Reception Ideas

[Jennifer2005]

Does anyone have any ideas for a place to have a reception that does not cost a fortune? My fiance thinks the VFW hall is tacky. A park would be nice but they don't allow alcohol in the parks in PA and his family is very much into having alcohol at parties. Suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Jen

[cdmp2577]

I am also thinking about having my wedding reception at a VFW post. If your area have a American Legion call them & community center.

[kelcies]

I don't think the VFW is tacky at all. It is very cost effective and once you decorate it will look like any other location.

We will be having our reception at the local Casino near my parents place. Most of our guests are from out of town and we don't want anyone to drive home afterwards. They gave us a better deal than ANYWHERE else!

If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

good luck,
kelcie-stumbo@excite.com

[bjmy1975]

Our reception and my future sister in laws reception are both being held on our local UW college ***pus. We get the catering and setup right along with it. It seems very economical to us. We don't really have to set up anything. They already have tons of stuff like candles and linens and decorations to use. We just decide what we want and they take care of it. We couldn't beat that deal!

[Sarah]

I am the matron of honor at a wedding in August. The bride's grandparents belong to the local country club, so she checked there about the reception. I always thought this was a very hoity-toity place and would cost a fortune, but it was actually very reasonable....$3000 covers catering for a full sit-down dinner for 100, waiters, decorating, DJ, photographer, and limo service thrown in. Considering what some of these items would cost alone, this was an excellent price! Maybe you have something like this in your area? A community center might also have a large room that you could rent. Some even have adjoining kitchens. But be careful....that's where I had mine and there were some unforeseen issues. We'd been to see the site several times and never noticed (or else they were new) the many holes punched through the walls of the room! :eek: The morning of the wedding, my mother was frantically cutting out little hearts in our colors to put up on the walls and cover them! Good luck.

[kanaelili]

Jennifer,
I am on a small budget too. I know it is still possible to have the wedding of your dreams with a little cash. Check out websites of local state parks or depending on where you live county beaches. It is a nominal fee plus many outdoor areas already have a ton of foliage so you won't have to spend so much on flowers. Some even already have picnic tables and people to work with you.

[Boston914]

We are looking to have an outdoor wedding and indoor reception next May and have founf some very beautiful places for well under 10,000. Any place that specializes in wedding packages is good but also restuaunts that have banquet facilities. We found one right on the Los Angeles Harbor that also does rooftop weddings over looking the harbor and the Queen Mary boat. Historical sites and colleges that have cooking programs can also run cheap and look beautiful. Good Luck!- :p

[Hawaiian Bride]

I also live in Pa, and I am having my wedding at the Country Club where I live. But the last wedding that I was at, their reception was at Victoria Inns and Suites. They had a huge banquet hall, and the out of town guests could then stay at the hotel (with a discount). They did the table centers, cake, decorations, all food stuff, alcohol, and everything! I don't know how much exactly it was, but it's just an idea!

[kde175]

Hi,

What part of PA are you in? My fiancee and I are getting married next week in the Pittsburgh Area and I am the Matron of Honor in another Western PA wedding in September. I may have some suggestions for you.

Tina

[Hawaiian Bride]

Hi,

What part of PA are you in? My fiancee and I are getting married next week in the Pittsburgh Area and I am the Matron of Honor in another Western PA wedding in September. I may have some suggestions for you.

Tina


My mother and sister and some other family live out in Washington, PA.. which is pretty close to Pittsburgh. And I am from Selinsgrove, PA (which is about 50 miles north of Harrisburg). If you know of the area, then maybe you can help me decide where to put that darn cake!! ~*~Amber~*~

[PrincessAngel01]

Well, my for my wedding, we got the reception hall for 6 hours, plus an hour before to set up. For $300.00 plus $100.00 deposit (get back after reception). My mom found out about that place through friends. The food me and my family are going to do. The gifts, I'm making, I do these candle things with the wedding color beads on them, with flowers, they are really nice. Plus some calla lily soaps, as well. Each have a different scent on them. All that I think might have cost me 70.00 if that.

[denagrl]

I am still having trouble planning my reception but as far as wedding favors (http://www.favorwarehouse.com) go I have found www.favorwarehouse.com. They have the best favors at the best prices. You should check them out. Its never too early to get the favors!

[Sam&David]

Having it at a VFW is not tacky at all. At the moment, our ceremony/reception is booked for one spot, at a recreation center across town. Got the room with a kitchen for $75, from 8pm to 9pm the night before the wedding to set up, then from 9am to 5pm the day of the wedding. Couldn't beat that price anywhere.
But now........we may have it at the fire department. My fiance is a volunteer firefighter, and the chief said yes to having the wedding at the fire station....for FREE!! :D But there is a cute little country church down the road so we may have the ceremony there and the reception at the fire station.

But try local state parks, a friends back yard, recreation centers, town halls sometimes have large banquet rooms, hotels, try librarys they normally have large rooms, a civic center......etc.....

You said your fiance's family would expect drinking, how about having the wedding during the day, so alcohol is not really an issue for that time of day, then have a "party" for family memebers and the wedding party at your house or at a club? I'm thinking of doing that..........have the wedding during the day, and then having a dinner/party at our house that night for out of town guests/family/wedding party.

good luck!

[Yvette]

I am having my wedding at the club house where my daughter lives. It's actually the rental office but they rent it out too. It's only 250.00 for the entire day. It's not big or fancy. Which makes me very nervous to see how the heck I'm going to do it. I'm having a sit down dinner too with like 6 waiters. But, heck I'll make it work.. :confused:

[MARCIA313]

Does anyone have any ideas for a place to have a reception that does not cost a fortune? My fiance thinks the VFW hall is tacky. A park would be nice but they don't allow alcohol in the parks in PA and his family is very much into having alcohol at parties. Suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Jen
I WAS THINKING ABOUT HAVING MY RECEPTION IN MY MOMS BACKYARD TO SAVE MONEY BECAUSE HER BACKYARD IS BIG, BUT SOMETHING DURING THE DAY SO WE WONT HAVE TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON FOOD WE WOULD JUST HAVE FINGER FOODS AND A CAKE....... BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BIG RECEPTION AND A SMALL WEDDING

[reecey]

I am having my wedding at the club house where my daughter lives. It's actually the rental office but they rent it out too. It's only 250.00 for the entire day. It's not big or fancy. Which makes me very nervous to see how the heck I'm going to do it. I'm having a sit down dinner too with like 6 waiters. But, heck I'll make it work.. :confused:


I look at the "not fancy" thing as a blessing! It means that you can really make it your own with decorations. The place I'm having my reception at has white walls and a concrete floor. The only "nice" attribute is large brick fireplace. This gives me the ability to turn the room into anything I want :)

[Yvette]

I look at the "not fancy" thing as a blessing! It means that you can really make it your own with decorations. The place I'm having my reception at has white walls and a concrete floor. The only "nice" attribute is large brick fireplace. This gives me the ability to turn the room into anything I want :)

You are sooooo right. any room with a fire place can be made so romantic. I found a chruch to have the ceremony. All I have to do is go tomorrow to sign whatever it is they need and then I can go back to party city and redo my invitations. They said they would give me 50% off. Hopefully my invitation will be out my next weekend. I hope. Pary City said they will rush them. It's only the main one, everything else is still good and ready to go. I knew that If I didn't panic everything was going to work out.

[hinman2b]

I had a friend get married a few years back, and she held her reception in the county municipal building. Just a thought...