Ideas for very small wedding (Elizabeth, Morristown: to rent, house, weddings)
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My fiance and I are looking to get married in September/October of this year. We have been trying to brainstorm & I figured I would try to post on here to get any tips or ideas from my fellow Jersians. It will be immediate family only, 15-18 people altogether. We are looking for a nice little spot to say our I do's, & then just have a quiet sit down dinner. I am looking into renting a gazebo at parks in NJ for an hour & then we can go to dinner from there-it seems nice now but I am worried about not having an alternative option if the weather is bad. I was looking into package deals at B&B's (especially down the shore, there seem to be a lot of those) but most of them either have a minimum requirement higher than our guest list or they charge too much (almost $5k for 15 people?). We are also considering the 'back yard' option at my parents house, but I'm not crazy about the layout of their yard & I don't know how accommodating it would be. I don't want to just go to some court house, either. If anyone can give any advice I would appreciate it
My fiance and I are looking to get married in September/October of this year. We have been trying to brainstorm & I figured I would try to post on here to get any tips or ideas from my fellow Jersians. It will be immediate family only, 15-18 people altogether. We are looking for a nice little spot to say our I do's, & then just have a quiet sit down dinner. I am looking into renting a gazebo at parks in NJ for an hour & then we can go to dinner from there-it seems nice now but I am worried about not having an alternative option if the weather is bad. I was looking into package deals at B&B's (especially down the shore, there seem to be a lot of those) but most of them either have a minimum requirement higher than our guest list or they charge too much (almost $5k for 15 people?). We are also considering the 'back yard' option at my parents house, but I'm not crazy about the layout of their yard & I don't know how accommodating it would be. I don't want to just go to some court house, either. If anyone can give any advice I would appreciate it
Have you looked into the possibility of having it at Schooly's Mt. Park? Morris County Park Commission Schooley's Mountain County Park It is a beautiful location not far from your home. An added plus is that not only is it a gorgeous setting for an outdoor ceremony, it also has the lodge in case of inclement weather as well as covered picnic area. The county park system does take reservations for special events such as weddings, I am not sure of the cost, but do know it is much more reasonable than similar private locations (banquet halls, caterers, etc.) I have have attended events there and they allow outside caterers to come in to provide food. (at least they have allowed it in the past, the last event I attended there was a few years ago).
Another option not to far from you is having the small ceremony at Hurd Park in Dover. http://doverhistoricalsociety.com/fi...aprogram05.jpg They have a beautiful pergola like structure that is frequently used for such events, as well as being very popular for photographs for special events. I know you do have to reserve the space in advance. I do not think you could have the reception there, but you can always have the reception nearby.
Also check out your local community service orgs, Volunteer fire and rescue squads, VFW or Am. Legion posts, as they also rent out their locations, and usually are quite reasonable in cost.
If you do your dinner at Rod's, you can take extra wedding pictures on the grounds of Fairleigh Dickinson University right next door. This is also a very pretty setting. From what I am reading, you can not have the actual ceremony there or rent campus facilities for the reception unless you or the groom are alumni, but you can get a permit (for free) to take pictures. I'm not sure, but it's probably the same for College of St. Elizabeth and Drew University, which are both also right next door, and both also have very picturesque settings. Maybe that's another tip for you...if you went to college somewhere with a pretty campus, that's another possibility for a place to have the ceremony, take pictures and rent facilities for the reception.
As for a package/indoor deal for some place where you wouldn't have to worry about inclement weather, here are some suggestions:
I don't know where you live, but the South Mountain reservation is beautiful and they are in the midst of expanding it and are almost done with an area where there are boats and fountains and I think a gazebo. I just looked it up and it's a restaurant, actually, called McLoone's Boathoouse. Worth checking out.
If you like theater, the Paper Mill Playhouse has a great little restaurant called the Carriage House and I think the theater is dark at least until mid September, and you might catch Tony Danza in rehearsal as he will be starring in Honeymoon in Vegas.
NYC is always a great option.
Lambertville is so adorable--lots of small and charming spaces there.
Wow thank you for the great ideas! Koala, I was actually just starting to look into Schooly's Mt, thanks!.
The problem with a lot of B&B's is that they charge a flat rate for vows & dinner, & for 15 people it can be $4k-$5500, for the minimum. I just feel that is overpriced.
There is a lodge north of New Hope in PA, they can do the vows & the food, & they charge $75/pp. I don't think that's too bad, but I guess it depends on if there are 'extras' too.
September and October are considered peak season for weddings. You might be able to get a better deal at the B&Bs later in Oct or early November when fewer people are trying to book with them.
Wow thank you for the great ideas! Koala, I was actually just starting to look into Schooly's Mt, thanks!.
The problem with a lot of B&B's is that they charge a flat rate for vows & dinner, & for 15 people it can be $4k-$5500, for the minimum. I just feel that is overpriced.
There is a lodge north of New Hope in PA, they can do the vows & the food, & they charge $75/pp. I don't think that's too bad, but I guess it depends on if there are 'extras' too.
i think the lodge charges a flat rate of $75. a really good deal.
There is a lodge north of New Hope in PA, they can do the vows & the food, & they charge $75/pp. I don't think that's too bad, but I guess it depends on if there are 'extras' too.
That sounds like a reasonable option and a great location. My wife and I had a traditional Catholic ceremony at our parish but our reception was at Peddler's Village just outside of New Hope. We had a larger wedding than yours but still small (85 people) by today's standards and they handled everything for $90 a person. You might look there also-they might be able to offer a better price for a smaller group.
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