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Bummed out! Found it, can't afford it!

KellyLynn1210KellyLynn1210
10 Comments
in Michigan-Detroit
I feel victim to something I was seriously trying to avoid!  I feel in love with a venue and it's just a bit out of my price range.  I went to the university that had 3 seperate options.  Two were in our range and one wasn't.  I feel hard for the one I can't afford. It was unavoidable to see the location in the process. It is my vision exactly how I wanted it.  Now I am struggling with the thought of making my guest list smaller or seeing if we could pull of the price.  I'm not a girl that likes to spend a lot of money so this whole thing is a struggle from the beginning.  The price is actually resonable for what you get but again, do you spend that much?  I seriously have to do some re-evaluation and see what the next move is.  I worry that now everything will be compared.  Ugh!  What a day!
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Re: Bummed out! Found it, can't afford it!

  • Meg1036Meg1036
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Sorry you're frustrated.  A little advice...

    Budgets have a way of creeping up.  BUT, would it be possible to make up the difference in venue price somewhere else in your budget (flowers, dress, not having a limo, etc).  Headcount isn't the only way to cut a budget, although it's often an easy/fast way.

    For my wedding, I traded in my dream venue in order to have my full guest list.  There is something to be said for a gorgeous venue, but there are a lot of venues (and maybe one of the 2 you looked at) that are plenty pretty, if not quite your "dream."  The most meaningful part of my wedding was the time with the people there - not the bar, or the food, or the view.

    Good luck!
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  • KellyLynn1210KellyLynn1210
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Thanks Meg!  You have some very good points!  I think my biggest problem is that I haven't been able to find anything else like it.  I was really hoping for an outdoor tent reception and that isn't something that is very easy to find.  I will surely look at the other options for shaving down cost.  I have a feeling you are right though.  It's not so much the venue as it is the people that you love.  It's also really good to hear that I'm not the only one that has run into this problem.  Your pic is beautiful, where did you get married?
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  • Meg1036Meg1036
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Thanks!  I got married in Ann Arbor; this picture was at the University of Michigan Law Quad.  Which is actually another point - this was neither my ceremony nor reception venue, but I took pictures there.  So that could be one way to incorporate the "look" you're going for into your day, without springing for a more expensive venue.

    And the problem is really normal - it's hard to have it all when it comes to a wedding, but you can still have a really, really great wedding.
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  • swhite2012swhite2012
    1000 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    Hi KellyLynne! I don't post a whole lot on these boards but I though I might be able to help. As meg said, you can get tons on photos around Ann Arbor and they don't have to be your venue. I'm getting married at the Union next fall and am very excited to walk around downtown and the law quad to do photos.

    If you're still interested in a garden tent wedding, you might want to look into Waldenwoods in Hartland. They have a big beautiful tent to do your reception at. I would have liked to have done that but they only do it in the summer, I don't know if that works for you. They also have a minimum of 50 ppl, max 150, I'm not sure what you are looking at with guest list.  I saw your pricing concerns on your previous post. For a Saturday their package is just under 50 a person and they have separate pricing for children. I get the feeling they book pretty early though, so I'm not sure what their availability will be like. Good luck and here's the link to their package if you want to check it out:
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
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  • KellyLynn1210KellyLynn1210
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Thank you so much for your input swhite.  Waldenwoods is amazing!  It is actually in the running.  I would be at the front of the line but I am worried about going over the 150 head count.  The availability is pretty good for the tent, totally booked for the mansion.  It is very cool there! 
    This is so crazy!  I am so happy to have ladies like you. 
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Another tent option is Pine Trace Golf Club in Rochester, MI.  I'm not sure your price range....so not sure if this will work.  And they have a capacity of 150.

    But, it is beautiful!  They have an indoor area that has wide open doors to the tented area.  Then, there are three levels of patio-area for your guests as well, right off the back of the tent.

    Here are a few pics I found online.  This was our 2nd choice, if we couldn't get our 1st pick. 












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