$10,000 Budget in DC

tgarner2000

Is it possible to host a decent wedding in the DC metro area with a $10,000 budget and possibly 150 guests?

LoveKiss

Anything is possible. no whether it would be easy is a whole other question. There are definitely things you can do to cut costs.
1. Host your wedding on a weeknight. You can get prime venues for a much lower price this way. My friend did this in baltimore and got her dream venue for a teeny fraction of it's weekend rental cost.
2. Host your wedding in a park, community center, or church hall. Again, the rental fees for these venues are much less than those for museums, hotels, aquariums, etc.
3. Host during an "in between" time slot and serve only drinks and dessert. This definitely cuts down on food costs.
4. Have a cash bar, or no bar at all. Alcohol is expensive!
5. Church Street Bridal  in Lynchburg is supposed to be amazing for authentic designer dresses on the cheap.

This is just what comes to mind. i am sure other people have more suggestions. it can be done' it just requires pprioritizing what matters and getting creative.

2dBride

We stayed with a total $10,000 budget for our wedding, even with two brides (and thus two sets of bridal expenses) and two receptions (one in DC, one near Boston).  In addition to the suggestions above, you might consider postponing your wedding to off-season (January through March).  For example, Rockwood Manor in Potomac is $4000 for 8 hours on a Saturday in September.  It is $1500 for 8 hours on a Friday, Sunday, or holiday in January-March, and $1200 for 8 hours on a weekday in January-March.

tmjackson

Also, if you're looking at hotels, try finding one that specializes in business conferences instead of weddings.  Last year, I was hearing good things about the J.W. Marriott on Pennsylvania Avenue.  I also just heard rave reviews about the Marriott at Metro Center (across the street from Macy's).