Philadelphia venue- 200 people, NOT A BALLROOM!

Hi Christine.... I am in the same boat. 200 people with a budget of 20K. I looked into most of the venues suggested above and they won't be anywhere near your budget. I did extensive research. The best I could do is the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr ($2500 rental for a Friday) with Williamson Catering. We got our per person cost down to $88 (includes venue rental, buffet dinner, open bar, tax, gratuity).

Baldwin isn't in the city but it is right across the street from the train station which allows for easy transportation if your guests prefer to stay downtown. It is a pretty unique venue; it was the original Bryn Mawr Hotel, built in the 1920's. It has nice indoor and outdoor (porch) space for the cocktail reception.

Look into the John James Audubon Center. If you choose a Friday/Sunday wedding (or even off season) you might be able to stay around that budget. The venue is beautiful. It has that rustic outdoorsy feel to it. Definitely has the "unconventional" feel as you described. They are catered by Jeffrey Miller Catering and all of the food we tried at the tasting was delicious!

Good luck!

We are getting married in July at the John James Audubon Center- it’s gorgeous and can fit a good sized group. The caterer associated with the John James Audubon Center is Jeffery Miller Catering, and that’s one of the best parts! The food is delicious and fresh! Jeffery Miller Catering also does a lot of venues in the Philly area you can look into, MOYO, Philly Raquet Club, Wilkenweir, Etc...check them out!

Hi Christine! Congrats on your engagement! Given your budget and what you're looking for, I would definitely recommend The American Swedish History Museum by JAM Catering. The venue itself is GORGEOUS, with indoor and outdoor settings to utilize. Also, if you can be flexible with the day of the week, they offer discounted rates for Fridays and Sunday weddings! Last thing - JAM Catering group is amazing, they use fresh locally grown ingredients, nothing is ever frozen and it is all prepared right on-site the day of your wedding and they have a few different venues they run in the Philly/burb/South Jersey area that are all beautiful. I'm just partial to ASHM Good luck!!!