Reception cost

josie19us

My bf & I are soon to be engaged. We talk about it daily and he's wants to be married by 12/31/11.  He asked me last night what the cost of a wedding would be. I think he's stressed about how much the whole thing will cost seeing as we will be the ones who will pay for it and we haven't started saving yet. I know he's getting ahead of himself but that's just the type of person he is. What I'd like to know is are there any decently priced places (reception pref. in Dallas or Grand Prairie) that are BYOB where i can bring my own cater. Ive looked online and in other sites but most are expensive and require you use their service. I know of some moderately priced ones in my area but i don't like how the halls look. Any ideas or help/advice would help. Thanks

ajdubya126

most places are going to have you pick a caterer off of their preferred list. however, there are some places that you should look into. most rental fees range between $1000-$5000

Dallas Arts Center (special day events)

Hickory Street Annex

Winfrey Point

The Filter Building

Texas Discovery Gardens

bsn1752

Have you looked at the Ruthe Jackson Center?  It's in Grand Prairie, and I believe its very DIY and budget friendly.

Donnaaries

Yes I was just going to suggest the Ruthe E Jackson center, a much better deal than most venues in Dallas proper.

MissesKB

There is a new place called Victors Room...or something like that in Grand Prairie as well. I think Ruthe Jackson Center will be your best bet.

donnamarie02

We are paying for ours alone too. We didn't have much saved when we first began planning. We had about 2000 in the bank. We gave ourselves 14months to plan and pay for everything one thing at a time monthly.

BanannaP

I would say start saving now. Then, once you choose a date, you can calculate how much you'll be able to save total. Whatever your budget ends up being, you can make it work. If our budget had been different, we would still be getting married, but we would probably have done a JP ceremony and a potluck or restaurant reception with just our closest family and friends. Once you begin planning in earnest and have a few more details as far as date, guest list, budget, etc. the girls on here can really help with a lot of money-saving tips.

josie19us

thanks for some places ideas everyone. it really will help me narrow down a place, + i will start saving asap.

AmberMarieTX

YWCA!

rednesss

If you are set on your date, the first thing I would do is plan a budget and stick to it, understanding that you can't guess how much everything will cost, but rather what you're willing to spend on what and what is most important to you. Budgeting is important, especially since you are planning a wedding on a holiday. The cost of almost everything will be more just because of that.

Second, after budget is find a venue first, holiday's book fast, years in advance even.

Third, consider you are inviting people to your wedding, but also to a holiday party. New Year's Eve is a faith and nationality neutral holiday and most everyone celebrates in some way. Be mindful that even though people want to celebrate with you, they also want to celebrate the holiday. That said, I went to a New Year's Eve wedding that was fantastic. It was a great celebration for both events simultaniously. You should consider this in the budget as well, because you will want people to enjoy the dual event. That is unless you are planning a day wedding.

Elleeaver

I went to a event at hickory street annex, it was great I am considering it myself

pattc

Here are some ideas...
- The Old Red Courthouse in Dallas on Houston Street (they have a preferred vendor list but you can use anyone you like and you can bring your own beer, wine, liquor) on Friday night and Sunday night...Saturday is higher  www.oldred.org pricing on site
- Victor's in Grand Prairie
- Ruthe Jackson
- Colleyville Center (that may be too far)

There are a lot of caterers and they are available in every price range.

halexandris

Swingin D Ranch is a really nice place....you can do it indoors or out.  

tam427

How many ppl and what is your budget? We chose a place that requires us to buy their alcohol & use their caterer, but the venue rental is so cheap that for us it is worth it. Half our budget is going to food + bev but we're saving $ on the space rental, so definitely keep your options open. Lots of places will have a low rental fee if you can meet their minimums.