Hello! This is my first post since we got engaged in February; we've just decided to plan a big wedding instead of an intimate backyard affair. My sister has been on the Knot/Nest since well before her wedding seven years ago, and she loves the community. She's actually posed this question to her longtime "Nesties" and gotten some great responses, but I thought I'd join in the discussion here and ask for some advice from others who are also in the planning stages of their own weddings.
I'll try not to be annoyingly detailed or long-winded...here goes: we're in north Jersey (Boonton, near Parsippany) and we're looking to have between 120-150 guests (144 is the exact number for our preliminary list- HUGE but close families) and spend under $10K if possible. We're also set on a Saturday wedding, full bar or wine/beer, dance floor with a DJ, and that's basically it. We already have an officiant, my brother-in-law, and we'll get married at the site where the reception is held. All the decorations, flowers, etc. will be DIY and are more or less already figured out. We may not even hire a professional photographer since a close friend of ours really, really wants to do it and can recruit her brother to help so she can dance and enjoy...and honestly, all the photos we've seen from our family and friends' weddings in the last year or so have been taken by guests, not the photographer they paid $4K to shoot the event. I apologize if that sounds terrible, but it's one expense we're willing to forego. Same with hair, nails, and lots of details that are beautiful, but we really can't afford if we want the big party.
My dress is under $300 from J. Crew, and my fiance and the groomsmen will be wearing nice shirts, khakis, and flip-flops. My future SIL got married two weeks ago in a wedding 3x our budget, and one of her bridesmaids lost her dress in a fire a week before the shower. They ended up finding dresses for $12 at Old Navy last minute, and I didn't even know that until they told me. So I'm confident that we can minimize most of the expenses that could easily add up to our overall budget.
So really what it comes down to is the site itself, the caterer/drinks, and DJ. Some of the sites we're considering are White Meadow Lake in Rockaway, NJ and Rutgers Gardens. Both seem low-key and affordable, while offering nice scenery. That's basically it in a nutshell...we're more open to outdoorsy venues and even county parks than large venues like the VFW/Elks/Knights of Columbus, etc. We're not picky about food- it just has to be decent and palatable to everyone...we'd be totally thrilled with a caterer that does a basic barbeque. We're in our thirties and most of our siblings, cousins and close friends have kids that will probably make up 1/3 of the guest list, so a simple menu would be better than a more elegant, gourmet style menu in that regard. It's really just about having a big party in a pretty place, and I've been pleasantly surprised by what I've found so far that could really work with our limited budget.
ALL suggestions are very welcome! Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide!