- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
i have a book called "Historic Venues in Philadelphia" that helped me out alot. it lists a ton of venues in Philly, some that are well-known and others that aren't. i already found my venue, so if you want it, PM me. i ended up choosing a venue in wilmington, de (the delaware museum of natural history), in large part bc of the very high cost of Philly.
chill~ where are you?
3246226902_f22033f7f3.jpg (88 KB, 122 downloads) 3 years old 3246226554_505da1ac46.jpg (88 KB, 129 downloads) 3 years old
you could read the blogs of Mrs. Ladybug, Mrs. Bell Pepper and Miss Cupcakefor some ideas.
IMG_0389.jpg (36 KB, 168 downloads) 3 years old IMG_0388.jpg (39.3 KB, 127 downloads) 3 years old IMG_0326.jpg (27.2 KB, 131 downloads) 3 years old IMG_0321.jpg (37.9 KB, 125 downloads) 3 years old 
how many guests are you expecting and what kind of venue are you looking for? there's tons in the philly area and i can give you a few good options if you give me more info.
IMG_0389.jpg (36 KB, 28 downloads) 3 years old IMG_0321.jpg (37.9 KB, 20 downloads) 3 years old
We're expecting around 150 people and I am pretty wide open about the kind of venue I am looking for. I love the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue but I'm pretty sure it is out of my price range (still going to check though).
I'm not sure of the prices, but I went to a beautiful wedding at the Westin in Center City. The food was amazing, the receptions space was really nice, and the guest rooms were very pretty and comfortable.
If you're open to something outside of the city, of course I have to recommend my venue, The Desmond, which I blogged about on the Bee a few weeks ago. The Main Line area has some nice places that might be more affordable than the city, but you're still not too far if you want to plan a few excursions for your guests to get to Center City. Conshohocken might also have some more affordable options, and you're not far from Center City via I-76.
Good luck!
I am getting marrie at The Manor House at Commonwealth in Horsham- not too far outside the city. When I was looking I also really like Talamore at Oak Terrace
wedding_dress_3.JPG (89.1 KB, 96 downloads) 3 years old wedding_dress_2.JPG (55.7 KB, 80 downloads) 3 years old wedding_dress_1.JPG (93.1 KB, 90 downloads) 3 years old
A post about the Westin:
http://www.weddingbee.com/2007/07/17/10-12000-real-wedding-budgets/
Maybe double your guest count and you can figure out how much the venue would cost for you.
For a more unique location, what about Philopatrian Literary Institute? MrsMek (http://community.theknot.com/cs/ks/user/page.aspx?username=mrsmek&MsdVisit=1) had a budget around your range and the same guest count, the venue looked gorgeous!
http://www.partyspace.com is a great source for all venues in the Philadelphia area and surrounding counties.
Yay for downtown weddings! There are soooo many options in center city. We spent weeks researching & visiting & making decisions and yes, I agree, prices are high! We ended up booking a Sat afternoon reception partially based on that. Here are some of the places we looked at:
The Down Town Club (6th & Walnut- great views)
Loews Hotel (13th & Market- awesome views)
Society Hill Dance Academy (2nd & Lombard, can have an outdoor reception & dancing inside)
Top of the Tower (great views)
Independence Visitors Center Ballroom (great outdoor patio & view of the Mall)
Fuel (3rd & race- awesome space, if you can find a cheap caterer)
Good luck!
IMGP1264.JPG (29.8 KB, 18 downloads) 3 years old
FUEL is really pretty -- definitely a great space for a chic, urban wedding. and you can get married at the betsy ross house right next door! the rental fees are a bear though (last i checked, it was 8000 just in rental fees). but piperbenjamin's right, if you bring in your own caterer, you may end up saving in the end.
BM_dress.jpg (10.7 KB, 82 downloads) 3 years old
Thanks for all the great suggestions! I had seen the Philopatrian but hadn't had a chance to call yet, so I'll make sure to call them ASAP. I think I just got really frustrated from hearing such high numbers from so many places in a short amount of time and I knew that the ladies here would have great ideas for me. The search isn't over, so keep 'em coming!!
8C598AB3-5881-48F3-BC57F9D56B6A30C8.jpg (75.8 KB, 17 downloads) 3 years old
Angiepagnie! Sorry, I totally missed this thread.
I'm not sure what you budget is, and your guest list count, but I would love to help you. There are some fabulous spaces in Philadelphia downtown, and going with your own caterer is always a good idea. However, due to the historical aspect of places, or just because it's in the city, the venue rental charges can get high.
I just married in November at the Philly Airprot Marriott. It's only about 10 miles from downtown Philly. The hotel is beautiful and the staff is so incredilbly nice. The event coordinator was helpful in every aspect of the wedding. She answered all of my questions within minutes when I emailed her. There's free parking for all quests, and the food pp was was within my budget. And the hotel is even connected to the airport. I had some out of town guests and the morning after the wedding, they just walked to their gates. The hotel does not do many weddings, so they value the business.
I know you said you want to be close to Center City, but for any other Philly brides who might be reading this thread, I recommend Knowlton Manor:
http://www.conroycatering.com/docs/knowlton.html
My BIL and SIL got married there in '06 and the wedding was beautiful. The service on the day of was impecccable (seriously) and the cocktail hour was divine. A great venue, IMHO.
I also forgot to mention the Sofitel. I personally have never been there, but a friend from high school got married there (we're not close enough for me to have gone to her wedding, but I saw pics and I designed her invites and whatnot), and it looks really nice. I also think it might be a bit more reasonably priced than some of the other Center City hotels.
we got married at the knowlton in september. our day was wonderful and they really know how to stick to the schedule (we put out a newsletter with tentative times and it was accurate to the MINUTE). they did overcook a bunch of the steaks but what can you do when you're serving 160 people. they packed up everything at the end and not a single thing was lost. depending on the day you get married they require a guaranteed revenue minimum, which is kind of nice b/c if people aren't coming you don't have to worry about losing money on meals, you just add upgrades to meet the minimum. also very helpful staff, although we were unhappy with our details person. it worked out though.
Most of the popular non-center city wedding venues are not that far off of the price you were quoted for center city. I am getting married at Talamore and the minimum for Saturday is 23k
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 |
|---|---|
| Gemstone | 23 |
| Beckster329 | 23 |
| hisgoosiegirl | 19 |
| Rivendeler | 17 |
| Mrs.KMM | 16 |
| Rojocameo | 16 |
| beargoose | 15 |
| KCKnd2 | 15 |
| MissBoPeep | 14 |
| PurpleUnicorn | 13 |
Sorry, there are no users yet.
I am currently looking for wedding ceremony/reception venues in Philadelphia. I prefer to be in Center City but from what I've heard from some of the places I have contacted so far, Center City is WAAAYYY out of my price range ($25,000 minimum for saturday evening receptions?!?!) Does anyone have any ideas for other venues in the area? I really want it to be pretty close to the fun things in Center City because I have lots of people coming from out of town and I want them to be able to see why I love my adopted hometown so much. Thanks for the advice!