Testimonials
On behalf of Steve Kennedy and all of our fellow MDHS 1979 Classmates who benefitted from your generous spirit, THANK YOU once again for your awesome support and care for the class reunion. You are greatly appreciated.
Love Harborside Grand Ballroom!
I will have only fond memories of my retirement party – and all of you who were a very big part of that! Much appreciated!
Thank you so much for allowing us to your beautiful venue. On behalf of everyone who came we wanted to send our greatest regards to your staff and their patience.
A very tardy but sincere THANK YOU! For the wonderful birthday party event in your Grand Ballroom on April 26th. What a great job you did for us, more than we could have ever expected. We heard nothing but compliments and accolades. Thank you again for helping make such a beautiful memory for me.
Austin and I wanted to send a note with a BIG “THANK YOU!” for making our special day soooo
perfect! We and everybody had such a great and fun time that we didn’t want it to end! The Pavilion was such a perfect venue, perfect view, excellent food and location. Throughout the whole process you have been so patient and that is what I most appreciate, and I know Austin feels the same way! It’s a little bit stressful time and you helped to make the process as smooth as possible. TRUE PROFESSIONAL! Hopefully we will see you again soon and if possible would look forward to a dinner, drinks with you.
We just wanted to thank you for all your help with our wedding. We really appreciated everything you did for us. It was a pleasure working with you. Thanks again!
Hi Vicki and Karen, I just wanted to say thank you to the entire Harborside team for making our company holiday party such a fun and successful event. I have received nothing but positive feedback from our guests, they loved the food and appreciated the wonderful wait staff.
Thanks again, Lisa
Vicki and Harborside Staff.
Thank you so much for providing us with not only the most stunning wedding location but amazing service! The entire staff from management, servers, valet, etc. was amazing and did a perfect job for us.
We appreciate all the planning you helped us with.
We truly had the best day of our lives!
Hi Vicki – Just wanted to extend a big thank you for Saturday night. You will be happy to know that everyone I talked to said the food was delicious, the staff was incredibly courteous and friendly and they had unanimous approval of the location. Fred and I felt that everything was perfect and we so appreciated your help in arranging everything. You should not only be proud of your staff, but of yourself, as well.
Thanks again, and hope to see you soon! Pam & Fred
Hi Karen! OMGosh, we had the best time ever! You and Vickie just made everything so perfect. Everything went so smooth and we absolutely loved the venue.
We had so many compliments of what a great birthday party it was …that I wouldn’t be surprised if others call you to throw an event!
Greg has been asking me the last three days if I emailed you to tell you how awesome everything was (I’ve been recouping lol)! … so again, from both of us a huge Thank You for all you and Vickie did.
Candy & Greg
We want to take this opportunity to express sincere gratitude to you and your staff for making the Newport Harbor High School 50th Reunion a HUGE success! All day long we have been receiving compliments from classmates about the spectacular venue, the delicious food,the beautiful set up and decorations etc. You and your staff were unbelievable…from Matt at the valet stand, to Corey helping with our every need, to the staff serving dinner and cleaning up at the end of the night, and especially to Karen and Vicki being there to help with our A/V needs and insuring that we had everything we needed when we needed it!!!! You are definitely a BIG part or our success!!!! You really took a personal interest in making us feel welcomed and insuring to our every need.
Newport Harbor High School
Dear Ms. Schones,
It was most fortunate that we selected the Harborside Restaurant to cater our event on October 15, 2016 in the historical Pavilion Catalina Ballroom, which offers stunning views of the Newport Beach Harbor.
Without a doubt, YOU, Ms. Vicki Schones were instrumental in our decision-making. Gracious, professional and efficient…you effortlessly guided us through the menu planning, offering suggestions along the way, communication with the band, photographer, as well as remaining on-site that evening – AND, the end result was way beyond our expectations!
Accolades go to Armando; the unflappable bartender, who easily handled the thirsty 90+ guests and their cocktail preferences. Kudos to Captain Jesse and the rest of the catering team, who were most charming and “magician-like”; setting up an impressive buffet display, replenishing dishes and inconspicuously whisking away the guest’s plates once they were abandoned. You can count on us to recommend your special event services to all!
Very Truly Yours, Sonia & Gary Kessler
Dear Karen, Will you kindly extend our thanks to the appropriate people at Waterfront Enterprises for contributing to the success of the Hutchins Consort’s “Rendezvous at the Ballroom” with the wonderful gift basket and gift certificates from Harborside Restaurant and Newport Landing Restaurant. The basket was a wonderful addition to our silent auction and helped us exceed expectations. Our patrons truly enjoyed being at the Pavilion—fantastic music, fine dining and the beautiful ambiance—all the components for a very special event. Thanks, also, to you and your staff for helping us create a memorable evening. We immensely appreciate your generosity. Gratefully, Sharon
Vicki did a fabulous job and has a great attitude. Not only did she keep all the pre-planning events on track, but recommended Kevin Miso (who we also used to play at the engagement party); the sushi and noodles chef: and worked seamlessly with Lauren Pittman to get everything ready. She was hands-on through the whole event and wanted to accommodate our every need. It was also extremely impressive how your staff was able to move all the guests out of the building after the wedding, reset the area, and have it look spectacular when everyone returned. I can’t count the number of compliments I received directly, or overheard, regarding the venue, the service, and the food. The rehearsal dinner at Newport Landing was also great and everyone there was extremely accommodating as our group grew in size to push the boundaries of the upstairs room and balcony. In summary, the entire experience far exceeded our expectations. As years go by, Brad and Aki will always look back on that day as one of the most special in their lives. You and your staff made that possible and we thank you very much.
Tom & Debbie
Hi there lovely ladies!!
I wanted to send you some photos from the wedding for you
to use or post or do anything you like! We loved the Harborside
and having all of your help was the best ever!!! I can’t thank
you enough for everything – it was the most magical day of our lives!
Our experience was amazing and you ladies are truly the best!
So, so, happy for these treasured memories!
Hope you are all doing well!
Best, Maya
Karen,
Thank you so much for all of your help and hard work making our event such a great success. Planning such a large event (with so many moving parts) from 3,000 miles away could have been very stressful, but you and Vicki were so on top of the details that it set my mind at ease. Not only is the Harborside Ballroom a beautiful setting on its own – but add the delicious food and excellent service, and it is truly unbeatable.Thank you also for suggesting Kevin Miso to perform, he was a huge hit and I would not hire anyone but him and his band to play at our next Orange County event.
Hi Karen, First of all, I just wanted to say that we are so pleased with how things turned out. It was a perfect day and Harborside did great on everything. Such a great venue and people were really impressed. Why would anyone want to spend an evening in a hotel banquet room with 4 boring walls when they could have a 270 degree view of the harbor? And we maximized the benefit with Cassie coming and going in a boat. Did you see our gift boxes for the kids with the fun zone tickets? And the big surprise hit of the night was the Balboa bars. We could have sold another 100 of those easily. They were meant as a novelty, but they were many people’s favorite thing. Anyway, absolutely feel free to use me as a reference for any potential bookers in the future.
Hi Karen!! I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am for all that you did for me and my husband. We love how easy you made this process for us and how stress free it all turned out. You and Vicki make a great team and I hope you enjoyed the Peruvian desserts. We will miss seeing you, but now have a reason to visit when we celebrate our anniversary.
Sending lots of love and hugs! Hope to see you soon!
On behalf of our entire family, I would like to thank you for all you did to make our dad’s 90th birthday so special. Every detail was accounted for from beginning to end! The room was beautiful and the set up was perfect for our guests to mingle. In addition, we really appreciated the extra space you provided. Due to the late arrival of many of our guests, we were grateful for your flexibility regarding the time lunch was served. And I have to mention – everyone was commenting on how good the food was and I have to agree!
Both you and your staff attended to all of our needs quickly and professionally. Our family was so impressed with your facility and service and have heard rave reviews from our guests! Thanks again for providing our family with a fantastic day full of wonderful memories. We are all still talking about the party and wish we could do it again this Sunday!
To Karen and Vicki for our reception on September 5, 2015. We just wanted to send you a short note to thank you for everything. Thank you both for all of your time and patience. Our wedding reception at Harborside was all we had dreamt it would be. It was perfect and everyone had a blast! Our guests commented on how great the food was and how beautiful the venue was. We wish we could relive that night, it was that perfect – thank you!
My daughter had her wedding reception there on November 22, 2014. We had 187 guest attend our cocktail hour and sit down dinner.
The appetizers and our dinner were outstanding. We served four different entrees which had me a little nervous for the kitchen staff. However, they did such an amazing job everyone was served the correct dish the food was hot, glasses were always full, and no one was waiting for a thing. We cannot express what wonderful service we had. The attention to every little detail was amazing. So many of our guests commented to me how delicious the food was. The presentation and service were outstanding.
During the planning of the wedding Karen was always there for anything we needed. Her quick response to calls and emails made the whole planning process stress free. Karen and the staff at Harborside truly made my daughter’s wedding a very special wonderful day! I can’t thank them enough!
I am really happy I went with Harborside. It was such a beautiful venue. I had so many people tell me it was one of the most beautiful weddings they had ever been to. We didn’t even pay for the upgraded chairs or table cloths & the room still looked gorgeous. What was really nice about getting the venue there was we rented a beach house for rehearsal dinner, the night of the wedding & the night after. So we got to spend more time with our families & friends! The wedding is over so fast! It is in such a perfect location. The view is what sold us! You do not even need to go crazy with decorations or flowers because the view is so pretty in it’s self. We timed the ceremony perfectly to where afterwards we were able to walk across the street and take pictures on the sand at sunset. My dream of a perfect wedding!
Adam and I just returned from our honeymoon. We wanted to thank you for all of your hard work before, during, and after the reception! I cannot thank you enough for making our day so very special. I still tear up when I think about the beauty of the reception. I will admit, the wedding day is still a bit of a blur, but a beautiful blur. So many details went into the planning, but the most important parts of the day were that I married Adam and that everyone had a fabulous time at Harborside. And thank you for ordering that gorgeous moon over the hills! 😉 We will certainly recommend Harborside as a venue to our family and friends.
We got married and had our wedding reception here last month on January 21st. To my husband and I, the bottom line is this: If you want to go all out, make it a night to remember for all of your guests, and enjoy the delicacy of good food… you’re in the right place. Thankfully along with this venue, we enjoyed the perk of awesome coordinators: Vicki and Karen, who made sure everything ran as smoothly as possible. And trust me… on the day of, that is ALL every bride wishes for.Our florist (also from the area) turned out to be a Huge Disappointment. We had a lot of faith in them but they really let us down. They were supposed to show up two hours before the event but showed up 15 minutes prior and also broke a couple of our centerpiece vases. Cocktail hour couldn’t open on time because of them but Vicki and Karen came to the rescue and helped out, they had their staff help out as well. That wasn’t their responsibility… but that is what I mean when I say they are awesome, they just come through for you.Of course, there were hiccups, but what wedding doesn’t have them? Nothing major or worth mentioning though. What matters here is that all of our guests say something to the effect of: “best wedding ever” They wouldn’t say that if this venue wasn’t worth that.
To say that you & your staff exceeded our expectations is an understatement. From our initial meeting, the menu tasting, our wedding day & beyond, everyone at Harborside treated us with a warmth & genuine caring for our event that enhanced every aspect of planning our big day. It really felt like we were dealing with friends, instead of simply vendors. Harborside definitely gives a lot of “bang for your buck”!The Harborside’s attention to detail was second to none. We used some of your suggested vendors & could not have been happier with their performance. By the time our wedding day arrived, we were absolutely stress free & all of our guests were so impressed with the beauty & elegance of the ballroom. Your location was perfect & we STILL get many compliments about your venue! Thank you so much for making our wedding so fabulous!We look forward to having our 1st anniversary dinner at Harborside & we wish you nothing but the best in the future!
Sincerely,
Good morning ladies,I wanted to send you a note to let you know how incredibly impressed I was by Harborside Pavilion. Not only were the two of you AMAZING to work with during the planning process… but on the day of the event, your staff was extraordinary. You can tell that they love their jobs and love working with you. I could see them having fun while working which is a true testament to you! They were eager to please at every turn and never made me feel like I was asking too much or was over stepping my welcome. I was honored to work with all of them. You have a hidden gem and I truly hope that the owners of the venue know what an incredible team you have built for them. Service is EVERYTHING in this industry. And you all have nailed it! Have a lovely week!Warmly,
Holly
HMC Event Solutions
Many thanks to Karen Armstrong and Vicki Schones and the staff at the Harborside Restaurant & Grand Ballroom for helping me to make a fabulous event. They bent over backwards to make sure everything was done with ease and calm. I would recommend this venue anytime for any event. Thanks so much to this wonderful crew…you are top notch!
Beth Slavin Productions
Harborside is a hidden gem of Orange County, with gorgeous water front and Balboa Island views. You can’t help but fall in love for your next event; from a corporate dinner to your big day. The team at Harborside is wonderful to work with and provide excellent customer service for their clients. One of the best parts about the space is you can keep it simple and enjoy the view or go over the top with decor and add to the historic charm. Our couples and clients are always thrilled with their decision of choosing Harborside, there is nothing better for the location and value.”
Thank you for all of your help planning and organizing the wedding reception. Your kindness and patience mad the experience so fun and memorable. We had a blast at the reception and so did our guests. The Harborside looked gorgeous and the food service was impecable. Also thank you for the Harborside glasses. We will keep those forever.
You ladies are amazing! Thank you for all of your hard work on our wedding day. We could not have been happier with the way everything turned out. We appreciate your hard work throughout our year engagement. It was a pleasure getting to know and work with you both. We will remember all of our experiences for the rest of our lives.
We can’t thank you enough for all your help in making Carter and Jessica’s “surprise” engagement party the success that it was. We honestly could not have done it without you! All our very best to you in the New Year!
Thank you so much for all of your help on our special day! We really appreciate all the you have done for us! We are still editing our pic’s ut we will send them over to you as soon as we have them. We will come visit you soon and highly recommend Harborside Banquets to anyone getting married or looking for a venue.
Thank you so very much for all your help. You were great to work with. We appreciate it very much.
We just wanted to let you know that we loved having our wedding ceremony and reception a the Harborside. The venue is wonderful and the food was very very good. Our compliments to the chef. Several of our guests have been raving about the food and said that it was excellent. We plan to have lunch and or dinner the restaurant a lot in the future and probably so will many of our guests that live locally. Thank you to you and your staff for all the hard work.
We could not have been more pleased with everything. Your support, competence, and sensitivity are tremendously appreciated. Without your cool head and calming reassurance, it would not have been the wonderful tribute to Gill that we experienced. I didn’t get a chance to taste the food, but I heard that it was delicious. Oh, and thank you, by the way, for sending servers to make sure the family had an opportunity to have lunch before the food was removed. That was very sweet and thoughtful. Hopefully someday we will have another occasion to use your services; maybe for a grandchild’s wedding or some other happy event. It would be our great pleasure to work with you again.
I want to thank both of you so much for making our Holiday Party a great success. Your location is fantastic, the food was wonderful, and everyone had such a nice time there. Thank you for your attention to detail. It was nice doing business with you and working together on this event.
We just wanted to thank you again for making our experience at the Harborside Grand Ballroom a great one! We couldn’t have picked a better venue to celebrate our wedding!
It’s been a while since our wonderful wedding day in the ballroom ad we still celebrate our honeymoon each day. Our experience through much of this is with appreciative thank you’s for all that you helped us with, including our special day…you were always there with us. Our friends lent a hand in support in so many ways and so many times as Mona and I planned for our wedding day. And we think of you with great fondness as one of these friends.
Wow! What a spectacular wedding event you all made for Justin and Lauren Turner. The ballroom was so elegant, and everyone had a fabulous time. Fred, the menu was delicious. I was sorry I didn’t sneak back in line for seconds! Everyone was so helpful ~ I was so pleased. I never had to ask for anything! We do appreciate all your extra efforts.