Clean and sturdy tents
“Marty has very clean tents,” said Joe Cicileo, owner of the Madalin Hotel in Tivoli. Last year, the historic Montgomery Place estate, built in 1802 and owned by Historic Hudson Valley, designated Cicelio’s party-planning arm, The Madalin Group, as the property’s exclusive caterer and event manager.
Events Unlimited provides almost all of the rental equipment for weddings held at Montgomery Place, a meticulously updated mansion with a classic revival exterior. It’s currently considered a regional hot spot for stylish weddings, novel because it recently reopened to the public, following five years of renovations.
Montgomery Place offers spectacular views of the Hudson River amid about 400 acres of lush perennial, annual and herb gardens. Another selling point: the venue intertwines modern elegance with American history. The oldest part was built by the widow of Revolutionary War hero General Richard Montgomery.
“Marty’s just good all-around. He’s very professional, and there’s no drama,” said Cicileo, who was directed to Bathrick’s company by top-tier wedding planners.
While Bathrick occasionally provides equipment for events catered by local celebrity chef Ric Orlando of New World Cooking, he wishes there were more dedicated wedding professionals based in Saugerties. At the moment, most of his brides are sent to him by caterers and party planners from New Paltz. He also enjoys a close relationship with Linda Baldwin, of Linda Baldwin Flowers in Pine Plains, whom he’s known for decades, since she managed a watering hole in Rhinebeck Marty used to frequent.
“Dirty tents can be a real problem,” said Baldwin. “I also have a lot of confidence in Marty’s set-up. It’s serious. I’ve seen tents fall down. It’s a real safety issue and nobody ever talks about it,” she said.
Baldwin says that in years past she’s held weddings at Opus 40 but no one has mentioned wanting to do that for a while. She occasionally works with acclaimed Woodstock-based caterer and chocolate-maker Oliver Kita.
Appreciative of her keen eye for detail, Bathrick hired Baldwin to advise him on the interior paint color and display shelves for his showroom and also to set up the display tables. On exhibit are the wide range of glassware, china, linens, chairs, and serving platters Bathrick rents.
Marty’s first-rate showroom “makes a huge difference to my clients,” said Baldwin. “It lets them see their options. Also he has the best inventory of china and glass nearby.”
All business is conducted by appointment.
“I think there’s an opportunity in Saugerties for more people to make wedding cakes and provide flowers,” observes Bathrick. “But they’re not really doing it yet.”
What’s next for Marty and Events Unlimited? Hard to say. It’s the high season, and he’s got too much to think about just keeping everything going from day-to-day to dream about the future.
“During the busy season, and that’s May to the end of October, I’m lucky if I even get half a day off each week,” said Bathrick.
“I want to retire by 55. It’s very difficult to sell a business like this, so I figure I’ll just have a huge auction and try to get 25 cents on the dollar for all the inventory.”
