5k Budget, ny or Tristate Area Venue Search

How many guests? And 5k for just the venue or for everything?

5K For everything (will have to incorporate alot of DIY), and we want to keep our guest list to a max of 100.

We are having a 5k budget and so far we are on track and under! We were able to fine a venue for $900, its an old historic building that's open to the public most days and can be rented for weddings. I would suggest doing a lot of research and maybe have to settle for something that's kind of rough around the edges but decorations can fix that right up! Maybe find a park and rent a tent, that has a somewhat magical feel to me. I do live in a small town in Minnesota so I understand prices can very greatly. ( I'm just going to warn you I made a post like this and basically got ripped apart by people saying it can't be done, but I'm here to tell you IT CAN BE DONE, just do your research.)

Good luck girl!

I am also from NY and it is near impossible to have a wedding for that amount. I suggest you do a few things: think about your guest list (you should try to keep it as small as possible), look at VFW's, Knight of Columbus, or any other small catering hall. I have heard of some venues offering a $10k package deal for 100 guests which includes everything, but it's few and far between. You may also want to reach out to some local restaurants and see what they offer. Congrats and good luck!

View Quoted Comment Thank you so much for the advice! I definitely saw some discouraging replies in other discussions regarding to smaller budget weddings. But you're right, it takes a bit more research, work, and dedication to make it all work.

View Quoted Comment Thank you for the advice, will keep that in mind. 👌🏾

I also love in NY and when searching for wedding venues it was really difficult to find something affordable. Some were asking $8-12K just to rent the venue. I didn't look at knights of Columbus or VFWs as that is not what I had envisioned. Sorry I'm not much help, just sharing my experience. Best of luck

View Quoted Comment I second this. I live in NYC & no matter how hard I searched for a venue that’s not absurdly expensive, I found absolutely nothing close to $5k for 100 people, with food/drinks included. In NYC even churches charge a small fortune for just a ceremony lol. I also looked on LI & upstate NY, it’s also way more than $5k for 100 people.

I didn’t look in NJ or other nearby states/areas, so I would recommend to maybe focus on those areas. I agree that the cost will be driven mainly by the size of your guest list, so maybe you can revisit that. Good luck!

Can you have your wedding reception in the same church you’re having your ceremony? At my church there’s a really large room that people hold receptions at all the time!

I recommend you look at public places, such as parks, city shelters or pavilions.

Unfortunately, I dont think its possible to have a full bells and whistles wedding reception in NYC for 100 ppl at $5k. (As someone who also lives in high COLA area). If you want everything (caterer, venue, dress, photographer, florist) then cut your guest list to under 50. OR cut other things: alcohol, photographer, florist etc. You're biggest costs are food, alcohol and venue so secure those before planning anything else. At $5k, you have less then $40 per person for those three things including tax and tip. You can absolutely get married and have a lovely wedding without all those things. But if you want to stay at $5k in NYC, something will need to give.

We are from PA and spending well over 5k so I', sure for New York that's next to impossible to accomplish. Have you checked out Jersey? Idk how deep you are into NY.

If you don’t mind having a dry wedding, most state parks can be rented out for really cheap. If you’re near the Hudson valley I suggest looking at Bowdoin Park, they have gorgeous views of the Hudson, a playground for children, and you can rent out their pavilions. You can also save by doing a potluck if you want. I recommend a grocery store for the cake, their delicious and gorgeous but cheap. I hope this helps, good luck!

Hi there! I live in NYC, FH lives in New Jersey. I’ve done a ton of research and can agree with some of the ladies, you won’t get by with 5k for 100 people. Also lots of places have food & beverage minimums. I would look at Westchester or maybe even PA.

Thank you everyone for your advice and input, it really helps!

I live in NYC and my venue alone was more than $5000. But for some venues the date/time/season can impact what the cost would be.

NYC Budget bride here. After doing tons of research, I decided with a restaurant with a private ballroom. Another option is to get a rental hall and diy everything and have food catered.

I haven’t heard of anything in NYC, however I do live in NJ with about a 15 minute commute to NY- but since I do live so close to NY things are a bit pricey here in Northern Jersey, would you be interested in traveling a bit further I know in some parts of Southern Jersey aren’t as expensive and if you were to cut down your guest list you can probably hit your 5k budget just for the venue. Hope this helps, best of luck!

View Quoted Comment Forget Westchester, some of the highest prices next right behind Manhattan. I live in Weetchester and had to find a venue a little further north. NY weddings are expensive period. No way around it.

Like a PP said if then church can allow you to host the reception there. Some areas have community halls and community centers. Which are less expensive. 5k wedding in NY is tight because EVERYTHING is more expense here. Food, drinks, rentals. Just everything. The best way to save a budget is cutting the Guestlist. Good luck.