large casual wedding on a small budget??

I live in the San Francisco area, and the wedding prices are high here too. We are having around 300 people so I understand your concern. I think the casual reception is great and if you do your research, you could stay within budget.

Congrats!

I had friends who got married in prospect park, you can get a permit for $25 for up to 500 people

http://www.prospectpark.org/permits-park

(BUT - no amplified music, no booze)

Or you could do a cocktail party at the picnic house for more - $5,000 to rent the space. If I were trying to keep it cheap I would either do maybe a ceremony in the park and then find a nearby restaurant with a backyard to rent out for dinner/drinks. (Could be tough to find anywhere that would be able to fit 180 in the city though.) Or do the picnic house, but go for a odd time and not do a meal.

I think there are some places in Queens that are cheap-ish. Honestly the price and size requirements here in the city are what drove me and FH to look at places near MA where we grew up.

ETA: good luck! I live near prospect park & can try to wrap my head around restaurants that might be able to fit you if you go for it.

Mine was about that, but it was in Nebraska. No idea what venue costs are like in NYC. If you were open to the idea of a farm wedding, could you do more BBQ (like picnic style) food to trim back that cost? And limit your open bar to beer and wine, or a signature drink? Those will eat up a lot of your budget too, I'd imagine especially in NYC (last time I was there my diet coke at the bar was $4...it's free in the midwest, so I can't imagine what a mixed drink would have been).

You can cut back on floral, too -- non-floral centerpieces (or centerpieces made with bulk flowers) can be much less expensive but still really pretty and fun. You've got some time that you can DIY those, or possibly rent them (my friend rented her GORGEOUS ones for $10/table including setup). If you'll have a fall wedding, you can do some fun things with twigs, leaves, grasses, or bigger flowers (like mums or sunflowers) that can keep costs down.

Just a couple ideas...

We are doing 150 on Maui for about $5k. We are super blessed that so many friends stepped up and started offering their professions as gifts (ie: food, photos, bar tending, dj, etc). Ask around and start networking options, brainstorm your favorite foods and places for ideas.

I had one planner recommend a food truck to splurge on the dj to keep the party going OR just buy party platters of food at places like Costco (ie: sushi) and lay them all out on various tables at your venue.

The only problem with food trucks is that they can end up being really expensive (I worked on one over the summer, and learned that most of them have a certain food/ food and beverage spending minimum, plus can charge per person, and hourly), so you might want to be aware of things like that. As for alcohol, maybe look at venues where you can have BYOB, and that way you don't have to spend a fortune on adult beverages if only a certain amount of your guests will be drinking.

For music, (my maid of honor actually suggested this one) look for a college student(s) who have a band or DJ part time. They're usually looking for ways to work and get their name out there, and are less expensive than one working for a company.

I also agree with other posts about DIY decorations and such, if you haven't already, search Pinterest, it's AMAZING!!!

Have you considered scaling back your guest list I have been told this is one of the best ways to have a low cost wedding.

Cutting the guest list cuts costs in loads of areas. Many of the parks (which are the lowest cost alternatives) don't allow either alcohol or amplified music, but there are some women's clubs in NJ that can house your # of guests at not a crazy cost. Look at the Ridgewood Women's Club and the Glen Ridge Womens' club, both of which are just lovely and not too far from NYC.

As for farms, look at Perona Farms, in Andover, Unionville Vinyards in Ringoes, The Prallsville Mill, in Stockton, (you bring your own catering into that one) and the Valley Crest Farm in Lebanon, NJ.

Really? We're in the Hudson Valley. You can't find something to fit your vision for $15K?

Look for venues that do not advertise for weddings, as they will charge less per plate. Also, hire wedding vendors from outside of New York to travel to you. The New York wedding market is really high, and even though they are not the best, can charge higher for their services because of their location. Fly in a photographer from out of state

Are you open to Queens?

http://www.queensfarm.org/rent-private.html

Hello kristin,

I'm Tiffany with T&C Catering, What I have seen in NYC is that Venues run about 5k on average (this does not include plates, decorations, Linens ect....

My advice would be try and look into Venus that would allow you to bring in your caterers, decorations, and staff. (We offer wedding packages that range from $1000- $8000 and offers most of the things you would need for a DIY wedding including staff and utensils)

Look into:

1. The Prallsville Mill, in Stockton (you bring your own catering into this one)

2. http://www.queensfarm.org/rent-private.html

3. You could have the ceremony at

prospect park or Brooklyn botanical garden they both are outdoors, beautiful settings, and really cheap

4. The only problem with food trucks is that they can end up being really expensive and very limited to what you are able to serve your guest.

As for alcohol, maybe look at venues where you can have BYOB, or you can do beer and wine only.

These are some of the things I tell brides to be who want to keep the budget to min..

Thanks everyone for your tips!

right now, im researching a ceremony in central park, or ft tyron - simple, nothing really cost wise..... and then a restaurant possibly to use as a party space... maybe a brewery

has anyone had/ know someone who had their wedding at Housing Works bookstore?

the packages (if im reading correctly) seem pretty reasonable - for cocktail style, no dinner, with bar, tables, set up, etc etc

thanks!

Thanks everyone for the advice - we ended up booking an intimate party of 140 for the Rhinecliff Hotel in Rhinebeck NY !! gorgeoussss!!

Kristin, Great place. I have worked with James and Nicole on many occassions. They were always willing to work any budget. I have some pictures on my website of a wedding I did there in May. I suggest you check out the video link Mandy and Rich's wedding on my site. There ceremony was amazing and you can hear what the DJ did when the train went by. It's is bound to happen if you have your ceremony there. I wish you much happiness.