overwhelmed

I would look for non traditional venues and make sure to keep the guest list small!

I second keeping the guest list small - this allows you to book smaller venues and spend less on catering, etc. We live in the DFW area and have a budget that's only slightly larger, so I feel your pain! We found a venue that includes a lot of the decorations, which makes a big difference in your budget. It actually cost us less than some similarly-sized venues that included basically no decorations. It sounds like you've already established a budget and time-frame, so the next step is to find a venue! Until you've booked a venue, you don't technically have a wedding date, even if you have a date in mind. I've also got lots of DIY tips and suggestions on where it's okay to cut corners and where you shouldn't! This is my second wedding - I did my first one for 200+ guests under 5K, although in a much less expensive area.

Is it best to search and book a venue as a couple for a better deal or through a wedding planner?

The first thing to do is come up with a guest list. I made several mock guest lists that sorted guests into groups including "musts" (parents, siblings, grandparents, bridal party), "most likely" (aunts, uncles, cousins, close friends), and "optional" (plus ones, coworkers, parents random request). Once you have your guest list, you can figure out how big (or small!) a venue you need.

I'd recommend looking at restaurants with function rooms or even doing a "restaurant buy out" for an evening. Traditional wedding venues tend to add on extra items and require specific vendors that can increase the price significantly.

Good luck!

If you're on a budget, I'd opt out of a wedding planner personally. Keep the guest count small, keep the decor simple, find something all inclusive may be easiest. Start with your guest list and see how much space/tables/chairs you'll need.

I started a spreadsheet in the beginning. I made a tab for venues then a researched each one. I put the name, location, dollar amount and what it included (number of chairs, tables, etc). This will eliminate several so you don't have to waste your time touring.

Then I started in with more quotes.. catering (if not inclusive), photography, cake (we're doing ours from Sam's because about 1/3 of the price of bakeries around here), hair and makeup. Ask around on Facebook for suggestions as the locals have good ideas.

View Quoted Comment A wedding planner will cost almost your entire budget. I had a wedding planner but her job wasn’t to find us deals.

If you're open to a brewery wedding, I found that it was a great option for a non-alternative venue, since a lot of the breweries around the Metro Atlanta area already have decor, extra chairs/tables, and the one I picked was within my budget.

Also check this place out- This couple bought it last fall and have been working to make it a beautiful wedding venue again. They were offering 50% off to book when we looked at it back in January.
https://www.georgiapalmsandgardens.com/

This place hasn’t opened yet so they might have great deals to get booking- it’s in downtown Acworth. Found it on the venue list on WW.

The Cowan Historic Mill

Don't know what type of venue you are going for but if you really want to stay in Atlanta check out Wahoo grill in Decatur. They have many weddings there and I've heard they are very reasonably priced.

When I started looking at venues outside of the city, they started to get considerably more affordable. My venue for three whole days is half of what 12 hours in Marietta/Kennesaw/Acworth was going to cost! Also, we received quotes for BBQ for dinner. Super affordable!

And Publix cake! YES YES YES!

I also recommend looking through fb market for decor and other items. I am trying to pull together mismatched china for my reception, and so far I am having pretty decent success.

Hope you have a beautiful wedding!

View Quoted Comment

Cowan Mill is definitely not cheap. I have pricing info from them and as soon as I saw it, I marked them off my list.

Did you ever decide on a venue?

View Quoted Comment Not yet! We’re pushing the date back a bit.

Thank you all for the suggestions!