HELP! Wedding for under $20K in NJ?

Re: HELP! Wedding for under $20K in NJ?

• ohmrs2014 mod

  

  January 2016

  Is the budget you listed for just the venue or including everything, such as photographer, dj, florist, etc?
  
  Also, are you paying for the wedding?  If so, you have complete control of the guest list and can essentially cut down.  If your not, rethink the wedding.  With money, comes strings.  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  Report0 Reply
• Knottie1432666161 member

  

  January 2016

  I live abroad, in Ireland, and I am from NJ and it is very important for me to have our wedding in NJ too.  Our budget was also set for under $20,000.  Now that we have a venue and all the fixings in place it has climbed up to $27,000...ekk!  Tips I had to get a wedding on the cheaper end of things was to have it in the afternoon not an evening wedding.  The minimum guarantee for guests goes down and so does cost.  In the end after doing a lot of research on venue's we decided on the Florentine Gardens in River Vale, NJ.  But I heard Season's in Washignton Twnshp is pretty affordable too.  We considered everything and everywhere but being a bride living abroad you are quite limited to control if you choose to do a more DIY wedding.  So we had to consider our options and went with a proper venue which cost us a bit more but will aid to our stress in the future!  You need to look at all options... 
  Good Luck! 

  Report0 Reply
• Knottie1450450063 member

  

  January 2016

  Thank you so much! The Florentine Gardens was our top pick-we toured the venue on Christmas Eve and fell in love with it. Unfortunately, they wanted to charge us around 40k for everything we wanted (evening, 175 people on a Friday). But I will definitely look into the Season's-thank you so much for the tip!

  Report0 Reply
• Knottie1450450063 member

  

  January 2016

  We are paying for the wedding ourselves-I am going to look at cutting the list, also the $20,000 is for the venue-I have a friend that will probably DJ and I am going to look at a lot of DIY and networking options for everything else. I really want to spend less than $20,000 for everything but I know that is pushing it.

  Report0 Reply
• ohmrs2014 mod

  

  January 2016

  DIY can get expensive as well so be careful with that.  Have you thought about non-traditional wedding venues where you can bring in your own caterer?  Sometimes, that works out cheaper.  Having it during the day on a Saturday or Sunday can also make a big difference in price.
  
  Be careful with using friends as vendors, make sure you still get a contract of some sort.  I've read some stories on the boards about friendships being ruined or having falling outs before the event and the couple is then scrambling for a back-up.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  Report1 Reply
• nerdwife member

  

  January 2016

  Our wedding is going to come under $20,000, but we're only having 75 guests. That would be the easiest way to save money. We also chose a Saturday afternoon because that is cheaper than Saturday evening. You should look into off-season as well. We really wanted October, so we cut other things, but November-March is less expensive.

  Report0 Reply
• Knottie1450450063 member

  

  January 2016

  Thank you everyone! I will definitely take the advice about the DIY and using friends. As far as the dates go, the 16th is a big deal to us because everything significant for our relationship happened on the 16th of some month (the first time we hung out, the day he asked me to be his girlfriend, the day he proposed) and I really need a summer month because I teach in NC and have no way to get a week+ off to go to NJ during the school year

  Report0 Reply
• ohmrs2014 mod

  

  January 2016

  There are both a DIY and Budget board that might be worth checking out.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  Report0 Reply
• miszcrystal member

  

  January 2016

  Hey Katie! My fiancé and I are also on a budget and we decided on The Westwood in Garwood, NJ. Their prices were the most reasonable for everything we wanted & even though we are only having 100 guests, I believe they have a room that can accommodate 225 guests. Also, we opted to have our wedding on a Friday evening rather than Saturday to save on money. I would definitely check  them out if you haven't already! Good luck

  Report0 Reply
• JoanE2012 member

  

  January 2016

  Knottie1450450063 said:

  Hi everyone!
  
  I recently got engaged about a month ago and have already started the exciting/stressful/crazy wedding planning. I currently live in NC (having just moved this summer from NJ). My fiance and I need to have our wedding in NJ, as it is where literally all of our friends and family are. I have e-mailed 30+ places in hopes of finding a venue that accommodates an outdoor ceremony/indoor reception for approximately 175 people (trying very hard to cut this list down but family is taking over) that won't break the bank. Does anyone have any idea where we can have our wedding for under $15,000? Our budget is set at $20,000 max but the lower the better to be honest. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!
  
  -Katie 

  If family isn't paying for the wedding, they can't take over the guest list.  Plain and simple.  $15k for 175 guests is $85/person.   With tax and service, you're going to need to probably be looking at a base price of around $65/person.  Quite simply, that's going to be very difficult to achieve unless you really start looking outside of traditional venues.
  
  I would also advise against using family or friends as vendors - I've seen too many people get burned by this.  Not to mention, they won't even be able to enjoy your wedding because they're working!
  
  And once you start adding in other vendors and wedding items - florist, photographer, videographer, limo, officiant, hair, makeup, dress, shoes, jewelry, tux, favors, invitations, etc - you're going to stress your max budget.  I would seriously consider cutting your guest list - you'll be able to work with your budget a lot easier!
  
  And be sure to use the boards - we can help with ideas, recommendations, etc.

  Report2 Reply
• FutureMrsConroy member

  

  January 2016

  I am not sure what the exact cost would work out to, but the Berkeley Plaza in Berkeley Heights and the Primavera Regency were very reasonably priced even though we were looking at June -- peak season (85 Fri night, 95 Sat night & 75 Fri night, 85 Sat night, respectively).  If you are open to the off peak season (November - April I believe) you can probably get an even better deal.  Don't be afraid to ask for a discount on the price as well -- if you book less than a year out, my experience is that places were happy to knock the price down a bit.  These places had nice indoor areas and little gazebos outside for pictures, etc., but ultimately we wanted to do an outdoor ceremony, so chose somewhere more picturesque and grand, but if you are open to doing it all indoors, these might fit the bill.  Mayfair Farms and The Manor in West Orange can also be great deals!  Hope this helps!

  Report0 Reply
• ohmrs2014 mod

  

  January 2016

  Knottie1450450063 said:

  Thank you everyone! I will definitely take the advice about the DIY and using friends. As far as the dates go, the 16th is a big deal to us because everything significant for our relationship happened on the 16th of some month (the first time we hung out, the day he asked me to be his girlfriend, the day he proposed) and I really need a summer month because I teach in NC and have no way to get a week+ off to go to NJ during the school year

  The summer is prime wedding season.  Finding a venue that will fit into your budget for an evening wedding is going to be difficult, almost near impossible if you chose a traditional venue.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  Report0 Reply
• MisstoMrs411 member

  

  January 2016

  Hi there - 
  seasons is nice I've been there quite a few times.
  they do offer discounts if you ask. Sometimes most places will cut the price if you pay cash.
  also ask them for a day they aren't booked.. Sometimes they would rather give a discount if that day won't be booked. A Sunday is usually cheaper.  
  
  Check out the addison park in key port. It's so pretty and my friend went there and said the food was amazing and they give you so much door it's insane. And this person is Italian and used to places like Venetian, macalusos and seasons - so when he says it's a lot of food I believe it lol. 
  
  I also went went to the grey cliff in carlstadt I think and it was cheaper to pay cash.. Like 85pp and had a great time. A ton of food. Well stocked bar. 
  
  Good luck. 

  Report0 Reply
• futuremrss0130 member

  

  February 2016

  We are getting married at Seasons this month and based on our winter price I do not believe you will be able to make your 20k budget with 175 people. Maybe trying a day time wedding in the winter or on a Sunday in a different month would work, but keep in mind there are also a lot of other costs that factor in. Good luck!

  Report0 Reply