My fiancee and I are looking to get married in 2015 but are having a lot of trouble finding a venue that fits our budget. We are looking for something unique with lots of a character, e.g. rustic (barns, farms, vineyards, lake houses) or historic (mansions, inns, museums). I will not consider any "wedding mill" type places like banquet halls or country clubs.
We are trying to keep our overall wedding budget to $25K, which means our venue and all related costs (catering, linens, tables, plates, etc.) should probably not be more than $12-$15K, and we definitely want to keep it to under $100/pp, if possible. Our guest list is currently at 170 but we only expect 130-150 to attend. (His family is HUGE and we can't possibly cut it down). We live in the NYC metro area and are willing to travel up to 2 hours away for a venue (anywhere in NJ, Hudson County in NY, near the Delaware in PA, etc.)
Any recommendations or suggestions would be hugely appreciated.
