Desperate help for affordable Virginia wedding venues.... OR even destination at this point?

It's gorgeous. I was sad that I couldn't hang out there anymore when we packed up our decor the day after the wedding!

Maybe Stephenson Ridge in Fredericksburg? I seem to remember one of their houses being affordable. Kelly's Ford might work too if you're okay with a farm setting (horses and rolling green hills)

A girlfriend got married at the old silk mill in fredericksburg. Her video is on the page. It looked beautiful. Probably in budget.

http://www.innattheoldesilkmill.com/weddings/

We're getting married at Blue Mountain Brewery, it's about 30 minutes from Charlottesville. Very reasonable with delicious beer.

Nova had neither our budget nor any venues we really liked.

http://www.bluemountainbrewery.com/private-events/

When I had my first wedding in 1997, we got married on the Dandy in Alexandria. It was $35 a head. They now have Nina's Dandy which is the same idea and I think the price has gone up $10 a head. The price included a 5 course meal and a 2 hour cruise up and down the Potomac. The boat is already decorated, they will play your own music ( we did cd's with a playlist) now there are iPods. They let us have an open bar and then the boat company covered the tab ($900) as a wedding gift. We had the photographer before we sailed and put cameras on the tables but you could pay to have the photographer for the whole trip. They announced us as a couple, announced the cake cutting, announced all the dances, announced the garter/bouquet toss. They even wrapped up the top layer of our wedding cake and gave it to us on a China plate for our first anniversary. I could not have been happier and all my guests who were mainly residents of NoVA were appreciative of the cruise as they saw sights and scenery they had not paid attention to in the past. Good luck with planning. I'm in Ashburn and I'm doing a DW this time around.

I agree with everyone else. If you don't have the money in your hand, don't spend the money.

It was important for us to get the biggest bang for our buck. The place we are getting married in Harrisonburg, On Sunny Slope Farm, also offers outside catering and alcohol. They include a lot in the price, so I don't have to worry much about rentals. They also have the cutest areas to get ready. My photographer stopped by to see the venue the other day and sent photos, so I fell in love all over again last night

@PunkinBeer I was looking into Blue Mountain Brewery for after our rehearsal. I didn't know they do weddings. My home brewing, beer loving FH would have loved that!

We're getting married at the Mill at Fine Creek (outside of Richmond). Because it's a Friday in the off season, we'll end up spending between 12 and 15K based on our final menu choices and guest count. Changing our date from prime to offseason and choosing a Friday helped save us $2500 alone on venue rental, and makes our minimum 50 people less or $3500 less.

We looked at Stevenson Ridge as well but they didn't really have anywhere for the bridal party to get ready and excepted the grooms to hang out literally outside the door of the women's bathroom/bridal suite.

ETA: I would also recommend checking out state parks. You can get married at most of them but it's almost totally DIY. Pocahontas State Park does a ton of weddings, it's nice.

I LOVED The Mill at Fine Creek! I didn't think it would be in our budget. Now I'm sad I didn't look into it more!

I'm in DMV. We went with Kentlands mansion. Venue is just over $2000 and open catering. No restricted list of any vendors actually. It's in Gaithersburg.

@MrsMcCoy, we didn't either and it actually took us 6 months to finally go back and sign the contract but after I added up what others were charging and how much I would spend on decor, it was the same. All the little things they provide has really helped us make the price worth it. They also have been BY FAR the most accommodating to FW and I. Most other venues didn't have a place for both us to get ready but the Mill has a beautiful bridal suite and grooms cottage.

They're building cottages and brewery now that'll be open to the public soon too! This picture is from our tasting. I cannot wait to get married (hopefully on this spot!)

Love it! I can't wait to see your BAM!

Have you looked in Williamsburg? There are some lovely venues near Colonial Williamsburg. It was further than I wanted to drive.

Also, think outside of the box. I checked out several convention centers that also have in house catering.

It would probably be inconvenient for you, and a bit of a haul, but my FH and I decided on Norlo Park Barn in Fayetteville, PA. You have to rent anything you want on your own and it only holds around 100. The barn rents for a week at $500 plus a $250 security deposit. It also might be booked up now since it's pretty favorable around my area. If you get desperate you could make an appointment to grab the key and check the place out.

I realize it is several years since this question was asked, but people will still look here with the same question! One place you might consider, especially if one of you or a family member or close friend is a federal employee, is the Fort Myer Officer’s Club. They do everything, have gorgeous rooms to work with, great food including the wedding cake, and have various levels of menus, but I think you could fit under your original budget. The nearby chapels on base are available for the service! It’s perfect. Also, start to think more freely! The creative couple at younghouselove.com did their whole wedding for about $2k. It was done in their backyard, looked beautiful, everyone had a great time, it was very creative and personal and the point is they are happily married! It works! We got married in Clifton, VA, a charming small town that had a gorgeous French restaurant in a large, renovated historic building right near a charming stone Presbyterian Church. So we just walked from the church to the reception! Now, this was 31 years ago(!) but the point is there are some wonderful places available if you talk to people who have been in this area for a long time. Forget the whole “wedding venue” trap. It’s a scandal what some places charge when you really don’t need to pay anything for a great venue. Also, try the Old Town Hall in Fairfax, VA. You can really dress it up nicely, and they’ve got a gorgeous outdoor small park area that the City built adjacent to the building that is lit up at night with tiny lights and is beautiful. There is lots of free nearby parking.

For what it's worth - the NC Parks seem to have some great affordable options! I haven't settled on one yet but wanted to share.

https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/weddings