What do you do when you can't find a venue...

Summer and Fall are prime wedding season so finding something for this coming summer/fall might be difficult even without a limited budget. I would suggest looking at places not advertised as “wedding venues”- places like state parks, botanical gardens, museums, libraries, art galleries, zoos, VFWs, etc. If you belong to a church, you could check with them also – many churches have rec rooms they will allow you to use after your ceremony. Some Airbnb’s will even allow you to host events (but be sure to clear that with them very explicitly beforehand).

How many guests were planning to invite? Sometimes it makes sense to book out a private area of a restaurant to host a post-ceremony meal for your guests.

It’s an unpopular opinion but the parks department in any city has the cheapest options for venues. Most of them have tables, chairs and a full kitchen included in the price and you have no restrictions on when you can start or which vendors are required, unlike all inclusive venues. That way, you can use lower cost vendors that have high quality such as a grocery store florist and bakery, a favorite local restaurant for drop off catering, etc.

View Quoted Comment These are all great ideas! I was looking at a botanical garden in the area, but it was expensive. I know the clock is ticking so we would be open to waiting until spring 2025. Thank you so much for your advice!!

View Quoted Comment We have between 75-100 guests at the most, but hoping to have enough space for a DJ and dancing. Thanks for the idea, definitely something to think about!

View Quoted Comment Thanks Michelle!! We wanted to get married on the beach and wedding permits are actually affordable. It's just the reception part we would have to figure out, because the permits are for a short amount of time ($250 for 2 hours). Love the ideas about low cost vendors!

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Remember to budget for rental and set up/tear down of things like any decorations for the ceremony, and most importantly chairs for the guests. So much to think about!

View Quoted Comment What beach? You could search for a "beach wedding planner" - there are a lot here in Florida. They have all kinds of packages for every budget some even include DJ, Photographer, officiant, etc.

Hi! I’ve been in this same situation. My fiancé and I are on the budget and everything in my area is just so expensive. We can’t find anything and the entire planning process has honestly just been extremely stressful, exhausting, and unenjoyable. Did you end up finding something?

View Quoted Comment We haven't found anything yet. We're debating on having a small ceremony with just immediate family and then having a celebration with everyone at a later date. But still not sure if that feels right! We did find someone to marry us. I'm sorry you're experiencing the same frustration. I found it helpful to join some groups on Facebook like "Brides on a Budget" or "weddings under 5k". The members post all the time and I've gotten some good ideas. I hope you're able to find a way forward! It is exhausting, but you're not alone!

View Quoted Comment Lol, that is exactly what we are thinking! We might just elope now because I’m sick of thinking/worrying/stressing about it…and I just want to make him my husband!