Reviewing Claudia Neville, Director of Sales & Catering and Staff @ Best Western® PLUS Lamplighter Inn
Review is written by Staff @ The Ring and is based on • Interviews with this vendor • Interviews with past brides
The Best Western® PLUS name is known nationally by its reputation for service excellence. To London brides, Best Western Lamplighter Inn is known as one of this community's most elegant wedding locales. If you want to truly feel like a princess on your wedding day, this is a very good place to start...
Grand ballrooms, crystal chandeliers, indoor waterfalls, glass ceilings, extensive catering menus, and luxury overnight suites are only a few of the reasons this location books solid for weddings. From your indoor gazebo ceremony to your honeymoon suite, your entire wedding day is taken care of here. Let us explain...
Adding to greatness
Best Western® PLUS is the world's largest hotel chain with locations across the globe. London's Best Western Lamplighter Inn has been a fixture in the travel and events industry for over thirty years. In 2000, The Lamplighter undertook a full year of renovations that ultimately unveiled The Atrium, an incredible addition that transformed this hotel and event centre into a tropical paradise for travelers and an even more upscale option for corporate and wedding events than it was before.
Claudia Neville, Director of Sales & Catering, has been a large part of the planning and execution of these grand events for the past ten years. Claudia gave staff at The Ring a full tour of the facilities when we interviewed Best Western Lamplighter Inn, along with every wedding detail a bride could ever need to know about a wedding here.
Weddings @ The Lamplighter
The Lamplighter specializes in events that range from small, intimate weddings to large, lavish affairs. They offer on-site indoor locations for ceremonies, multiple ballrooms for receptions, on-site indoor photo shoot locations, extensive menus, packages customized to each couple, full bar services, and of course, luxury hotel suites for the bride, groom and their guests.
The Lamplighter name brings about a professional and long-standing reputation in the community. Shalyn Baker was married here and told The Ring, "Growing up in the London area, The Lamplighter always had caught my eye. I feel that having ceremony, reception and lodging for guests all at one location really 'sold' this location for me! I always knew this was the 'princess' wedding venue!"
The Lamplighter's all-inclusive wedding package includes multitudes of options and services in one easy place. When you choose this all-inclusive option for your wedding of 60 or more guests, there is a list of benefits that instantly become yours. All service charges, taxes and gratuities are included in one price, the ballroom for your reception of appropriate size, decorative touches such as sterling silver candelabras, candles and a professionally printed seating plan are yours. You and your fiancé will also be able to enjoy deluxe honeymoon accommodations on your wedding night. You will have the choice of delicious meals to serve to your guests after they have enjoyed a fruit punch reception upon arrival. House wine will be served throughout dinner and there will be one glass of champagne for toasting. A host bar for four hours after dinner is also included with this package.
Events in style: Receptions
The three ballrooms at The Lamplighter offer options for dinner and dancing space. At Best Western Lamplighter Inn, the staff and management know that décor can play a major role in a wedding day and that's why each of their reception spaces is full of natural décor, creating a gorgeous backdrop for a wedding feast and celebration.
The Chelsea Ballroom offers 1900 square feet of intimate reception space for up to 100 guests. Its neutral colours with accents of green and a warm atmosphere mean that you can enjoy it as is, or add your own personal touches. A step up in size, the Regency Ballroom spans 4300 square feet suitable for up to 250 wedding guests. You can reserve this room with its six candelabra chandeliers, oak panels, sage carpet, tan walls and burgundy accents.
Kyla Tierney- Miller and Troy Miller held their reception in The Regency Room in November 2009 and say that they chose the Best Western Lamplighter because it felt warm and inviting. "I liked the fact that I really didn't have to do anything to The Regency Room," Kyla adds with regards to the natural décor. "I was so happy with the Regency, I couldn't have imagined our wedding in another room."
The Crystal Ballroom with its 21 foot ceilings, has 7000 square feet of space and twelve crystal chandeliers. The room is clothed in beige, taupe and sage so that any colour theme is possible in the elegant space... click here for a virtual tour. You can reserve this room for your wedding of 125 to 450 guests.
"Our reception was in the Crystal Ballroom north. From the moment I walked into the room I felt like a princess," Shalyn told us. "The huge glass chandeliers really set the room apart from anything else I have seen. The staff covered the chairs in chocolate brown covers (matching my theme) with white tablecloths and the matching chocolate napkins. It was, in one word... breathtaking! The room was very elegant to begin with. The amazing crystal chandeliers topped the room off! The staff provided numerous choices for chair covers, napkins and tablecloths, which matched my colour scheme perfectly."
In case you are planning a brunch or breakfast for the day after the wedding, The Lamplighter also has the Oak Room available for up to 60 people, or the Canterbury Room for up to 40 people. Small weddings can also be held in these rooms.
Events in style: Ceremonies
The Lamplighter offers the option of all-in-one location weddings with your ceremony in The Atrium. It's a romantic opportunity to exchange vows amidst waterfalls, rock gardens and tropical greenery underneath an enormous glass ceiling. If you choose to wed in the gazebo, you'll create a tropical resort feel with live trees, exotic plants, and koi ponds. This multi-tiered atrium offers a sun-drenched exotic feel, with all the comforts that an indoor ceremony offers.
Kyla and Troy also held their ceremony at the Lamplighter Inn and say that the tropical-style of The Atrium made it feel like a destination wedding, and they couldn't have imagined their wedding anywhere else. In fact, they loved it so much that they have since recommended it to two people who had also held their weddings there. And both times that Kyla and Troy went back, they say that the staff remembered them like their wedding was yesterday, and "not like I'm just another bride that they have served."
Personally speaking...
The staff at The Lamplighter offer their expertise, time, and event planning experience to each of their brides and grooms, headed by Claudia. They will guide you through the planning process and can even help suggest floral arrangements, wedding cakes, and entertainment options, if necessary. There is always continuous staff supervision of every detail during your wedding at The Lamplighter.
After seeing Claudia's work firsthand, Leanne had no doubt about trusting her with the details of her wedding day. "I got engaged one month after my sister had her wedding at The Lamplighter," she told The Ring. "I was so impressed with Claudia and her team that I didn't look anywhere else. We immediately booked our reception there... I enjoyed planning every minute of our wedding and I credit Claudia and her team for this. They made everything so stressless but exactly how I imagined it."
"I loved having my own assistant walking me through what I had to do," Shalyn explained to us about the help she received from Claudia's team. "I got a phone call about an hour before the ceremony was to begin, asking if I needed anything and going through a list of things they could provide if I had forgotten anything. Fifteen minutes before the ceremony was to begin, I got very nervous and actually had to be helped into the elevator and have water and Kleenex waiting for me at the bottom! The ladies even timed when the next bridesmaid was to walk down the aisle." From tissues to timelines, the wedding staff at The Lamplighter strive to keep you relaxed and on track. "On my wedding day I felt completely taken care of from the moment I got into the hotel after my hair was done, until the next morning when we checked out... I would definitely give my entire day a 100/10. Claudia and her staff went out of their way for my entire wedding party and guests to make sure everyone was beyond happy! I can't say enough of how wonderful my special day was because of them!"
Kyla and Troy worked mainly with Jessica Grundy for their wedding and say she was amazing. "Any questions I had, she answered," adds Kyla. "Any accommodations I needed, she met... and if she wasn't available, Claudia helped us and was just as amazing."
Celebrating with food and drink
All food and beverages served at your wedding are catered through Best Western Lamplighter Inn. They offer such a wide variety of menu items created with years of culinary expertise as well as versatile options for ethnic groups, that you would never need to go elsewhere. They will work within any special dietary restrictions that you may have as well. A la carte menus range from $37.00 up to $59.00 per person, and all-inclusive wedding packages start at $110.00 per person. Leanne recounted to us that developing a special menu with The Lamplighter for her day was simple and easy. "My husband is Portuguese," she explained, "Claudia and the Head Chef helped us to customize a wonderful dinner menu and midnight buffet to suit our needs. While customizing our menu we worked directly with the Chef, he was great to work with and had lots of ideas. Claudia and her team made the entire experience so easy."
You are allowed to bring your own cake from an outside bakery if you'd like, but many couples are choosing to wow their guests with The Lamplighter's three-tiered chocolate fountain, either instead of or in addition to the wedding cake. There is a choice of white, milk or dark chocolate, and the decadent pleasure is served with marshmallows, pretzels, wafer cookies and seasonal fruit.
Alcohol service can be offered as an open bar, a cash bar, or a combination of the two. Beverages are provided by the hotel.
The Lamplighter's all-inclusive advantage...
The Lamplighter's all-inclusive wedding package provides you with one price that includes all service charges (no additional gratuities or taxes to worry about so that what you see is truly what you receive). When you choose this option for your wedding of 60 or more guests, there is a list of benefits that instantly become yours...
Tucking in with luxury
The Lamplighter offers your guests the luxury of simply walking from your reception to their guest rooms at the end of the evening. You and your guests can rest your heads after a full day without having to travel anywhere. Attractive rooms are available in Standard, King Suites or romantic Jacuzzi Suites with fireplaces. On-site amenities include Shelly’s Tap and Grill, the gazebo lounge and bar, an exercise room, a games room, guest laundry facilities, and The Atrium with its indoor pool, 'Roaring Mountain Waterslide' and whirlpool tub.
Kyla and Troy loved the fact that their out of town guests arrived at the Lamplighter Inn on Friday and left on Sunday and didn't have to drive anywhere the whole weekend because everything was right there. Plus, they add that "The prices were amazing for what we got and totally fit into our budget."
Breaking it down...
Claudia and the staff at The Lamplighter invite any couples interested in having their wedding at The Lamplighter to come in so that they can outline a package tailored specifically for your needs. For any wedding at The Lamplighter, there are complimentary candles and centrepieces offered, and your choice of linen napkin colour, special guest room rates along with free inserts for your invitations, and free parking for you and all your guests. For any weddings booked for 2011, the all inclusive package will also offer complimentary chair covers. If you choose the Crystal, Regency or Chelsea Ballroom, you will also enjoy a complimentary room for the bride and groom the night of the wedding, and a 20" x 28" framed seating plan professionally printed and presented on an iron easel.
Details, details, details
• The number of months that you need to book in advance for a wedding at The Lamplighter depends on the size of your event. They recommend 1 year in advance, but you can call and check availability for any date.
• There is a deposit required within the month that you book your wedding. The amount is based on the specifics of your wedding size.
• 50% of your total remaining bill is due 6 weeks prior to the wedding, with the final guest numbers and payment due 1 week before.
In other words...
Rachelle & Adam Anderson were married on May 24, 2008. They had their family pictures taken in The Atrium at The Lamplighter, hosted their wedding reception in the Crystal Ballroom and Rachelle's parents hosted a breakfast at The Lamplighter the morning after the wedding for family who stayed in the hotel. When we asked, Rachelle raved about the service, facilities and food that her and her guests enjoyed...
"I would highly recommend The Lamplighter to any bride who is aiming to 'wow' their guests and fulfill their dreams of a spectacular wedding reception. We wanted our wedding reception to be absolutely breathtaking and the Crystal Ballroom at The Lamplighter Inn provided the perfect background to allow that desire to become a reality. From the deep colour of the ballroom to the sparkling chandeliers, when we first toured The Lamplighter everything exuded possibility! Claudia and the wedding team at The Lamplighter are excellent at being available for their brides. If they are not right there to answer your question when you call, they certainly get back to you very quickly. They are welcoming and open to answering any questions or just discussing ideas and options with you. When my mom and I first toured The Lamplighter we were drawn in by the excitement in the eyes of the staff as they talked about weddings. They treated us as if my wedding was just as important to them as their very own. There were so many wonderful things about our wedding reception at The Lamplighter that it is difficult to think of what stands out the most, but six months later people are still commenting to us on how amazing the dinner was. The food at The Lamplighter is top notch! We had a five course meal and each course was more impressive. The presentation of the food was second to none and the flavour was spectacular! Claudia and The Lamplighter staff really went above our exceptions to ensure that the whole wedding planning process was special for us."
"The incredible service at The Lamplighter stands out most in my mind. We were treated like royalty. Claudia and her staff really worked so hard to make sure that everything was just perfect - and it was! They made sure that not only Max and I were happy but went table to table to make sure that our guests were okay. Max and I could just sit back and enjoy every minute - Claudia had everything covered! Max and I loved everything. The way the ceremony and reception looked was beyond what we could have ever imagined. More importantly though, Claudia and the staff were incredible! Claudia's experience really helped out as she had many suggestions to make the night run smoothly." - Max & Lisa Armstrong
The Best Western® PLUS name is known nationally by its reputation for service excellence. To London brides, Best Western Lamplighter Inn is known as one of this community's most elegant wedding locales. If you want to truly feel like a princess on your wedding day, this is a very good place to start...
Grand ballrooms, crystal chandeliers, indoor waterfalls, glass ceilings, extensive catering menus, and luxury overnight suites are only a few of the reasons this location books solid for weddings. From your indoor gazebo ceremony to your honeymoon suite, your entire wedding day is taken care of here. Let us explain...
Adding to greatness
Best Western® PLUS is the world's largest hotel chain with locations across the globe. London's Best Western Lamplighter Inn has been a fixture in the travel and events industry for over thirty years. In 2000, The Lamplighter undertook a full year of renovations that ultimately unveiled The Atrium, an incredible addition that transformed this hotel and event centre into a tropical paradise for travelers and an even more upscale option for corporate and wedding events than it was before.
Claudia Neville, Director of Sales & Catering, has been a large part of the planning and execution of these grand events for the past ten years. Claudia gave staff at The Ring a full tour of the facilities when we interviewed Best Western Lamplighter Inn, along with every wedding detail a bride could ever need to know about a wedding here.
Weddings @ The Lamplighter
The Lamplighter specializes in events that range from small, intimate weddings to large, lavish affairs. They offer on-site indoor locations for ceremonies, multiple ballrooms for receptions, on-site indoor photo shoot locations, extensive menus, packages customized to each couple, full bar services, and of course, luxury hotel suites for the bride, groom and their guests.
The Lamplighter name brings about a professional and long-standing reputation in the community. Shalyn Baker was married here and told The Ring, "Growing up in the London area, The Lamplighter always had caught my eye. I feel that having ceremony, reception and lodging for guests all at one location really 'sold' this location for me! I always knew this was the 'princess' wedding venue!"
The Lamplighter's all-inclusive wedding package includes multitudes of options and services in one easy place. When you choose this all-inclusive option for your wedding of 60 or more guests, there is a list of benefits that instantly become yours. All service charges, taxes and gratuities are included in one price, the ballroom for your reception of appropriate size, decorative touches such as sterling silver candelabras, candles and a professionally printed seating plan are yours. You and your fiancé will also be able to enjoy deluxe honeymoon accommodations on your wedding night. You will have the choice of delicious meals to serve to your guests after they have enjoyed a fruit punch reception upon arrival. House wine will be served throughout dinner and there will be one glass of champagne for toasting. A host bar for four hours after dinner is also included with this package.
Events in style: Receptions
The three ballrooms at The Lamplighter offer options for dinner and dancing space. At Best Western Lamplighter Inn, the staff and management know that décor can play a major role in a wedding day and that's why each of their reception spaces is full of natural décor, creating a gorgeous backdrop for a wedding feast and celebration.
The Chelsea Ballroom offers 1900 square feet of intimate reception space for up to 100 guests. Its neutral colours with accents of green and a warm atmosphere mean that you can enjoy it as is, or add your own personal touches. A step up in size, the Regency Ballroom spans 4300 square feet suitable for up to 250 wedding guests. You can reserve this room with its six candelabra chandeliers, oak panels, sage carpet, tan walls and burgundy accents.
Kyla Tierney- Miller and Troy Miller held their reception in The Regency Room in November 2009 and say that they chose the Best Western Lamplighter because it felt warm and inviting. "I liked the fact that I really didn't have to do anything to The Regency Room," Kyla adds with regards to the natural décor. "I was so happy with the Regency, I couldn't have imagined our wedding in another room."
The Crystal Ballroom with its 21 foot ceilings, has 7000 square feet of space and twelve crystal chandeliers. The room is clothed in beige, taupe and sage so that any colour theme is possible in the elegant space... click here for a virtual tour. You can reserve this room for your wedding of 125 to 450 guests.
"Our reception was in the Crystal Ballroom north. From the moment I walked into the room I felt like a princess," Shalyn told us. "The huge glass chandeliers really set the room apart from anything else I have seen. The staff covered the chairs in chocolate brown covers (matching my theme) with white tablecloths and the matching chocolate napkins. It was, in one word... breathtaking! The room was very elegant to begin with. The amazing crystal chandeliers topped the room off! The staff provided numerous choices for chair covers, napkins and tablecloths, which matched my colour scheme perfectly."
In case you are planning a brunch or breakfast for the day after the wedding, The Lamplighter also has the Oak Room available for up to 60 people, or the Canterbury Room for up to 40 people. Small weddings can also be held in these rooms.
Events in style: Ceremonies
The Lamplighter offers the option of all-in-one location weddings with your ceremony in The Atrium. It's a romantic opportunity to exchange vows amidst waterfalls, rock gardens and tropical greenery underneath an enormous glass ceiling. If you choose to wed in the gazebo, you'll create a tropical resort feel with live trees, exotic plants, and koi ponds. This multi-tiered atrium offers a sun-drenched exotic feel, with all the comforts that an indoor ceremony offers.
Kyla and Troy also held their ceremony at the Lamplighter Inn and say that the tropical-style of The Atrium made it feel like a destination wedding, and they couldn't have imagined their wedding anywhere else. In fact, they loved it so much that they have since recommended it to two people who had also held their weddings there. And both times that Kyla and Troy went back, they say that the staff remembered them like their wedding was yesterday, and "not like I'm just another bride that they have served."
Personally speaking...
The staff at The Lamplighter offer their expertise, time, and event planning experience to each of their brides and grooms, headed by Claudia. They will guide you through the planning process and can even help suggest floral arrangements, wedding cakes, and entertainment options, if necessary. There is always continuous staff supervision of every detail during your wedding at The Lamplighter.
After seeing Claudia's work firsthand, Leanne had no doubt about trusting her with the details of her wedding day. "I got engaged one month after my sister had her wedding at The Lamplighter," she told The Ring. "I was so impressed with Claudia and her team that I didn't look anywhere else. We immediately booked our reception there... I enjoyed planning every minute of our wedding and I credit Claudia and her team for this. They made everything so stressless but exactly how I imagined it."
"I loved having my own assistant walking me through what I had to do," Shalyn explained to us about the help she received from Claudia's team. "I got a phone call about an hour before the ceremony was to begin, asking if I needed anything and going through a list of things they could provide if I had forgotten anything. Fifteen minutes before the ceremony was to begin, I got very nervous and actually had to be helped into the elevator and have water and Kleenex waiting for me at the bottom! The ladies even timed when the next bridesmaid was to walk down the aisle." From tissues to timelines, the wedding staff at The Lamplighter strive to keep you relaxed and on track. "On my wedding day I felt completely taken care of from the moment I got into the hotel after my hair was done, until the next morning when we checked out... I would definitely give my entire day a 100/10. Claudia and her staff went out of their way for my entire wedding party and guests to make sure everyone was beyond happy! I can't say enough of how wonderful my special day was because of them!"
Kyla and Troy worked mainly with Jessica Grundy for their wedding and say she was amazing. "Any questions I had, she answered," adds Kyla. "Any accommodations I needed, she met... and if she wasn't available, Claudia helped us and was just as amazing."
Celebrating with food and drink
All food and beverages served at your wedding are catered through Best Western Lamplighter Inn. They offer such a wide variety of menu items created with years of culinary expertise as well as versatile options for ethnic groups, that you would never need to go elsewhere. They will work within any special dietary restrictions that you may have as well. A la carte menus range from $37.00 up to $59.00 per person, and all-inclusive wedding packages start at $110.00 per person. Leanne recounted to us that developing a special menu with The Lamplighter for her day was simple and easy. "My husband is Portuguese," she explained, "Claudia and the Head Chef helped us to customize a wonderful dinner menu and midnight buffet to suit our needs. While customizing our menu we worked directly with the Chef, he was great to work with and had lots of ideas. Claudia and her team made the entire experience so easy."
You are allowed to bring your own cake from an outside bakery if you'd like, but many couples are choosing to wow their guests with The Lamplighter's three-tiered chocolate fountain, either instead of or in addition to the wedding cake. There is a choice of white, milk or dark chocolate, and the decadent pleasure is served with marshmallows, pretzels, wafer cookies and seasonal fruit.
Alcohol service can be offered as an open bar, a cash bar, or a combination of the two. Beverages are provided by the hotel.
The Lamplighter's all-inclusive advantage...
The Lamplighter's all-inclusive wedding package provides you with one price that includes all service charges (no additional gratuities or taxes to worry about so that what you see is truly what you receive). When you choose this option for your wedding of 60 or more guests, there is a list of benefits that instantly become yours...
Tucking in with luxury
The Lamplighter offers your guests the luxury of simply walking from your reception to their guest rooms at the end of the evening. You and your guests can rest your heads after a full day without having to travel anywhere. Attractive rooms are available in Standard, King Suites or romantic Jacuzzi Suites with fireplaces. On-site amenities include Shelly’s Tap and Grill, the gazebo lounge and bar, an exercise room, a games room, guest laundry facilities, and The Atrium with its indoor pool, 'Roaring Mountain Waterslide' and whirlpool tub.
Kyla and Troy loved the fact that their out of town guests arrived at the Lamplighter Inn on Friday and left on Sunday and didn't have to drive anywhere the whole weekend because everything was right there. Plus, they add that "The prices were amazing for what we got and totally fit into our budget."
Breaking it down...
Claudia and the staff at The Lamplighter invite any couples interested in having their wedding at The Lamplighter to come in so that they can outline a package tailored specifically for your needs. For any wedding at The Lamplighter, there are complimentary candles and centrepieces offered, and your choice of linen napkin colour, special guest room rates along with free inserts for your invitations, and free parking for you and all your guests. For any weddings booked for 2011, the all inclusive package will also offer complimentary chair covers. If you choose the Crystal, Regency or Chelsea Ballroom, you will also enjoy a complimentary room for the bride and groom the night of the wedding, and a 20" x 28" framed seating plan professionally printed and presented on an iron easel.
Details, details, details
• The number of months that you need to book in advance for a wedding at The Lamplighter depends on the size of your event. They recommend 1 year in advance, but you can call and check availability for any date.
• There is a deposit required within the month that you book your wedding. The amount is based on the specifics of your wedding size.
• 50% of your total remaining bill is due 6 weeks prior to the wedding, with the final guest numbers and payment due 1 week before.
In other words...
Rachelle & Adam Anderson were married on May 24, 2008. They had their family pictures taken in The Atrium at The Lamplighter, hosted their wedding reception in the Crystal Ballroom and Rachelle's parents hosted a breakfast at The Lamplighter the morning after the wedding for family who stayed in the hotel. When we asked, Rachelle raved about the service, facilities and food that her and her guests enjoyed...
"I would highly recommend The Lamplighter to any bride who is aiming to 'wow' their guests and fulfill their dreams of a spectacular wedding reception. We wanted our wedding reception to be absolutely breathtaking and the Crystal Ballroom at The Lamplighter Inn provided the perfect background to allow that desire to become a reality. From the deep colour of the ballroom to the sparkling chandeliers, when we first toured The Lamplighter everything exuded possibility! Claudia and the wedding team at The Lamplighter are excellent at being available for their brides. If they are not right there to answer your question when you call, they certainly get back to you very quickly. They are welcoming and open to answering any questions or just discussing ideas and options with you. When my mom and I first toured The Lamplighter we were drawn in by the excitement in the eyes of the staff as they talked about weddings. They treated us as if my wedding was just as important to them as their very own. There were so many wonderful things about our wedding reception at The Lamplighter that it is difficult to think of what stands out the most, but six months later people are still commenting to us on how amazing the dinner was. The food at The Lamplighter is top notch! We had a five course meal and each course was more impressive. The presentation of the food was second to none and the flavour was spectacular! Claudia and The Lamplighter staff really went above our exceptions to ensure that the whole wedding planning process was special for us."
"The incredible service at The Lamplighter stands out most in my mind. We were treated like royalty. Claudia and her staff really worked so hard to make sure that everything was just perfect - and it was! They made sure that not only Max and I were happy but went table to table to make sure that our guests were okay. Max and I could just sit back and enjoy every minute - Claudia had everything covered! Max and I loved everything. The way the ceremony and reception looked was beyond what we could have ever imagined. More importantly though, Claudia and the staff were incredible! Claudia's experience really helped out as she had many suggestions to make the night run smoothly." - Max & Lisa Armstrong
