Reception venues on a budget

hcb0474

I am planning my wedding for late May or early June next year and have not had any luck finding a venue yet!  Unfortunately we have a very small budget and are looking to spend no more than $20-$25 pp for catering/bar combined.  That being said, it seems as though a venue that allows outside catering and bar is our best bet.  My fiance and I really liked the Sheldon, but their bar price and facility rental fee make it out of our price range.  Every place I have researched seems to be too costly with the exception of Shrewsbury Ballroom, which we are going to look at this weekend.  We will have between 180-250 guests.  We would like to stay closer to downtown, but at this point I am open to suggestions.  Please help! 

cgeithman

My bff is a photographer and she is doing a wedding at the Hyatt downtown next weekend. It seems really cool but I have no idea what kind of price range there is there, and there's no price info on the website.

For a downtown wedding, you may have to either raise your budget or maybe cut the guest list. You will have more options for less expensive places if you have fewer guests.

What kind of a feel are you going for? Could you do a park with a big pavilion and a casual, picnic-type reception? Those are usually pretty cost effective.

aragx6

I would look at community centers, banquet halls and even union halls.

crh1020

The Magic Chef Mansion allows you to bring in your own caterer and bar.  They also rent by the hour as well.

tauri88

I went to a Bridal show earlier this month and just recently received a mailing from one of the vendors there.  The Spirited Heart in St. Charles offers a buffet dinner for 25.95 that includes the bar.  I know you were interested in staying close to downtown, but I checked several places and this is the only one I've found with a price like this that includes the bar.  Good Luck!

loinmo

Two Hearts Banquet Center is also reasonable.

maryandkirk0909

Have you looked at Tower Grove Park?  You're allowed to bring your own there I believe and you could do a nice reception in one of the larger meeting spaces.

There are also union halls and VFWs in South City that may fall within your budget.

Mertztichenor

Andre's as well has some fantastic packages, as well as Royal Orleans, and Genesis and The Christy.

hcb0474

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!!  We ended up booking the Shrewsbury Ballroom for June 23!!  We also booked our ceremony venue at the Jewel Box.  So excited!!!!

AmkarPhotography

Jewel Box will be so beautiful! I love shooting weddings there, the grounds are so nice and Forest Park is so picturesque. Have fun on your wedding day! Best wishes - Amanda

amandaorgan

If you don't mind me asking, how much was it for room rental at the Shrewsbury Ballroom?

hcb0474

It was $650 for shrewsbury residents and $845 for nonresidents. It's a 5 hr rental

hcb0474

So got terrible news this morning- Shrewsbury Ballroom called me to tell me that some idiot staff member booked our date 2 weeks prior but wrote it down incorrectly.  Now we have no reception venue!!!!  It's so upsetting because this was the one place that was actually within our budget!  So ladies, I need any and all suggestions for a reception venue that I can keep it to $20 pp!!!!

lynnjen18

Wow! I'm so sorry. I would check Orlando's and Andre's. Also, is Friday night an option? Many places have reduced prices on Fridays.

msmaggie1967

WE GOT MARRIED A HAWK POINT B&B AND WEDDING VENUE ITS A 32 ACRE VICTORIAN ESTATE UP BY TROY MO45 MINUTES FROM ST CHARLES A LOCAL RESTERANT CATERED FOR $10-14 PER PERSON AND THE VENUE WILL LET YOU BRING AND SET UP A BAR WE DID BEER AND WINE YOU CAN'T BEAT THE PRICE AND IT WAS SO PEACEFUL AND RELAXING A NICE GET AWAY FROM THE CITY THEY HAVE A WEB SITE AT hawkpointbandb.com or 636-338-4996

hcb0474

Thanks for the suggestions.  We ended up booking at Hendri's.  I love it!