To venue or not .. feeling so lost !

Where I'm from "on the water" means the Mississippi. And you can get married there for $600. We considered it. But our moms were too worried about flooding, so we changed our minds.
I'm assuming with a 20k pricetag, you're closer to a great lake, ocean, or gulf.
Our venue is a little pricier than we wanted. But it's pretty, we love it, and it will hold our crowd.
Our photographer was my first priority.
Catering flexibility was also super important to us.
We sprung for a fancier party bus that I felt would go better with our venue vibe. (I'm really into cars.)
We also felt like we absolutely needed a dj.

Walk back from the cliff.
Most bodies of water are very large.
Maybe you can shorten that guest list by a lot and have a ceremony at a restaurant on the water.
Maybe there are other venues on that water.
Maybe there is a nearby different body of water that has venues on it.

There are probably dozens of venues you can choose from in your area. And they may offer sightlines of the water at a much lower price.

Shop around.

But... if you want to get married on the water... Mexico, Hawaii, the Bahamas, Jamaica, all have all inclusive resorts and are probably a lot cheaper than 20k.

Tell them you’re on budget and ask them about discounted rates for 1) off-season, 2) Sunday brunch, or 3) weekday evening.

We saved over 50% on site fees by having an off-season, weekday night wedding.

You should decide your budget and then thou can make decisions from there.

Hey Anna! Where are you based? You can check out the WeddingWire venue search in your area and filter for waterfront venues - Wedding Venues.

If you aren't having a big wedding, then perhaps you could check out Airbnb for properties that are near the water.

Hi Anna! Have you found an alternative venue for your wedding? There is certainly no need to worry!