Cranbury Inn Reviews

An absolutely fabulous day that all my guests raved about! The best part for me other than our wedding met all our expectations was that there was absolutely zero stress in the planning. Thanks again for glorious memories to last the rest of our lives!!!!

Beautiful venue! Great value! Very accommodating! The guests raved about the food and the beauty of the legacy room!

Beautiful venue! Great value! Very accommodating! The guests raved about the food and the beauty of the legacy room!

We had a wonderful experience with the Cranbury Inn. Our wedding was 10/14/2017. We highly recommend going to see the space in person to see the impressiveness of the Legacy Room. We got the look of a barn wedding with the addition of modern comforts. We had numerous people at our wedding tell us it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever attended. The room just glows in the evening and it's really cool to take photos from the balcony over-looking the space.
We never felt stressed during our wedding planning, as everything was so easy with the Cranbury Inn. We paid one set, VERY REASONABLE price per person and pretty much everything was included: a generous offering of hors d'oeuvres, meals, table linens, etc. The Cranbury Inn operates as a restaurant on a daily basis, so you know their food is good. We just picked three entrees from their regular menu, as well as a delicious red pepper soup (perfect for a fall wedding), and a salad. The only food the Cranbury Inn does not include is the wedding cake. We got our cake from a local vendor and the Cranbury Inn sliced it and plated it with a scoop of ice cream served in an edible chocolate cup . . . a very nice touch. Tom, the owner, is a loquacious guy, but he was very flexible. He provided everything we asked. We wanted our ceremony to be set up with rows of seating, which he gladly accommodated despite it being a lot of work for his staff to break down the rows and reset the dinner tables during cocktail hour. Tom is a bit old school...most meetings were in-person, but he delivered everything we wanted. We got quotes from quite a few venues in NJ and the Cranbury Inn was by far the best value. One would be hard-pressed to beat a deal that includes a ceremony space, reception venue, and catering (including full open bar) for 185 people under $25k in New Jersey.

The purrfect setting for my daughter's rustic wedding. Tom and Gay worked well with us to make the reception our own and went above and beyond to accommodate us. Thank you again to the owners and staff of the Cranbury inn

Amazing Venue. Everything was perfect! Tom is extremely flexible in planning everything. Food choices were limitless and delicious. So happy with our decision to have our wedding in this amazing venue.

The Cranbury Inn was absolutely outstanding throughout our wedding planning and actual wedding. Tom and his wife were so accommodating and welcomed every question or concern we had. We had dinner there several times before, unannounced, and we were impressed every time. We were walked through the kitchen and even their freezer unannounced! He knows what he is doing, he knows what will or won't work at his unique venue. We had our cocktail hour before the ceremony, and everyone loved it. The whole evening went extremely smoothly and Tom & his staff went above and beyond to make sure everyone was taken care of. I can't say enough nice things about every single person we encountered that works there. Everyone was so friendly and helpful- even when we came back the next day to pick up the leftover cake & centerpieces- they were wonderful.

I knew I didn't want to get married in the same old same hotel ballroom with "clubby" up-lighting. The Legacy Room was such a lovely & different setting for our ceremony & reception. All of our guests loved the view from the 2nd floor as we exchanged vows, and the candlelight/chandeliers created such a romantic and unique mood for the night. It has a charming, rustic and warm vibe and everyone is still commenting on it.

The food was fantastic & plentiful, and we heard all great things from our guests about it too. We offered choice of Filet Mignon, Turkey with all the trimmings & Salmon with dill sauce. The Inn even catered to several different Vegetarian & gluten-free options amongst our guests that very night! My groom and I were busy mingling & sat down to eat a bit later than dinner was served-- and the maître d' insisted she take the plates and get us hot ones instead. SHE WAS GREAT, and also very funny and sweet.
I could go on and on about the night..but bottom line- the Cranbury Inn is the best in the area if you are looking for great food, a unique location, and fun & friendly staff/owners.

I am the mother of the groom and want to say that Tom and his staff did a fantastic job with our son's wedding. From the cocktail hour to the end of the evening, everything was perfect. The food was fantastic, the room is beautiful and Tom (the owner) couldn't have been nicer and accommodating. Thank you to all involved.

We chose the Cranbury Inn because of the beautiful Legacy Room and the owner Tom Ingegneri. We first visited without an appointment. Tom was happy to talk to us and gave us the grand tour. In addition to the beautiful facility we were impressed with the spotless kitchen. Tom gave us different ideas of how to do our ceremony and reception and also had a list of vendors that he had worked with in the past in case we needed them. Planning was very easy and I liked that I could offer my guest a choice of food. Wedding day was wonderful! The food was great and the service was excellent. I would highly recommend the Cranbury Inn

The reception facility was absolutely stunning!! All of the chandeliers in the room gave off this warm, romantic glow that made for some stunning pictures! The food is impeccable and Tom will work with you to design your menu to your liking, but also gives you advice and suggestions along the way. The servers are well trained and every single detail of my day was paid attention to. The PERFECT place to have your reception!!!

The Cranbury Inn was a gorgeous backdrop for our wedding! My husband and I knew from the moment we stepped in that it was perfect for us. Even though we visited many locations, all we did was compare them to the Cranbury Inn and none of them stood up. We had both the ceremony and reception at the Inn and both went off without a hitch. The food was fabulous and I still get people giving me rave reviews about it even now (6 months later). Tom and Gay were extremely accommodating and they made sure every detail was attended to. On the day of, the staff was very helpful and courteous not only to my husband and myself, but to all of our guests. They really made us feel at ease and so we were really able to sit back and enjoy our special day. The town of Cranbury is the icing on the cake because it is so quaint and picturesque (perfect for picture-taking!). I would highly recommend The Cranbury Inn to anybody looking for a wonderful wedding to remember. We look forward to returning by ourselves and having a romantic dinner (maybe for our first anniversary!!).

Thank you, Tom and Gay, for such a beautiful wedding day!
-Heather and Bob

Everything was absolutely perfect. The food was amazing and no words can discribe just how beautiful the room is- you have to go see it for yourself.

Tom and his team were incredible with our wedding reception. The entire process was well-managed, from our first visit to the clean-up on the wedding night. All of our guests LOVED the food (as did we), and the service was so thoughtful. Best of all, the entire inn is stunning, especially at night with all the lights. Thank you so much, Tom!

Highly recommend. Great value for a Sunday brunch wedding over Memorial Day weekend.

I found the Cranbury Inn when I was looking for a "barn wedding in NJ". The Cranbury Inn is SO MUCH MORE than a barn, and when I saw it I fell in love with it. Up to that point, I wasn't blown away by anything, but I was blown away by the room and the attention of the staff. I loved walking down the large wooden staircase, and the brass chandeliers and huge windows are just gorgeous. Tom and his staff were amazing. They helped us with every detail. They didn't mind how many times we called, and I just felt like I didn't have to worry because they knew what they were doing. I changed my tabled setup the day before the reception because travelling family couldn't make it. No problem. I gave my numbers the week before and then was down ten people at the wedding day. I only paid for who showed up. No problem. I wanted a wedding cake and a kitchen cake. No problem. The food was amazing - everyone loved our cocktail hour and how there were SO MANY hors d'ouerves. The filet mignon came out great and the staff was very sensitive to helping with allergies and children's menus. This is the perfect place for someone who is looking for a alternative to the typical crystal and marble NJ venues.

Overall, the venue was absolutely beautiful, the service is exceptional, and the food is better than average. We knew we loved the Cranbury Inn the second we walked into the Legacy Ballroom. We also really liked the way that Tom (the owner) allowed the day to flow according to the feel of the crowd, rather than set minute-by-minute timelines. It gave the day a very natural and relaxed feel, which is what we were looking for.

The ceremony was beautiful and the cocktail hour was perfect - only hand butlered hors d'oeuvres (which were amazing by the way) so no one had to juggle a plate, a glass, and a fork while maneuvering through a crowd. We thought the dinner was good, and better quality than the average venue, but not out of this world (I’m a bit of a foodie). The service was wonderful – these are seasoned and professional wait staff and they took good care of us. I think the bar was slightly overwhelmed at the start of cocktail hour and the reception, but they recovered quickly. The day went smoothly and wonderfully.

However, couples interested in booking here should be aware that they’ll deal directly with Tom, the owner. He does not keep electronic records, he does not email, he has strong opinions about many things which he shares without hesitation, and likes to meet in person to discuss everything. He’s a business man and you won’t be best buddies at the end of your wedding, but he will take great care to make sure your event is wonderful .

I had a very mixed experience at the Cranbury Inn. On the one hand Tom, the owner, was very flexible in terms of changing the number of guests last minute and his willingness to work with us on the menu and work with any florists, dj's or other vendors I wanted.
On the other hand, he was very vocal to the point of being stubborn, about doing things a certain way, and it was difficult to get him to think out of the box. I am an event planner in NYC, so I know a lot about how venues work, how to make events enjoyable for guests etc. I felt like every time I called he did not know who I was. He does not work on email or have any type of computer records. So I was never fully comfortable that all my information was being recorded properly. Tom would often ask the same questions in subsequent conversations, and sometimes could not read his own notes.
I think this could be a great venue because the food is delicious, the service is great, and the venue is beautiful. However, Tom really needs to be better organized and be more open to new ideas. He should also have someone else work with the set-up of the wedding, as he was much too stressed, and his wife had to come and help calm him down. I'm sure he's a great inn owner, but they really need a true event manager to work on the weddings.
I would only recommend this venue to someone who either needs a lot of suggestions because Tom certainly has his own ideas of how to do things... or someone who knows exactly what they want and will stand up to Tom when he says "we don't normally do that."

I could write a book about what went wrong on my wedding day. I’ll keep it short by advising you to read the other negative reviews on here because they are not lying. We worked with a women name Kim who was so rude and disrespectful she made me (the bride) cry at the end of the night. The customer service was atrocious. In regards to service our guests waited 30+ minutes for a drink and the dinner came out 2 hours late (only an hour before the wedding ended). The next day when we talked to the women Kim about how unhappy we were she dug her heels in and insisted they did nothing wrong. I would NOT recommend this venue.

My wife and I had our wedding reception for 105 guests in the Legacy Room at the Cranbury Inn in June 2011. I decided to wait one full year before writing this review to ensure it was not an emotional response but one based upon reflection over time. We are still deeply shocked and saddened by the service we received by the Cranbury Inn on the day of our wedding and the subsequent manner in which we were treated by the owner, Tom.
Tom was the only individual we dealt with for our preparations. During our meetings we were promised top-notched service and were told repeatedly, “we do a nice job here”. We were told the service included table side drink orders, an appetizer “medley” in the bridal suite, and someone managing the event. What we were given the day of the event was something very different.
We understand that on the day our wedding Tom expected to be there, but circumstances beyond his control prevented that. We were warmly greeted by Rebecca who explained she had another event that evening and told us “it would be a little difficult because I have to go back and forth”. We were comforted assuming either Rebecca would our reception or someone else would appear to manage our event. Neither happened. She appeared a few times during the evening, including on one occasion where she brought my wife and I a drink. The only other time I was asked if I needed anything was by our waiter who asked if I wanted a drink one time. My wife was never asked again and I went to the bar for our refreshments.
The Cranbury Inn did not deliver on their promises in the following ways:
-We were invited to bring photos for the mantel, which we did. My parents lent me their wedding photo framed which was displayed with others. When we picked up our property the day after our wedding, the photo was ruined. It was placed in the plastic bin we originally carried it in, but was next to a plastic grocery bag that was filled with approx 3 cups of water used to soak our cake topper (which ended up on the cake despite our instruction it was only supposed to be on the table). The water spilled out of the plastic grocery bag onto the photo housed in the glass frame. The picture and glass stuck together and was inevitably ripped when we tried to detach them. When we originally met with Tom about our concerns, he stated that he was confused about this because they do not have bags of this kind at his establishment. After our meeting, he called my wife after his “investigation” and stated that perhaps one of our guests ruined the picture. When she informed him we were the last ones out of the building that evening, he told her “maybe you did it”.
-our guests from every table were denied tableside drink service, which was part of the package we discussed, and were told they would have to go to the bar. I personally heard a waiter tell a guest that.
-In our meeting with Tom before the wedding, he agreed to make vegetable lasagna for our one guest requesting a vegetarian meal. During the reception, we saw her eating salmon. When we asked about it, she told us the waiter told her there was only one vegetarian meal ordered and it was already given out. When we spoke with Tom about this he informed us that didn’t make any sense because they make an entire pan and use the leftover for brunch.
-At one table, our guests that ordered steak were told that all the meat was cooked medium, that they do not cook to order. In all of our meetings we were told all food was cooked to order.
-My 4 year old niece ordered a chicken finger kids meal, which cost ¾ of an adult meal. They were raw. Because the dinner came out so late (after 10pm) my sister could not wait to order another dish for her child, so fed her off her own plate. I inquired several times to staff members about when dinner was going to be ready, mostly because the appetizer “medley” we were promised in the bridal suite never appeared while my wife was getting her dress ready for the reception, and given that it was very late, she was obviously very hungry. I was told for one half of an hour it would be “2 minutes”.
-Upon asking permission, my wife purchased a $28 bottle of lotion from Crabtree & Evelyn and an $8 body spray for the ladies room we dropped off in their original packages with all the rest of our items before the wedding. They were never put in the ladies room and never returned to us. When we confronted Tom we were told “I don’t know what ever happened to them, but you have to take some responsibility here too”.
-In conversation, we informed Tom that post-wedding there would be no name changes. He said to my wife “you have to change your name” and addressed our subsequent mail as though she had.
-The tables in the room were not set up according to our seating chart and instructions and my dad had to ask more than 3 times for extra place settings.
-When we made our arrangements with Tom, we agreed to pay for a full open bar and were not told of any restrictions. During our event, our guests were denied shots. After the event, Tom said that he should have told us about that restriction before, but he does not allow shots at his establishment. Other establishments we considered that had such restriction informed us ahead of time.
-Upon leaving for the evening my parents and my wife’s parents, among other guests, observed 3 young waiters on the floor horse-playing.
-When we picked up our belongings the next day, we noticed our cake was not refrigerated overnight. It was chocolate mousse.
-During the event, I could not find a staff member to turn on the air conditioner.
-In the process of paying the remainder of our bill that evening, we were given a sheet with a tally of the meal count and my wife noticed in the upper right hand corner someone handwrote, “Divorced in Two Years”. We were told this was written by a vendor.
Going back to our earliest meetings with Tom he said the service at our wedding would be excellent. He said we would not be sorry. He said we would not have any issues. He said that when we shook hands, we could rest assured that it meant something to him.
We attempted to speak with Tom after the event, but he remained unavailable due to his personal emergency. Upon our return from our honeymoon, we met with him to discuss our grievances. When we arrived at the Inn, we were promptly escorted to a private room, which was the first time that ever occurred. During our meeting, we calmly spoke about our concerns and Tom told us, “I’m on your side. We are going to do right by you. We are not here to take your money”. We asked him if someone was supposed to be assigned to our wedding in his absence, and he said that Rebecca was that person.
Tom called my wife a week later stating that he investigated and most of our complaints did not make any sense to him and that he never received any complaints about their weddings before. He told us that he had no reason not to believe his staff and that they told him the reception went off as usual in his absence. He did agree, however, there was a problem with the execution of the event and therefore would refund us $500. He promptly mailed a check and $100 gift card. We then told him we were seeking closer to the gratuity amount, since our service was severely lacking, he responded, “you are looking for thousands of dollars, it’s not going to happen…never going to happen”.
One year later, whenever we are in the company of someone who attended our reception, the conversation inevitably comes back to the lack of service we or they received. The Cranbury Inn did provide us with quality food that was delicious and visually appealing. Our guests commented that their food was excellent and portions were plentiful at the cocktail hour and dinner. The Legacy Room was stunning, as expected. We were also pleased with Tom’s recommendations of vendors, as our DJ and baker were second to none. Also, Rebecca graciously gave us a ride back to our hotel that night.
We got married in our mid-thirties and both have enough life experience to understand disappointment and to know that things don’t always go the way you hope. Our experience at the Cranbury Inn, however, was so beyond a level of acceptable that we have no choice but to voice our concern over the severe lack of service we received. The subsequent treatment from Tom was so incomprehensible we feel the need to share it on this forum. If you are considering the Cranbury Inn to have your wedding or event, please consider our carefully chosen words before you make your final decision.

They’ll take your money and cancel on you a month before your date.. The worst food and terrible management.