No idea where to begin!

sarahcurll

Hello! I live on the North Shore, and am trying to plan a wedding for 2015. I am on a very strict budget (hopefully around $15k) and am paying for wedding with my fiance. I do not anticipate any financial assistance from neither one of our families. I am hoping to get married Oct 2015 and have a few venues in mind but I feel it will go over my budget. I am hoping to have between 50 to 75 people guests, since I am not a huge of huge groups of people, and prefer to have close family and friends present. I am torn as to which month I should choose- May or Oct..I love Oct but it a busy month for my fiance with his job, and also in the same month is my future mother in law/sister in law/niece's bday, and also my brother in law/sister in law were married in Oct as well. The "cold" isn't really a concern for me but my MOH has hinted she thinks it might be a little too cold. May, is my second choice, but I am also unsure due to the rain and mugginess and even sometimes heat that can present in May! We hope to get married on a Friday to cut costs.. My MOH also has offered several times to have a small wedding at her house in Maine, however  there is not much of a backyard there, and she is doing renovations and I cannot picture the place being ready in time or even having enough room there. I do not want a typical, boring, function hall wedding so Glen Magna seems like a good choice so far, but probably for Oct since they don't AC incase it gets hot.

Sigh. Anyway, any words of advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated!

sjuhawkz

It sounds like you have already put a lot of thought into this! I've never been but Glen Magna looks very nice.  We were open to the date and ended up picking due to the venue's availability.  Although this wasn't the case for us, some venues offer different pricing. Probably not for Oct or May, but if you were willing to go April or November. In terms of you MOH's suggestion - maybe this is a good place for a bridal shower or if its close to your venue to have a catered rehearsal dinner? 

mander14

I know that you aren't looking for a typical venue, but I got a really great deal in Salem for the month of July. It is one of their slowest months. We are doing a Sunday wedding to keep costs down. I know that some venues (we met with a lot of them!) have different pricing for different months. I found that being super honest about my budget was the best way to go. Not only did my venue create a custom package just for me, but I actually ended up having 2 venues to choose from. If you need any ideas, please feel free to message me

Good luck!

frenchiekin

@sarahcurll - October could be chilly, but you could also get a cool day in May.  They are both one of those months where it could be 45 degrees or 80!  Just the chance you take in lovely New England  We are doing the first weekend of October to hopefully increase our chances of a mild day as we are planning on an outdoor ceremony (knock on wood). Both months are beautiful, I don't think you can really go wrong - nature will do what it does.  If one is logistically easier for you over the other, then that may be your answer.

If you're still looking for other venue options... check out the Carriage House at Lynch Park in Beverly... right on the water and really pretty... I think they just started renting it out for private functions recently.  We were in the same boat and did not want a typical boring venue.  We had to rule it out because our guest list was too big, but you should fit if you have under 100 people.  Lynch Park itself is beautiful for ceremonies too.  I am pretty sure they offer a resident discount if you happen to live in Beverly, but I believe the rates are reasonable either way.

Other suggestions.... Phoenix Room in Newburyport, Rockport Art Museum.  I've heard of a lot of good deals in Salem too as mander14 said!  Good luck!

MandyMost

We were told by multiple venues that October is now the most common month to get married (at least in Massachusetts). Essentially Sep-Nov and Apr-Jun are the busiest times. You can get a deal better deal for a wedding in the dead of summer (July/August), or in the winter (Dec-Mar). 

Hotels also confirmed that prices are very high in the Boston area in the Fall, essentially from Labor Day until Thanksgiving. 

CnJ2014

In my opinion, both October and May are two of the months with the most beautiful weather of the year, you are less likely to have extreme heat or extreme cold in either one of those months.  I also think they are two of the more popular wedding months around here, probably because of the more moderate weather.  Rain is a concern no matter what month you get married in, so I would recommend having a back-up plan anyways if you are having an outdoor ceremony or wedding.

I think you would be able to find something in this area to fit your budget... we are throwing a wedding for 200 guests for $30K at a country club on the north shore in a few months.  We got our invites on sale from vistaprint, I got my dress on clearance for $500, I made my own favors, my mom's florist friend is doing all our flowers for $1000.  If you decide ahead of time what areas you want to cut back on and what areas you want to spend more on, I'm sure you would be just fine at many north shore wedding venues, especially if you choose a Friday night.  Although, I have actually heard that Glen Magna is on the more expensive side as far as venues around here go, so if budget is your concern, you may want to keep researching before you make your final decision.  I found this super helpful list of north shore wedding venues, if it helps as you continue your research:

http://www.gloucesterweddings.com/venues.html

Good luck!!  

sarahcurll

Thanks!

Fran1985

@knotporscha @aliciarush is spamming the boards

[Deleted User]

@fran1985 ... taken care of thanks for letting me know!