About me:
- Originally from NYC
- FH from Central NJ
- Currently living in Central NJ - New Brunswick area
Ideal wedding size:
50-60 guests
Time of Year:
I am not focused on a particular time of year, but rather finding the right venue first and then figuring out a date from there. I also don't mind a longer engagement for the sake of the right venue.
Ideal Venue Type:
Alternative venue - vineyard, brewery, barn house, industrial loft, garden, rooftop... just about anything that is not the cheesy banquet hall / country club / golf club venues with mediocre everything. I am looking for something intimate, charming, food focused (preferably farm-to-table), and with lots of natural decor/ambiance.
I know given the small guest count, a restaurant might be an easy suggestion, and while I am not completely opposed to it, what turns me off to the restaurant idea is that I feel like it loses the formality of a wedding. I hate the idea of walking through the main dining room in a wedding dress to get to the private events room in the back. I would however, consider a restaurant that has a private entrance, and grounds to hold the ceremony on site as well.
Ideal venue location:
- Central/Northern NJ
(Not opposed to south jersey for the right venue, but if given the choice, I would prefer to be mindful of the commute for my family that will be coming from NY)
- Greater Philadelphia Area
- NY's Rockland, Westchester, Long Island Counties. Also, NYC, but I don't have high hopes in finding what I am looking for in a mega-city, except for maybe a rooftop venue, but I'm sure that also comes at a pretty penny.
Benchmark Venues:
- Terrain Devon - I love that the venue is rustic yet has a formal and modern edge. however, their headcount minimum for Saturdays is almost double my ideal party size. (Their Glenn Mills location has slightly lower guest count minimums and the venue is beautiful in its own right, but might be a tad too rustic for me)
https://www.instagram.com/terrain_events/
- Jardin de Buis - Unfortunately, they no longer host weddings. What a shame, it's such a beautiful venue with an amazing garden landscape!
https://www.venuereport.com/venue/jardin-de-buis/
Budget:
I am still at the very beginning stages and trying to figure out the "going rate" before pigeon hole-ing myself with something unrealistic.
For reference, Terrain Devon has a pretty inclusive package for ceremony, cocktail hour, plated farm-to-table dinner, premium open bar, dessert platter, s'mores around a fire pit (minus entertainment, florals, cake, transportation, etc.) for $140 pp + site fee, so I'm using that as a benchmark for the time being, but of course, the more reasonable, the better.
Other things on my wish list:
- All-inclusive or mostly inclusive - I don't mind a BYOB policy, but I'd like a venue that is able to provide catering, linens, silverware, furniture etc. I'd like to keep the logistics and costs as streamlined as possible therefore, I shy away from raw spaces.
Problems I'm running into:
- Beautiful venue, but is a raw space
- Outrageous site fees
- Headcount minimums are higher than my ideal party size - I know that Fridays & Sundays typically have lower minimums, but I would prefer to narrow my search to venues that can meet a 50-60 person wedding on a Saturday before settling on a Friday or Sunday.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. My aim is to provide a high quality experience for a small group rather than a mediocre experience for a larger group. Quality over quantity. Something that is "reasonable" - whatever that means. (I know that's an arbitrary statement).
Hopeful that my perfect venue is out there,
Grace
