- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
I think my friend's venue was .. gosh, 2k? and then another $3200 for the food(in house catering). She had a 10k budget though.
It really really depends on your budget, and I think that you guys should try and set that in stone as much as possible to start estimating costs.
Hmmm..... $4200 is a large chunk of your budget, and it sounds like it only gets you the open space. You still have to pay for places for people to sit, plates and silverware for them to eat off of, etc., so you'll be spending at least another $1000 (just going off of what rental prices are in my area) before your guests have had anything to eat or drink. ~$5200 is about 1/3 of your current budget, and it's all rental fees. To make up the cost, you'll have to do some serious cutting back in other areas, like decor, entertainment, your dress, flowers, etc. If this place is really what you have your heart set on, go for it, but just realize you'll have to compromise somewhere else.
With renting the farm and the tent and then adding in all the rentals, you will probably be close to $6000 just for that alone. Add in another $3-4 k for food and you are at around $10,000 just for the ceremony and reception site and food. Which is fine, if you are okay with everything else - dress, transportation, grooms attire, decor, officiant fees, photography, hair/makeup, music, alcohol, gifts, hotel rooms, rings- comprising only $5000-$8000 of the rest of your budget. I know photography will eat up a lot of that, so I would say this site is doable if you are pretty budget conscious about the rest of your wedding, or if you're willing to spend a little more than what you've got budgeted so far.
My venue was 6k (JUST the venue alone) - when I look back on it now, I really wish I hadn't spent that much on it.
Thank you for the input so far! Wow, I didn't expect so many responses so quickly. Awesome.
The "issue" with the budget is that I know my parents want to pay for the wedding (and I am their only daughter), and my bf's want to help where they can, as well. I just don't know the figures they are thinking, and we won't be discussing before we get engaged. 
I have just set this preliminary budget because it's somewhat less than what a few of my friends have spent, and it seems like a fair/reasonable amount to spend on one day of my life. A huge day, yes - but one day.
I know I am putting the cart before the horse somewhat here (not even being engaged yet/not knowing the exact budget) - but I guess the reason I am asking about the venue now is because I really don't want to keep thinking about this place if it's going to end up being insanely expensive with the rentals. I don't know anyone who has gotten married at this venue, so I was hoping some Bees with some sort experience in this arena can offer some insight about how much a wedding at a place like this will ACTUALLY cost.
I am having a difficult time comparing this venue to other venues because there is really nothing like it, and the other places I can see us being at (mansions, in particular) are like $4,400-$6,000 for the space, but I believe that includes all the furnishings, tables, chairs, etc. But then those places have a food/beverage minimum that is usually pretty high.
Thanks again for all the input so far! I'm sure I'll learn more as I go along, and be able to compare this place to other options.
My venue has a 1500 garden cermony fee (since we're not religious and didnt care to do it in a church) and a 700 room rental fee - which I think is rediculous consiering they already have a 8k minimum spending requirement and they STILL want to squeeze another 700 out fo me. So that's 2200 in what I consider a rental fee. I've also seen other places, museum, mansion etc... that's rental rate ALONE was 8k. So... 4200 sounds a little high, but if you love it.. theres certainly a way to make it work in a 18k budget depending on the number of guest you have and how crafty you are. How many people do you think you will be having?
Trust me, you are not the first girl on here to be pre-planning before an engagement, so don't feel bad or weird about that!
The thing is, you have to assume there's going to be a LOT of hidden fees on top of just the rental fee for the space and tables and chairs and all that. There's going to be some kind of tax and service charge probably, some sort of mandatory liability insurance. And there's all sorts of things like a dance floor and lighting that you'll need for a tent reception that won't come with the $1200 tent fee (most likely).
I don't think it will be impossible, but I do think it will eat up a HUGE chunk of your budget. Check out Mrs. Trail Mix's posts; she had her wedding at a place similar to this with a tent reception and she did a detailed budget breakdown and was kind of amazed at how expensive it ended up being after all.
When I was looking at wedding budget breakdown, most places suggest that ~45 - 50% of your budget go to the reception. If you are already spending 4200 on just the facility rental, then you might need to think about upping your budget (if you can).
If you are in love with this place, and you have the money, then you should probably go with it.....but if you are stuck to a tight budget, then you might need to reconsider....
On a side note - while bringing your own booze might be cheaper than an open bar - keep in mind you will have to hire a bartender, and you might need to pay a per-person fee for "bar stuff" (i.e. the mixers, stirrers, fruit, etc.). I priced it out, and our open bar bill will be comparable to the price if we do the alcohol ourselves.
My suggestion is to do a bit of research and get an idea of what catering, liquor, tables/chairs/linens/china/etc, and all of the other big ticket items like photography, videography etc are going to run you in your area. It CAN be a big savings that they let you bring in your own caterer and liquor, but you might find that the venue cost itself blows your possible budget much more then an all inclusive type of place or another lesser expensive one.
I think it depends on your budget and what you're comfortable paying. It also depends on whether or not the venue is worth that money - Look at reviews and see what people say as far as value for cost. The research will never hurt :-)
I would suggest you keep looking and if in a few months you cant stop thinking about it.. then do it!
Honestly, if it's what you love and it means a lot to you, get what you want. But understand that you're going to have to sacrifice on some other things (not everything). Our venue was a good chunk of our budget but that was super important to me that we have it in a certain type of place. My dress & photographer was super important too because they're what I care about. Now what has to sacrifice? Flowers. Not a big flower person as it is so I'm turning to fake ones (thank you 1/2 sale at Hobby lobby!)
So pick what's important and put your money there.
Long story short, you can do it. Especially if you can work with a local liquor store like I did.
We paid the bartenders per hour and paid the retail price per bottle that we used and didnt pay for anything we didnt open. for 160 people, two open bars for about 7 hours it was only 2000.
Of course, the caterer makes a difference. If you wach your other expenses such as flowers, linen rentals etc you can do it!!!! I bought linens cheaper than renting and I am not selling them for some money back. Same as my dress.
EDIT: we did it for a little bit more that you did with a TON of food, but had a free DJ, some tables included, cheap minister. But you can do it.
Choose where you want to spend money and do research for the price you decide.
This is kind of how your budget should break down based on your budget range. This is just a suggestion of what the break down should be, and you should adjust it according to which items are most important to you.
Total Budget 100% $15,000 - $18,000
Reception 45% $6,750 - $8,100
Transporation 5% $750 - $900
Entertainment 10% $1,500 - $1,800
Flowers 10% $1,500 - $1,800
Attire 10% $1,500 - $1,800
Photography 10% $1,500 - $1,800
Stationery 4% $600 - $720
Other 6% $900 - $1,080
Our venue is hosting our ceremony (including chairs), the reception (including the 'room' rental, 3 course meal, wine served with dinner, open bar, tips, tables, chairs, silverware, plates etc, linens, table side service and speakers for music) is $5,900. We have a 10,000 budget. This takes care of a good junk so I think if we budget the rest really well we can definately have this dream venue of ours.
Yep, you're going to be straining at the edge of your budget and probably it's not enough with that venue cost. Rentals are VERY expensive, so you should try to get an estimate for that, but you're easily looking at $9,000-$10,000 just for the venue and tables etc., before you even get food on the table.
venues can be expensive...but if you love it, do it! :) the club house inside of the gated community where we are having our reception(wedding by the lake included) is running us about $9,200 for 150 people..plated dinner and open bar. i think i got a deal...but its different everywhere you go.
my venue: park where we got married at and still hike at all the time, no more than about 125.... But i have to rent chairs, tables, misc decorations, so I am not expecting to go over $500.00
i am on a tight budget, really trying not to go over 5k for this Vow Renewal even though I could, I just do not want to. We are expecting about 100-125 people.
I wish i had like 10k to spend on this event **sigh** but I am doing everything DIY and at this point I'm not even sure I am going to splurge for a caterer at 1300.00 LOL...
good luck, oh and when choosing a venue, make sure you see what it includes.
Are you going to have your ceremony there, and if so, do you need to rent chairs or another space? Because if your ceremony is going to be at the farm, then it's one less cost to worry about.
If it helps, our rentals for venues are:
Church: $500
Hall for reception: $1000
and our entire budget is $22,000.
At $30 a person for food, our wedding of 200 people will cost us $7000 to feed everyone.
Something to think about!
You can always "rob Peter to pay Paul" if you need to--we're getting married in FI's home church, which is free, so that we can have the venue we want. It's clocking in at about $12,800 (around $100/head), which is a bit over half of our overall budget. Sounds like a LOT, but it includes a reception coordinator, a gourmet three course sit-down meal with wine, all the tables/linens/chairs/dishes, a welcome drinks hour, a champagne toast, an evening drink, an evening buffet, a honeymoon suite for FI and I, and a few other free things like setup/teardown, cake cutting, coat check for the guests (November wedding), valet check for all guests' cars, a special room for the kids to hang out in, a lounge area in the reception (complete with couches!), a dance floor... little things that can add up when you're paying for them individually in a cheaper venue!
Your new venue looks gorgeous, but at the end of the day, I'd say to crunch the numbers HONESTLY (I find myself making some ridiculously low-ball estimates sometimes because I'm afraid of the real numbers) and see if it is actually feasible.
Hi!
I don't think 3K for a site rental plus a mandatory tent rental of 1200 is unreasonable. For us our budget was 20K with a invite list of slightly over 200 and we put our site rental fee limit at 3K.
However, if I really really loved a specific venue I would make sacrifices elsewhere in the budget to allow for that. I think the important part is to sit down and tally up the things you would want. Look up basic wedding budget breakdowns via the knot, etc. You can enter your total budget # and then they break down a "suggested" spending in each category.
THE biggest part of any budget is usually the venue and catering. I think the thing that would make or break this location for me is
a) Is there a required vendor list you have to choose from or are you free to choose your own caterer. If there is a required list I would take a look at those caterers and see what their average catering fee is based on the kind of meal you want to provide.
It is def a money saver to bring your own booze in BUT it usually means you have to provide your own liquor license. And the caterer might not agree to that either.
It is a beautiful venue and I def think it's possible to have your wedding there and stay within your budget. DIY. Be scrupulous about your spending elsewhere and it will all work out.
Have you talked to your boyfriend yet about what his idea is on the budget?
I know you said 3K is the rental fee starting 2012 but what is it now? IF you were to get engaged before 2012 most places are willing to let you lock in this years rate for a future wedding date.
Have you tried negotiating for a lower rate? Often venues would be willing to lower their rate if you use their recommended vendor list.
Also, don't be disheartened. I assume since you are not engaged yet you are not in full bore wedding planning mode and have not researched a ton of venues out there yet. It's entirely possible there are more better venues out there. And the venue might not be what you think when you visit. Pro pics can be very deceiving. There were TONS of venues that I absolutely LOVED from my online research but when we went to see it in person we were so disappointed.
GL!
If you love it then get it. I have spent almost £5000 on our venue, a huge chunk of our £13,000 budget but so worth it.
You can see our venue here:
http://gallery.weddingbee.com/photo/our-reception-venue-2
I just love it and any time I doubt my decision I just have to look at the pictures and I know it is worth it.
I hunted around for good prices for cantering though and got a great price, people thought i was crazy paying that much for a venue but all in it has worked out the same for the fort (our venue) with the great value food we found as it would have for a cheaper venue that demanded we used their caterers at crazy prices.
Working out well for us so far
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| Lyndzo | 26 |
| beargoose | 21 |
| his chippymunk | 20 |
| Ms. Salamander | 18 |
| LammChop | 17 |
| fivemonthsnotice | 17 |
| kat2014 | 15 |
| mypinkshoes | 15 |
| s.renea9 | 15 |
| aussiebee | 15 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| fivemonthsnotice | 3 |
| ama0219 | 1 |
| sienna76 | 1 |
| LammChop | 1 |
| Dizbee | 1 |
| Jamieg | 1 |
| shychigirl | 1 |
 sklm0818 |
1 |
| Dela2012 | 1 |
Hi bees!
This is my first post on Weddingbee. I have to admit that I am still getting used to the site layout, and I looked for a question on the boards similar to mine but didn't find one - so please forgive me if this isn't an original question. And I apologize in advance if this post is long-winded; I'm feeling overwhelmed & confused at this beginning stage of planning & just want to make sure that you all have the information you need to give me input!
Anyway, I also have to admit that I am not yet engaged. I felt a lil' dorky joining before I'm actually in the "wedding planning club," but I am sure that lots of you can relate!
My boyfriend & I celebrated our four year anniversary in April (we were good friends for 4 years before that!), and he is the love of my life. We have been talking about getting married for awhile now, have been ring shopping & all that fun stuff, and we agreed that the engagement will happen sometime before he starts law school at the end of August. (I don't want to know exactly when, as we both want the proposal to be a surprise, but obviously it will be sometime in the next two months or so! 
) So that's a little bit about me.
We do not have a set budget yet, but in my head, I would love to do our wedding for $15,000-$18,000. I do not want to totally break the bank, but I am also looking at this event as the biggest party/celebration we will ever throw, and I want it to be a day to remember. Our budget may end up being slightly more, but ideally, this is what I would like to spend. I picture our wedding being outdoors if possible, with lots of lush greenery, nature, flowers, etc. "Shabby chic" or "bohemian chic" describes my style pretty well, I think. Basically, I want our wedding to have the feel of an Anthropologie store.
Oh, also - we would love to keep the guest list at 125 or less (and obviously not everyone would come; it would probably end up being about 100 guests in attendance).
Okay, onto my question(s)/asking for input! Knowing our (hypothetical) budget, how much is too much to spend on the venue itself? I have fallen in love with this place near us called Camrose Hill Flower Farm. It looks like it is everything I have ever dreamed of! (If you Google "Camrose Hill Flower Farm wedding," you will find lots of results showing pictures of how magical it is, but this is my favorite one.) So, starting in 2012, the farm is $3,000 to rent for the day (there is no difference between Friday, Saturday, or Sunday pricing), plus $1,200 for a mandatory tent rental fee. (This price includes the ceremony & reception fees, as well as two areas for the wedding party to get ready, plus an area for the caterers to prep.) Rentals for tables, chairs, linens, place settings, etc. are all additional. The nice thing is that you can bring your own wine & beer (BIG savings there?!), and bring in your own caterer. Another plus is that the barn/grounds is already so beautiful that I think we could keep our flower budget relatively low. (Flowers have to be done through the farm since it is a flower farm, but there is no minimum you have to spend.) I am a big fan of DIY, don't want to spend a ton on my dress/gown, and am hoping to save money everywhere we can besides the photographer (worth splurging on, IMO) & (possibly) the venue.
So, what do you guys think about this pricing, given what I think my budget will be? My main concern is that all these extra rentals could really add up.
I don't want to blather on even longer, so I am just going to post this, and if you need any additional info before weighing in, please ask! :) Thanks so much (in advance)!!!