A Complete Breakdown
Restaurants – a reception at a chic restaurant or bar might be an interesting solution.
State Parks – possibly a city, county or state park would have open space parks that allow you to have a great outdoor reception. Getting a park that has a covered area with a concrete slab or true vestibule with other nice features like fountains and picnic areas are great. A great feature about getting married at a park could be the readily available flowers that are already in bloom!
Historical Homes – Maybe your town has a bit of history and there are several preserved homes that would be an excellent location for a wedding. Don’t hesitate to contact the curators of these historical sites as they probably already host numerous parties and events.
Museums – Often overlooked, museums usually have large meeting halls reserved for meeting and events. These meeting rooms can be a bit pricey if in a popular downtown area, but most museums that are in smaller towns or a bit out of the way can give you fantastic rates. It also gives your guests something to do between the ceremony and the reception. Guests can wander around the exhibits while you’re out getting pictures taken.
Library – A very rare place to get married, but nevertheless, large libraries will usually have meeting halls that would be ideal for a wedding reception. Just be sure to check out their rules on catering, alcohol, and party rentals.
Country Clubs – A great place to get married and have a reception! Not only can you have an outdoor wedding amongst the beauty of nature and green grass, but you’ll probably find a great place with ample facilities for your reception. Most golf clubhouses are built for large events and will book your wedding without a problem. See if they will give you a discount for booking both your ceremony and reception. Golf courses will also usually have many of the rentals, a full staff, and their own caterer. Just make sure that you like the caterer that they use!
Botanical Gardens or Greenhouses – What could be more beautiful than getting married in a botanical garden? Botanical gardens often have spectacular areas set up for large parties, weddings, cocktail hours, and other events. They are usually run by non-profit organizations so they won’t be taking a huge profit from the price.
Catering Halls, Hotels – The obvious choice and usually the most expensive, but catering halls and hotels definitely win the “easy” points when deciding on a place to book. Boutique hotels may be an interesting and money saving alternative to big chain hotels that won’t come down in price. Look for family owned hotels that would be willing to work with you and your budget.
Vineyards – If you are lucky enough to live in an area with a lot of vineyards, then definitely get a price on how much it would cost to have a wedding there. Large vineyards often hold concerts and big gala events, so why not price it out? They may be a little more on the expensive side plus you’ll have to import all of your party rentals, but the end result might be worth it. Don’t forget to check the weather on an outdoor location such as this!
High-End Urban Loft – If you live in a city and have some rich friends with a great pad, then ask them if they would rent their space out for your reception! A roof-top wedding followed by a chic reception inside an urban loft could be a great alternative for the wedding with a guest list under 70 people. There are tons of creative ways to decorate and offer food and seating inside different apartments and houses.
Theaters and Performance Halls – Imagine getting married on stage! Some theaters offer wedding packages that are both affordable and you can have the ceremony and reception right there. The seating is already built in – so no need for chair rentals! Old historic theaters or very new and modern theaters would probably offer the best ambiance for a wedding.
Colleges – your college may very well allow you to get married on the campus chapel and even have a reception on the grounds. Obviously summer would be a better time for this, especially if it’s a small campus.
Beach – Oh yes, the beach – check out our full article on beach weddings here.
A Tent Rental, Anywhere – Got any interesting places of your own to get married? A backyard, on the river, in a park, a closed down road are all viable places to get married or hold a reception.