Choosing a Wedding Venue that is Budget Friendly

Your choice of venue for your ceremony and reception can set the theme for your wedding as well as make your wedding unique. It’s really hard to make any other concrete plans for the wedding until you have the venue booked, so it’s a decision that needs to be made as soon as possible.

If you want a different type of venue, locations that are popular wedding venues often come with huge price tags. When you are working with a limited budget it often is worth your time to scope out non-traditional locations.

Here are some ideas to get you started in finding a unique location that will fit in your budget.

• Local botanical gardens or arboretum
• Friends or relatives homes with nice gardens for outside weddings
• Local parks
• Art galleries
• Lakeside or mountain cabins
• Area historic sites, including historic homes
• Vineyards
• Harbors or other waterfront locations
• State or National parks
• Museums
• Barns, don’t laugh some of the most beautiful wedding pictures I have ever seen were from a wedding that was held in a barn
• Local clubs that may rent their facilities
• Is there a college nearby that has pretty buildings?
• Local community centers or recreation centers
• Bed and Breakfast Inns, often the grounds are beautifully landscaped and perfect for an outdoor ceremony.

I hope this list will help you think outside the box and find the possibilities in your area. Many times these non-traditional venues can be rented for little to nothing saving you big money on your wedding budget.

One thing you need to keep in mind if you choose to hold your wedding outdoors is to make sure that you have a backup plan if the weather doesn’t cooperate. When my daughter got married, she chose a local historic home that is available for weddings, and the ceremony was held outside, but there was space available and plans were in place if we needed to hold the wedding inside. If the backup plan involves an alternate location, this should be noted on the wedding invitations. Keep in mind, it is much easier for all involved if the location chosen can be used rain or shine.

Make sure whatever venue you choose that you pay the deposit if required and get something in writing confirming all details of the rental for your particular date.