Pennsylvania-Philadelphia

Reception Venue Ideas

Hello, all!

So, I've been lurking on the Knot since last summer and this is my first post. Basically, we're looking for reception venue ideas in the Media/West Chester/suburb area. My parents are the ones who will be footing most if not the entire bill, and we're hoping to stay at or below $10,000 for the reception with a tentative 100-person guestlist. We are planning to get married in April 2019. Why are we searching so early, you may well ask? Long story short, we have lots of immediate family and friends that live out of state or overseas and my parents are hoping to tour some places within the next few months in order to get a date down, book the venue, and give everyone plenty time to prepare.

Some general wants. Hopefully, these don't sound too insane:

-Outside/historic/garden is a bonus. We're going for a woodland/fairytale theme without being too rustic or princessy.

-The closer to home the better, although half an hour's drive isn't out of the question.

-We've looked into Tyler Arboretum, which turned out to be way pricier than we'd like, and Kings Mills, but some of the reviews we've read about their services and pricing have been disconcerting.

-We've looked at PartySpace and other venues through the Knot. There are several lovely options but some of them are more expensive than we'd like and/or are not in PA.

-If all else fails, we know we can always rent a tent, decor, and hire caterers as necessary. Our church owns a small plot of land that has been used for events, including weddings, and while it's not the prettiest it would be "free" to use the land and we are already planning to have the ceremony in the church itself. Maybe this is the answer?  

Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you for reading through this!

Re: Reception Venue Ideas

  • I highly suggest checking out Jeffrey Miller Catering's other venues. They offer a decent discount for April weddings (even more if you choose a Friday or Sunday). Tyler Arboretum is one of their locations, but each location has a different rate for food/venue fees. I think you could stick very close to your budget with one of their venues, as you are choosing an off season month.

    I'm getting married at the John James Audubon Center and have found that it is very reasonable for everything that is included. It has the same outdoor/rustic feel as the Tyler Arboretum. I fell in love with the location instantly. JAM Catering has also been fantastic to work with. We just attended the group tasting in July and everything was delicious!

    Good luck!
  • I second going with Jeffrey Miller Catering!!

    We are also getting married at the John James Audubon Center! The venue is gorgeous with so many photo opportunities! 

    Jeffrey Miller Catering’s food is delicious and fresh.  One of our favorite parts of the tasting was the dessert! We are having a cannoli bar during the reception....and they even do your wedding cake! We already tasted ours- it’s delicious’
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