How Do I Pull Off a Public Park Evening Wedding??

Once you add up all of the stuff you'll have to rent it probably won't be inexpensive anymore

It's going to end up costing more than a venue. And will be a planning nightmare.

It would probably make more sense to get a venue that does all of it for you.

I know a park wedding sounds amazing, but as others have said, it will probably cost much more than a traditional venue.

I live in San Diego but am getting married in VA. But if I was getting married here, I'd do it at Mt Woodson Castle. It's all inclusive. There's also the Grand Tradition in Fallbrook.

Basically I'd look in North County.

We're getting married at Marina Village. It's very affordable, has views of the harbor, and they have several sized rooms based on your wedding party. Plus you can bring in your own caterer and bar supplies (the cheapest way to an open bar!)

No....just no........when you add all of this up?

no.

Another thing to consider with parks are noise constraints. Often you are not allowed amplified sound. Also, there can be climate issues, what if it rains, is windy or gets really hot or cold etc. Doing estimates and cost comparisons of different options and thinking out all of the logistics is important at the early part of wedding planning. I looked into a park wedding initially and came across all these things, as well as parking issues. I was going to need to find an outside parking lot and pay for transportation to get guests in. It became a logistical headache.

I say steer away from that. All I see is dollar signs and a headache.

Not to mention the nightmare that is parking in San Diego. I've never been to that park, but does it have enough spaces for at least 100 cars?

Lovely idea, but like others have said could work out expensive, especially for that size guest list.. Unfortunately there is a reason why most people use venues, they have the costs and running of wedding down to a T. Perhaps there is a nice place near by that could allow you to have the ceremony outside, and have the reception inside, then you don't have the same logistically problems or maybe there is somewhere that can put up a marquee and then you have the best of both worlds and don't have to look after the extra bits yourself.

Another option is to have the ceremony in one place and the reception in another..I don't know if thats done much there but its quite normal here.

On the day you want as little hassle as possible! To me it sounds like the public park could poise a lot of trouble for you on the day.

I don't know, my fiance and I are having our reception in public garden venue. The actual garden venue rental was $150. The restrooms are a little expensive, because we opted for really nice trailor restrooms with air and music--for $1440. And yes, you do have to pay for a tent and chairs and tables, etc. However, it comes close to what we might have spent on a venue--just a little under, and we are in love with the garden. Every venue in our town has been used over and over. To us, this was worth it. It's really not more expensive than the venues we toured--especially considering that all of the venues had exclusive caterers. We definitely would have spent more through the venues we looked at. Our caterer really worked with our budget, and we were glad to be able to choose whoever we wanted. Plus, we can buy our own alcohol.

That being said, if you're going through a professional caterer, they can worry about keeping things cold and out of sight! We're having our reception start around 6:30/6:45, and this will be in late May. They'll figure out how to keep things cold, and we'll all eat and enjoy. Having a public city space wedding isn't the easiest choice, but it's still a good one!! Good luck!

We got married at a local garden club. Ceremony outside in the gardens, reception inside with A/C, restrooms, recommended caterer in venue's catering kitchen.

Some country clubs also have outdoor ceremony locations and then you'd have the reception inside.

FH and I are getting married at Old Poway in San Diego. It kind of is a big headache, but the team of vendors we hired is saving my life. We hired a design team (Excellent Designs, very budget friendly) to set up/take down as well as decorate the ceremony and reception. They are also making my bouquet and all personal flowers. Hire a caterer that is familiar with that park, our caterer even sent us pictures of the cater plans at other weddings at our exact venue. Our bartender is one of my cousins bartenders from work (he owns a bar in PB). Its very do-able throwing a park wedding if you do your research and stay organized.

Yes, It is a big headache. But the best part is, I will have a gorgeous wedding for 90 people, spending only $6,000.

Check out all the rules, most parks won't allow alcohol, have other restrictions (think decor) and will have noise restrictions. You will also have to keep in mind it is a public park and there isn't anything you can do to keep people out of the background.

FH and I were going to use his family's property in the middle of nowhere. Once all of the costs were added up, plus all of the awkward logistics for our guests, it was WAY more expensive than a "normal" venue in Seattle. Cheep and pretty look at buildings owned by the parks system. We found a 19th century fort for less, plus there are bathrooms and just enough outlets to make it work.

Good luck!

I considered a park wedding until they told me we couldn't have alcohol. Bye Felicia.

Typically when you have to bring in everything it actually ends up more expensive then just finding a venue that has more included. My venue had both indoor and outdoor space and came with tables and chairs, plus I rented my linens directly from them. This saved us a TON.

The only way park weddings really work out to be cheap is if you keep it really simple. Just chairs and simple decor. Then maybe have the dinner at a restaurant. Bringing in the stuff to have dinner in a park will cost a fortune.

Thanks so much everyone! Really appreciate your input. Yeah I think we've decided not to do the park because it might end up being too stressful, unless we fall in love with a place, that is. And then maybe it'd be worth it. The port parks in San Diego allow alcohol and let you party until 10:30pm which is awesome, plus they have a good bit of parking but again it's a public space and we'd need generators and security. We'll just have to keep looking. And I will check out Marina Village! Finding a place that lets you have your own caterer and alcohol, which is what we want, is a challenge. So I'm grateful for any suggestions. Thanks again!

Have you thought about cutting the guest list down substantially? Or holding it during the day? If you're really interested in the park I think that might be the best way to go about it. The thought of holding a wedding for 150 people at a public park just seems terrifying to me! 30-50 people, maybe. And if it's during the day, you might not need generators for lights, etc.