Delaware Wedding Venues

hrt8604

I am recently engaged and need help finding a ceremony and reception venue in Delaware or Eastern Shore Maryland that isn't overly expensive and can find approximately 175 guests.  Please help!  We are shooting for March 2011 so I am under a tight time limit.

EiDuffy

what type of venue are you looking for?
i've been to the following ones- check out their websites and let me know which ones you are interested in and i can give you my thoughts on them...
deerfield, hartefeld, the stone barn, brandywine country club, arsht hall/goodstay gardens, herrington on the bay (MD), celebrations on the bay (MD), university & whist club, bellevue hall, brantwyn, dupont country club, loch nairn, concordville inn, mendenhall inn (the last 3 are in PA right over the line)
I went to 23 venues in all (in MD, DE, & PA) before chosing mine, so i have a lot of comparisons!

Ms.BriarRose

What's your budget?  That right there is going to be your deciding factor.  Where in DE do you want to get married?  You say the Eastern Shore area, MD, which tells me you want something in Lower- and you are going to pay for it.  Getting married down that area is very expensive. 

DE, unfortunately, is expensive.  Sad and surprising, but true.  To have it for that many guests on a budget, you are going to have to make some major compromises (like no bar type compromises!).  My suggestion would be trying to par down your guest list as much as you possibly can, figuring out your absolute budget, and going from there.  Look at places that are all inclusive- while the VFW and places like that may seem cheaper, you have to pay not only catering, but table/chair/china/silverware/drinkware/etc costs, plus moving fees associated with that.  Also, don't always assume that fire halls are going to be better either- ones like Hockessin are actually more than some other places, since you have to use their Ladies Aux.

Also, you might want to consider moving your date.  If you want to save money, booking far out will do that for you.  You lock in today's pricing for say, 2012.  Plus it gives you more time to pay everything off, esp if you can't cut your guest list down.  If nothing else, do a Friday or Sunday, because you can save money then.  When doing your budget, don't forget you have 20% gratuity that all DE venues charge.

I ultimately decided on Executive Banquet and Conference Center in Newark.  I booked Dec 2008/Jan 2009 for October 2010, so that gives you the idea of the type of timing and pricing that I am getting.  For 140 guests, beer and wine only, chicken, fish, and veggie dishes (no beef), and limited add ons (no dessert buffet or anything like that), I am paying over $10k.  And like I said, I locked in on pricing.  Not only that, but we also have a 10% discount off the entire bill (long story).  I know they give that 10% discount for Friday and Sunday weddings, ours is a Saturday.

[Deleted User]

I dont think DE is expensive.. at least away from the water. I am having my recpetion in Bridgeville at the Bridgeville Banquet Center and it is fairly inexpensive. It is catered by Jimmy's Grille restaurat ( a local favorite down here in slower lower).  It has all the charm and elegance in a banquet hall you want, but a down home price. Check out the website at :
http://www.deweybeachlife.com/dning_jimmys.html