I need some inexpensive reception venue ideas!!

Look into city-owned venues. Ours is at an old mill on a river that the city purchased and built a beautiful event venue next to in order to raise money to restore the mill. It's costing us $1000 to rent out for the night, and it's nicer than a lot of other venues I looked at that cost three times that much.

Try museums too!

Try parks or gardens that might have a gazebo or pavilion where you could hold the reception.

Check out smaller country clubs, government owned parks, pavillions, art museums, etc. any place where you will have your own catering options to lessen the cost.

Ok.... what about this? It's a local pub that is downtown on our "strip" so to speak... guests would have to park in a parking garage about a block away (for $1---which we could easily tie into some sort of favor given away at the ceremony).... The bar is two stories, and the entire second floor (in the photos) would be closed off to the public and set aside for our reception.

http://www.jackquinnspub.com/mainpages/banquetattic.htm

http://www.jackquinnspub.com/assets/pdf/jackquinnbanquetinfo2010.pdf

I LOVE it, Katy!

I'm trying to keep our reception/catering around $2000 for about 65 people... This seems to work well. I'm not crazy about everyone having to park downtown in a parking garage, but you know, gotta do what ya gotta do... I think this could be fun. and it seems to fit into our budget quite well!

Check your local country clubs and golf courses. Many are available for less than larger banquet halls. Hotels can have nice conference rooms, too.

The venue looks nice and the cost is right in your budget. I'm not sure how I feel about guest having to pay for parking. Maybe there's another lot you can find close by or work something out with the garage so it's not coming out of your guest pocket. Even if it's a dollar I personally just hate paying to park my car anywhere especially when it's NOT valet parking. Otherwise I say go for it.

Guests should not have to pay for parking.

Guests should not have to pay for parking.

I was thinking of attaching a crisp dollar bill to the programs at the ceremony (very informal so wouldn't be too tacky)