Wedding Reception Ideas

[rbunnymom]

My son is engaged and will be marrying in a year. I am trying to help them figure out where to hold the wedding reception. They don't want to break the bank and so far all the places they have contacted are $5000-$10,000. Surely there is something much cheaper. Do you know of any places other than the standard halls to have a reception? Thanks for any and all input.

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[CW&M Mom]

Do you know someone who has a huge nice big yard?

thinking...

some of the places my family has used.....

Peace Gardens
rented a cabin/lodge in the mountains
used a family members back yard that was huge and beautiful
A beautiful greenhouse/shop
hotel conference rooms

we even had one a a sports arena (okay that one was probably $$$$ except there daddy owned the arena LOL!)

[rbunnymom]

Thanks! Great ideas that are getting my mind going.

[mrsthrifty]

My SIL is getting married at the end of this month in an orchard... They got a great deal for that and are having reception outdoors...Last year my BIL had his reception at a beautiful little farm with a gorgeous pond (no animals!) and they got married on a Sunday and it was a bit cheaper because of that...Both of these places were in the $1500 - $3000 range. Best wishes to them and you!!

[chaseysmommy]

We were married almost 3 years ago in June. We originally wanted to have an outdoor reception however, we decided against it because the weather in Kansas is always changing. They have a nice senior citizens center here in town that we were able to rent for $300. It is very large and gave ample opportunities for decorations. It also had a full kitchen and full bathrooms which were very nice for guests and catering.

[abond0017]

I also had my wedding and reception outdoors. It was at a park on the bank of a lake...very nice and free. Although, if you do an outdoor one you might want to have some kind of backup in case of bad weather. We had a bunch of canopy's ready to set up...nothing too fancy, just some gray tarps on sticks basically. But we didn't have a big wedding or lots of people, so it would have been easy to throw the few we had up real quick...if you have a lot of people, that may not be a good solution for your case 'cause getting a whole bunch up quickly might be challenging.
You could also set the canopies up before hand and decorate them to match the wedding (and have nicer ones than just tarps so they add to the decor since they will be part of the wedding/reception), that would make it easier for a large amount of guests if bad weather reared its head.
Or you could ask a bunch of people to bring those easy pop up canopies just in case...a lot of people have them.
Outdoor weddings and receptions are very beautiful, but good luck with whatever you guys choose

[cybilx10]

What about VFW halls or something similar? Church reception halls are generally cheaper as well.
In the spring, summer you could do a park or an outdoor gazebo.

[taylordvd]

I had my reception at an old home. They have concerts and art shows there. It was very very affordable. I know someone else looked into having their reception at a private club that would allow you to have your reception there for an affordable amount of money. Maybe have them find a florist and ask the florist for places that are great or have a caterer recommend places. Those are the people who know the good places and the bad places.

[rbunnymom]

Thanks for all the great ideas. They found a historical home that is rented out by the forest preserved. It is lovely with beautiful gardens and a huge atrium (can hold 250). The price is reasonable, so if all goes as hoped, they will have the location for the wedding booked next week. One big piece done! YAY!