Venue Searching Rant!

klee3

I have to rant...

Trying to plan a Boston wedding for 180 people for $12,000 for venue/food is so frustrating!!!  I'm feeling like the places we do look at have all of these hidden fees or treat us like our budget is unrealistic. 

I think I gave up on the idea of a ballroom, and I'm now thinking maybe a VFW hall is the only way to go.

Does anyone know of any venues that could work with this budget?  I thought maybe restaurants, but I wouldn't know where to start.

Thanks for listening!!!

TeresaB2011

I could not affored half the places in Boston so I went with Spinelli's in Lynnfield, but they do have a Boston site too.  Check out the web site.

Good luck

LyssaBella

Look outside of Boston. Lots of places would be willing to work with your budget.

Erica1011

I don't know what the prices are exactly but my friends sister was looking for something on a "lower budget" (crazy that 12k is a small budget but Boston prices are ridic!)  Anyway, she is going with Venzia in Dorchester, it's right on the water, looks nice on their website.  Might be worth looking into.

http://www.venezia-onthewater.com/

ctag416

Have you tried the Neighborhood club in Quincy or Sons of Italy(there is one in Quincy and one in Braintree).

Goodluck!!

SOEngaged101

Hi Klee3 -
I know how frustrating this can be!  Are you set on a date/time that you want to have your wedding?  You can consider having it on a weekday or a Sunday....most places have lower rates for days that aren't Saturday.  Also, have you considered having your wedding in the morning?  This is definitely not for everyone, but for some it works perfectly.  You can have breakfast a breakfast buffet, champagne toasts, mimosas...do any of these things work for you?  Also, when are you getting married?  Would you be okay with using an outside caterer for your wedding or do you want/need it to be included with the venue?  Maybe we can come up with some alternatives for you if you're open to that!

Lauren

www.so-engaged.com
lhiggins@so-engaged.com

DirtyWater

If you want to go the VFW route
Nonantum Post 44 in Newton has 2 nice rooms with large chandeliers and you can bring in your own catering.  The outside isn't the prettiest but when you're in the room you would have no idea its a Post Hall.

The Hellenic Center in Watertown also has a nice room and I was told they recently updated it since I was last there in 2008. 

If you find a place where you can bring your own catering I HIGHLY suggest Tony & Penny's out of Ludlow.  I know they are further away from Boston but you can save soooo much money.  The amount of food they serve is obscene and the taste is out of this world.

Other places you could check are Nahant venues.  Ocean View etc. 

JBs_Bride

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_massachusetts-boston_venue-searching-rant?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:89Discussion:da3b7bbf-f8d3-4ada-84b6-bd424e6c1e47Post:ec4b35d0-0acb-4096-8f51-ffa9c0c86584">Re: Venue Searching Rant!</a>:
[QUOTE]I don't know what the prices are exactly but my friends sister was looking for something on a "lower budget" (crazy that 12k is a small budget but Boston prices are ridic!)  Anyway, she is going with Venzia in Dorchester, it's right on the water, looks nice on their website.  Might be worth looking into. <a href="http://www.venezia-onthewater.com/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.venezia-onthewater.com/</a>
Posted by Erica1011[/QUOTE]


One thing about Venezia... Saturday night receptions have a $20K food and beverage minimum, but there's no minimum for Saturday afternoons, Friday nights, or Sundays that don't precede a Monday holiday, so depending on when your reception is this may or may not work.

ctag416

Another place is the Milton Hoosic Club, They have a bunch of caterers you can choose from.

perrieka

I feel your pain!  Finding an affordable venue for a wedding with over 150 guests is extremely difficult and I was looking South of Boston.  I'm not sure if $12K is even possible in the city... good luck. 

Try being flexible with your date by considering off-peak months, Friday nights or an afternoon wedding. 

I started out with my heart set on a September wedding and ended up settling for an April wedding because the $15K minimum spend in Sept. was over budget.  Now that we're 2 months away, we're realizing that we're spending about $14K at the venue and we could have done September after all. 

klee3

Thanks everyone!  It helps to know that other brides are experiencing this as well, though I don't wish the frustration on anyone. 

I was considering the restaurant idea, so if anyone has any good recs. that would be wonderful! 

The church is in the Dorchester/South Boston area, so it would make more sense for us to look in the Quincy area for outside the city, but I would be fine with Arlington, Watertown, Cambridge as well.

I'm clueless when it comes to places outside of the city though, so any suggestions are super helpful!!!

Thanks!

october010bride

I've heard nice things about the Quincy Marriott and the Dedham Hilton.

GL!

sarahp12

I was originally planning around the Boston area but the prices were ridiculous. We ended up going just over the NH border to Derry, NH at Brookstone Park. They have a ballroom with beautiful grounds and the cost is exactly in your price range. We have the same amount of guests and the same budget and we can go all out there rather than cutting back somewhere else. No room fee, no guest minimum, and with 180 guests you would already be over their food minimum for a Saturday night. It may be a bit far from the church but it is worth checking out. Good luck!