’s time again!  We want to say thank you to our past clients for choosing us to host one of the most important days of your life.  We wouldn’t be where we are without you and we don’t take that for granted.  We want to invite all of you back to have a fun night of dancing and good food and we will do all the work. Chef Justin has already began working on a special menu for this year.  The night will begin with an abundance of stations during the cocktail hour and tasty drinks.  Didn’t get a chance to eat at your wedding?  This time you will get to indulge in all of the delicacies.  Dinner will be just as over the top with 4 courses. Last year, Pastry Chef Nancy Lee, came up with a gorgeous themed … Read more

  Much heart, time, and energy goes into planning a wedding and in the blink of an eye it is over. There are some professionals though that are able to capture the true emotion and festivity of that day allowing you to hold onto those amazing moments. One of those vendors is Glenn Maningas from MPW Media. We asked him for a quick interview to give us some behind the scenes scoop.   What are the most exciting trends that you are seeing when it comes to wedding videos? SAME DAY EDIT is the trend today, making a movie-like highlight clip that will be shown at the end of the night. All cinematic shooting angles including video footage using drones.   What advice do you give your clients who are nervous in front of the camera? Be comfortable with your vendors first, … Read more

Every weekend we have some of the most incredible vendors come in and out of our venue.  It becomes hard to not develop strong relationships with these folks.  That being said, we have now strengthened our bond with one vendor in particular and gone a step further.  A Touch of Elegance has opened a secondary location right here onsite at The Palace at Somerset Park.  We are anticipating that this will only assist in making this already amazing company, even better!  Brides, from not only The Palace but all venues, can come in and meet with an event decor specialist.  We are beyond excited to see this company growing and expanding across New Jersey.  Their work speaks for itself.  Schedule your appointment right away.  Below are some pictures of the space they transformed to help couples get their creative juices flowing.     Known … Read more

The Palace has been open for almost 11 years now. Through the years, we have received one request consistently and that was for couples to be invited back. It has always felt like such a compliment that brides and grooms felt their day went so fast that they wanted to relive it again and this time be able to eat and relax! We have listened and now we are inviting all of our past brides and grooms back for a night that they can celebrate. We promise you won’t have to do anything but come in your best party formal attire, bring an appetite, and get ready to have a fun night out. Since we are doing this, we are going to do it right! Executive Chef, Justin DiBianca, came up with 3 all new mouth-watering courses that we have … Read more

The appearance of the Supermoon, earlier this week, couldn’t have coincided better with the attendance of Buzz Aldrin, astronaut of Apollo 11 & the second man to walk on the moon, at the NJBIZ & NJ Chamber Innovation Gala on the same night.  The 2nd annual gala celebrates the history of innovation within New Jersey and groundbreaking technologies.     The event opens up the doors to the guests joining us to witness some of the cutting edge technology such as Budgee, the follow-me personal robot assistant and a Ford Focus showing off its autonomous engineering possibilities.     Among the many speakers that evening were Physicist & TV Personality, Dr. Michio Kaku and Physicist Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson.  Using Sci Fi as the inspiration and theme of this event, what night would be complete without an appearance of Chewbacca. … Read more

We asked Danielle & Karima to tell us their story and a beautiful tale is what we got, so we just had to share.   “A Love Like Denim” Wedding of Danielle & Karima McKenzie July 19, 2015 Ceremony & Reception at The Palace   Love At First Sight… Maybe the Third   I, Danielle, had spotted Karima at a couple of different events in New Jersey; one being a basketball games where she happened to be the assistant coach and another time at a local bar for a mutual friend’s birthday party. But it was the third time, when I had locked eyes (and a smile) with her in Miami Florida, May 2011, during Sweet Heat Gay Pride Weekend at the All White Attire Affair, that I decided I was not going to walk away without making some form … Read more

  Hey Palace fans!  Did you know that the most popular wedding color is any shade of purple….Yes, purple tones are beautiful…but they are kind of cookie cutter.  If you are looking for something that really adds “splash” and “pop”, Aqua is a perfect hue!  It’s lovely all by itself and can stand alone….but if you are looking to pair it up, we always recommend picking another color and a metallic.  For example, you could pair up the ever so popular purple to gave that color a new feel and while you are at it, throw in a little brushed pewter…or how about poppy red with a soft gold to accent the pallet.  Lastly, Aqua can be amazing with cream and ivory tones and a hint of champagne!  When picking your wedding colors try to choose something that keeps people guessing … Read more

Candy buffets have now been around for a hot minute, BUT we still can’t get enough of them.  This colorful display of sweet treats are a great way to end your evening on delicious note.  They add that little extra something and WOW your guests.  When picking out candy displays, go with color theme, crowd favorites and fun novelties.  Also, adding in cookies and cupcakes enhance the display to make it unforgettable!  Lastly, this can double out as your favor too…(*tip:  edible favors are a perfect option since you know your guests will eat them and not be a waste of $$…in other words, rule out the picture frame favors…they are SO 1995 😉 )  When in doubt, have a candy buffet…they are truly a sure thing! … Read more

When in doubt, Champagne is always the answer! Looking for a fun way to impress your guests? Tired of the traditional martini bar….A bubbly bar might be the perfect option for you! This hot trend is “POPPING” up everywhere….The traditional must haves on this bar include Mimosas, Bellini’s, and of course strait up champagne!  To amp this bar up a notch, make it interactive.  Add other flavorful juices, and fresh seasonal fruit  so your guest can build their own perfect cocktail!  You could also have someone serve them as well. A bubbly bar is a fun way to continue the celebration with a fresh new cocktail approach!  So we want to know…are you a fan of this idea?  Would you ever consider doing this on your big day?  It works for all types of celebrations.  A bubbly bar is a perfect … Read more