NJ Venue all-inclusive under $60pp

Galloping hills and the Garwood are both great options (Jennifer and Galloping and Catherine at Garwood) but on a weekend night that far out, the budget may not work.

Re look at the guest list. Look at my blog today, with many thanks to one of your favorite posters here (www.500greatweddingideas.com/blog). She really lays out exactly how to get to a smaller guest list and she's spot on.

When you talk to caterers, you want to make sure you have a bottom line price; rentals, staff, tax etc. Typically, there are three costs; food/staff/rentals and then tax on food and rentals.

Have it outside at something like the Cross Estates Gardens- or the Van Vleck Gardens... then go to a decent restaurant.

We looked at several restaurants with nice package menus for under 75$/person- but you have to have a small guest list.

Look at Freingheuysen (I know it's spelled wrong) Arboretum. They have a beautiful garden and a cafe on site.

Thanks for all of the ideas and advice! I really want to make Rutgers Gardens work. I'm waiting on a proposal from the second caterer to see if they can work with my vision and my budget, which in NJ is not as easy as I had hoped. Luckily, I am very crafty and I have 3 sisters to put to work so we can cut corners wherever possible. Fingers-crossed!

I had my engagement photos done at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, it is quite lovely. Good luck on your search and plans!

My SIL is getting married at Sayen Gardens in Hamilton (I think), NJ. They have a relatively small budget, so that may be an option as well, but everything is your responsibility, down to the plates, etc.

I'd avoid Prallsville, their new catering menus were $100 and up and 22% admin/staff fee and $20-$30 per person in rentals and venue fee, sadly the 1850's Riverhouse there is in process of change over no fees yet available, when we asked but if it follows the pricing for Prallsville it will also be much more expensive then before. The Wyckoff Wade barn in Readington was really lovely, a friend of mine used Dish Catering and they took care of everything on a relatively small budget. Good luck, hope it works out for you

Thank you for the suggestions! We were able to cut the guest list by a small amount and we have decided to up the budget to $85pp inclusive which we were able to get at Valleybrook Country Club in Blackwood. It's a beautiful venue and Tracey is amazing! We have the date on hold and will be making our deposit in a week! Although it is not all outdoors as I have dreamed of, they do offer an outdoor cocktail hour and they have fire places on their balcony open during the reception as well as an fire pit with seating off of the balcony.

I am sure you have already booked your date Cassie, but if not, you could try Perona Farms in Andover, NJ. I think it would be very much up your alley. But I do not know their pricing off hand. Best of luck!