Submitted by afenderstratocaster t3_yfr91u in vermont
I’m trying to plan an affordable wedding with a 60 person guest list (family included) within an hour driving distance from Burlington VT. Can anyone think of venues that could work with a 5K budget? Thank you so much. Any suggestions accepted. I know this will be a challenge 😅
I agree this is a math story problem without enough info.
Family had a reception at Elmore, it was a nice time. I agree
The Pit is free! I think you can rent McDonald's lobbies for super cheap too
Oh great, will they cater too?
That is the upside to McDonald's. You can get a hamburder buffet for cheap. The Taco Bell in The Pit is still pending.
What time of year? There are a lot of State Parks that could fit the bill and the venue/day use fees are very affordable. (I think the big, purpose-built venues at Kingsland Bay are the exception.)
We had ours at Mt. Philo, and our cost for the venue ended up being under $500 for the Lodge rental and day-use fees for our guests. Ranger Pam was awesome to work with and you can't ask for a better spot for photos. Depending on if you want a "mountain" or "lake" wedding there are a few options that could work, as far as the distance and facilities.
Mt. Philo is so pretty! Seconding this suggestion.
Thirding it. And adding Old Lantern Barn for reception.
Some towns have rec halls or communal spaces they can rent out for cheap. My cousin has his wedding at the Westford brick meeting house, with the ceremony in the former white church on the other side of the common and saved a bunch of money over other sites.
The Keene public library has a gorgeous space to rent for $150. Full kitchen. I just took a tour (I’m a librarian) and my jaw was in the floor when she opened the door to the hall.
You can rent out areas of Vermont state parks fairly cheaply. I haven’t looked too far into it, but it’s only around $200 for the day on the weekends. You could also do Mt Philo State park for the wedding ceremony and rent out a hall of some sort with your remaining budget. You won’t have much wiggle room for food, but I’d say this option is your most budget friendly.
If you rent out the Lodge, you can have the reception right on site -- that's what we did. The only thing to note with this option is that you'll either need your guests to do a true BYOB or hire a bartending service. You can't do the "bring a bunch of coolers" at the State Parks.
Old Lantern is close by. I went to wedding there recently.
Kingsland Bay State Park or Mt. Philo State Park.
State Park. DAR is in Addison county. You can rent a stone pavilion with nice bathrooms for a few hundred. This location is right on the water
I've seen more than a few weddings at park picnic shelters, they're usually easy to reserve.
Button Bay State Park has a big pavilion you can rent as well.
The boathouse in Burlington is reasonable too as it is city owned and the sunsets are perfect for those wedding photos. Kingsland Bay State Park rents for the whole weekend for $2,500. It rents daily if during the week for much cheaper. My daughter just had her wedding there and it was such a special setting. Best wishes
Late summer early fall! A a barn wedding would be wonderful if it’s possible
Many event barns around Burlington are going for around $5000-6000, and many of them require caterers/bartenders (if you’re serving alcohol) that are insured/accredited.
Twiggs in St. Albans did a party for us with 35 guests about eight years ago and it came to $20 a plate and then the back room I believe was $500 for four hours. I'm sure the prices have increased since then, but it may work.
We got married at Catamount Country Club in January and were able to get an off-season discount. Might be worth checking out.
I got a telemarketing call from them recently. That reason enough to avoid imo.
Fair enough. Probably would've avoided them too if we knew they did that at the time.
My friend rented out the champlain sailing center deck for under $5k and it was a beautiful wedding. Peak summer on waterfront. A hidden gem.
Check out Zenbarn or West Monitor Barn as well. A lot is going to depend on time of year with these locales.
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The Pit in Burlington should be inexpensive right now
Check out- ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. I think you can rent it for weddings.
Mansfield Barn in Jericho
St John’s Club. I haven’t done it for weddings but for other events and it’s very affordable.
Sleepy Hollow in Huntington is probably a bit more than that but the accommodation package they offer might make it worth it. It was 6 years ago that we used it so I don’t have current deets.
Second CSC deck — it’s quite nice. Parking can be a little tight at the waterfront but should be doable.
Unique-Public-8594 t1_iu4twu6 wrote
Questions: Time of year? outdoor or church? Wedding only or wedding and reception for $5,000? One location for ceremony/reception or two or either?
One idea: wedding on Elmore State Park beach, reception under tent at a rental property (AirBnB with lawn) on Lake Elmore.