Venue for BIG wedding

afuller333

Hello.. I am looking for a wedding site that can accomodate 250 guests. We want to be able to have the ceremony and reception at the same site and....do it all under $10,000 for the two. Our total budget is somewhere around $17,000 so we can afford to go a little over. I have looked at a few places, Lewis River Golf Course in Woodland, Wa, Persimmon CC, Langdon Farms and Willamette Valley Vineyards. The problem I am having is that they all vary in different charges but it comes out to about $11,000 every time I get a proposal for 250 guests. Does anyone have any ideas for a site? It has to be a "garden" setting, not too dark. Also, is it worth getting a coordinator? I'm so lost!

michelleandchristopher

Hello, My fiance and I are stuck looking for the same type of venue and are currently trying to decide which of these three venues we want to book. You could try Log House Gardens in Keizer, Oregon. It's a beautiful place for a wedding. You could also try Lakeside Gardens in Portland, Oregon and Beckenridge Winery in Dallas, Oregon. And a coordinator is great if you want to have a stress free day on the 'Day Of' your Wedding. I am hiring a 'Day O'f coordinator so I won't have to worry about anything on my wedding day. I hope this helps.:) Good Luck!

CaliopeSpidrman

What all do you expect to be included in those costs?  Catering?  Chairs, tables, linens?  A dance floor?  We can help you out if you can give us the specifics that the $10k would be covering.

bethbloom

We're getting married at BeckenRidge in 3 weeks, and there is no f-ing way that 250 people would fit in there. Only about 10 tables can fit inside, and there definitely isn't room for more than 4 on the patio.Sorry, cross that sucker off your list. What about Oregon Gardens?

tbirdphomm

hey there! i'm a local coordinator (and way old former knottie) and can definitely point you in the right direction. i know you all hate vendor postings, but again bc i'm an old knottie, i would love to help my wedding was 400 people so i can definitely understand. email me at tpb0615ATgmailDOTcom

erincassidy06

I second the Oregon Gardens! It is a beautiful location and it has many different options for the location of the ceremony and reception. The only downside to OG is you have to use there services or they charge you an arm and a leg!

afuller333

I have looked at Oregon Gardens just over the web, I will have to give them a call. I agree the Breckenridge would not hold 250 comfortably, we went to a wedding there last year and I did not like how they separate the reception between the patio and the indoor room. And as for the things included in the $10,000, I would like the whole deal- chairs, linens, tables, catering, room rental, gratuity, everything but maybe the alcohol. I don't want any liquor, just beer and wine. Thanks to everyone, and keep the ideas coming!

DramaGeek

I'm confused - if you can afford to go a little over, why not go with one of the $11,000 places?  And wiht 250, are you invited 250 people or assuming that 250 of your guests are coming?  Because if you invite 250, it's likely you'll get 200ish.If I were you I would look into Abernathy Center in Oregon City.  Abigail's Garden would best fit what you're looking for.  For 2010, site rental from 10am-3pm on Sat is $2000, 6pm to 11pm is $4500 and includes the garde and the ballroom.  The bare bones dinner reception is $28/pp buffet or $35/pp plated which includes 1 entree, 3 sides and all linens, china, etc.  The next step up is $37/pp buffet or $44/pp plated and includes 2 apps, 2 entrees, 3 sides, table linens and centerpieces, china, etc.  Might be a good option for you.  If you are willing to do a morning ceremony, you could do a brunch or lunch reception for $27/pp which would include fresh fruit, muffins and pastries, and 4 menu items along with the lines, china and centerpieces.It's not an all inclusive, but the Ecotrust Building in NW Portland has a very cool "green" rooftop that would make an excellent wedding venue.You might also look into the World Trade Center.  It's not a garden but it has a wonderful open feel with all the windows.  Unfortunately, they don't have pricing online.Honestly, the best bang for your buck is probably going to be to find someplace that isn't all inclusive.  Finding your own caterer, etc. will likely prove to be cheaper than going with the one stop shopping method of wedding planning.

mayflymanitou

I was just at EcoTrust this past weekend- no way that rooftop can comfortably hold 250 people.Not technically garden venues, but a few of the McMenamin's properties all have large indoor and outdoor spaces, are "all-inclusive" (you pay a food and beverage minimum and your site rentals are included in that), and have outdoor garden sites as well.  Try Edgefield, the Grand Lodge, or Cornelius Pass Roadhouse.

DramaGeek

mayfly, what a bummer!  I haven't been up there in ages and couldn't remember how big it was. And I don't want to hear anyone complain about planning a big wedding.  We had 485 invited guests.  Try planning that son of a bith.

FutureACE

Try looking into Columbia Edgewater Country Club. I think they say they can fit 250. Also, their plated dinners are SO much cheaper than their buffet's. I bet you could fir 250 in there if you did plated. It is right by the airport. We had a decent experience. The management changed half way through our process so there were a few deatils that didn't get passed along...but I know other girls are getting married there soon and our tips have helped them.

FutureACE

I just got married there last month and our WHOLE wedding (cake, dress, photog, video, place, good, alcohol) was 14,000...just for frame of reference. You CAN get married outside there too...or inside...good options

CharlieMaverick

I second the Abernethy Center. We got married there last June in  Abigail's Garden and loved it! It could defintely hold that many people and fit in your budget. We were at about $16,000 for 215 when it was said and done. Lewis River was my second choice, but hated the chairs and couldn't afford to rent since that location was a bit more.David Hill Winery was another favorite location, but it was a bit far out there for us but is beautiful! Keep us updated on your planning so we can help you out!

afuller333

I received some great advice this week and I think it helped yesterday when I was looking at a couple sites. I went to the Log House Gardens in Keizer and absolutely loved the owner. I can see myself working with someone like her, very down-to-earth and not at all like the other wedding "professionals" that I have met. I love the look of the gardens and I had her pencil me in for a date.The question at this point is, catering! Anyone have caterers that are awesome to work with and that are all inclusive (linens, china, utensils, beverage stations..) Log House Gardens requires liquor liability insurance as well, so they have to have coverage there too.