Non-catered banquet hall

Where?

Try local VFW, Moose, Elk lodges etc.

Also check local churchs. Sometimes they have attractive halls that can be rented for a fee.

It all depends where you're located.

I was looking for something similar before we decided to go with an outdoor venue. I found the best resources were city and county owned facilities (community centers, Senior centers, etc.). They do have a lot of restrictions on what you can and can't do in terms of decorations, alcohol, etc, but they were much more affordable than private venues and none of them required the use of a licensed caterer.

I looked at your profile and saw your city and state. it looks like Recreation Community Building (formerly C.A.I.) at 5640 Williams Lake Road is available for wedding receptions, and you bring your own food.

The dining room seats 200, and the rental fee is $575 for 6 hours ($50 for each additional hour). You'll need to pay a refundable damage deposit of $300 (if there's no alcohol) or $600 (if you're having alcohol). The dining room is the only place you're allowed to serve alcohol.

I don't know what the dining room looks like, but according to their website it is rented out for parties and wedding receptions. Here's the link:

http://www.twp.waterford.mi.us/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks---Rental-Information/Rental-Facility-Information.aspx

You might also want to check out this link to your area's Elk's Lodge. They do the whole deal, but it's probably far less expensive than a standard reception venue. They customize your menu -- you can do an appetizer reception or a dinner reception. I'd call them and see what they charge. You may be surprised and realize you can have the whole thing catered on site for a reasonable fee.

Here's the link:

ww.elks.org/lodges/lodgefacilities.cfm?LodgeNumber=810

Here's a link to all the banquet halls in your general area. They have a number you can call for help. Tell them what you're looking for and they might be able to suggest a venue that meets your requirements.

http://www.jbdjweddings.com/venue_list.htm

We're using a parks and recreation venue and its gorgeous. At our venue, the rules are quite flexible. Total cost to rent for 8 hours + 1 hour for vendor deliveries is $1525. We had to put down a $450 deposit and we're having an open bar. The rules for decorating are strict, but the venue is so pretty, it really doesn't need much.

I've been looking for venues that do not cater also. I want to purchase the food myself, bring it in already cooked and heated than set it all up buffet style. I'm probably going to decorate the Dollar Tree way since I seen examples on the Dollar Tree website.

I really have a next to nothing budget...can you tell?