How much is too much?

[Flying_V_Goddess]

I'm trying to think of places I could have the reception (and possibility the actual wedding). Nick and I were at the Heidal House in Green Lake, WI (where my Dad's girlfriend works) for breakfast and they have a banquet hall and other facilities that can be used for weddings (the restaruant, a yacht, etc). So I asked Nancy how much it would cost to reserve "The Sun Room" (where they serve breakfast). $15,000!!! That's probably what my whole wedding will cost...and they want that much just to reserve it for the day. I didn't even ask about the banquet hall or the yacht.

But it got me thinking...how much is too much to rent out a place for the day to hold your reception? I know it varies from place to place, but what would be a fairly decent price range (or a percentage of how much of your wedding funds goes into reserving your reception area).

[JerAndKathy]

It really depends on, in your case, what that $15,000 gets you? Do you pay $15G for the room, nothing else? Or does that include the room & food? What about servers? Bar? Open or Cash? Cake? Cake cutting fee? There are soooo many variables...It all comes down to what you get for your money.

For us, reserving our reception SITE is 8% of ou budget, but food is on top of that. When it comes down to it, our site + food + waieters/servers is running just about 50% of our budget. That may be higher than most, but for us, it's important to...

1) Treat our guests to more than a home-cooked buffet
2) Have lots and lots of pics.

Soooo, we're putting a lot of our budget in those two areas.

[angie]

Just like Jer and Kathy, the food and use of my reception place is about half the cost of the whole wedding. This even includes honeymoon.

[Flying_V_Goddess]

I think its $15,000 just for reserving the room. I didn't ask if that included food or anything like that. She didn't make mention of it.

[purple_octopus]

My reception venue takes the deposit off the final tab, and the room is included in the per person cost of the food. There is no way I'd pay $15K just for the room rental. But then again, I'm cheap, so I wouldn't necessarily listen to me.

[Jade]

It must include more than that for 15k, unless its the most gorgeous place in the world. I'd ask more questions.

Our reception included the site, beer and wine, gorgeous food and decorations in the price, and it was about 50% of the budget if you include the honeymoon.

[Angela]

I can't imagine paying that much for just a reception site--that's about what our total budget was! Our reception cost us about $3,500, which was the cost of food and gratuity. There was no room rental fee, etc., which was one reason we decided to use them. And it was a pretty room :)

[sweetiez]

OMG i seriously could NOT even think of paying that much. normally reception halls for renting is 400-1000 dollars. depends on the place! and sometimes they will say ur renting fee is towards ur food and drink. if you go past so much ectect!!
and for food and drinks.. that all depends how much you want to pay and what kind of food and drinks you want ect ect which most places will ask how much you are wanting to spend and will work with you in fact!. most are around 5,00 is normal. but no way 15 grand thats like my whole wedding their NUTS! it has to be more then just renting i bet that includes food and them decorating it. if it didn't its a total RIP OFF!!! run away NOW!! :D

[Flying_V_Goddess]

It must include more than that for 15k, unless its the most gorgeous place in the world. I'd ask more questions.

It actually is pretty nice. The room we had breakfast in (which you can rent out) has huge windows that face the lake and its just gorgeous. Its also a fancy hotel/restaruant type deal, too. But 15k does sound too much for my tastes (and checkbook)

[Jade]

Yeah, but pretty nice doesn't equal 15k. The walls would have to be gold plated for me to pay that for just a room.

My reception room was AMAZING, and it was no-where near that price.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y5/jadechristy/Wedding%20Pics/JD389Medium.jpg

[Flying_V_Goddess]

That's kind of what it looks like.

What did you pay for the beautiful place?

[MsJessica07]

We're getting our place for the entire day for $1200 for the day, and it's the entire building!

As for budget, our place is about 8% of the budget...the food accounts for about 50%, so we're about average.

[septbride]

wow! that's expensive. I don't think my entire wedding plus honeymoon will cost that much!

[Jade]

That's kind of what it looks like.

What did you pay for the beautiful place?

Just bear in mind that I'm not in the US.We paid $100 pp (plus tax) which included a MASSIVE buffet, unlimited wine and beer, hireage of the room for 5 hours, silver service for the bridal party. So for 75 people, it worked out to about $8,000.
So it was expensive, but no-where near what you're place is asking.

[km]

:computer:


2006 Average Wedding Cost

On average, U.S. couples spend $27,690 for their wedding. This does not include cost for a honeymoon, engagement ring, bridal consultant or wedding planner. Understanding average wedding cost now can help you with your wedding budget later.
You should note that wedding cost can very widely and this is just an estimate of what couples will likely spend.


Current Wedding Cost by Category
Wedding Attire

$2,606

Wedding Ceremony

$2,525

Wedding Favors & Gifts

$1,121

Wedding Flowers

$1,969

Wedding Jewelry

$2,066

Wedding Music

$953

Wedding Photography & Video

$3,688

Wedding Reception

$14,169

Wedding Stationery

$847

Wedding Transportation

$410






:dust:

[Deidre98]

I think it depends on what you are getting for $15k. My reception site with food, beverages, and rental is going to be about $10k.

[JerAndKathy]

On average, U.S. couples spend $27,690 for their wedding. This does not include cost for a honeymoon, engagement ring, bridal consultant or wedding planner.

Just curious, where are you citing these numbers from?

[km]

Just curious, where are you citing these numbers from?


:computer:

these are the average numbers for weddings costs.

:dust:

[Kari]

We had an entire Victorian Mansion and gardens, food, open bar, DJ, ceremony, cake and officiant for about $5k.

Of course, that was the price for 50 people.

[soulmates]

Our reception hall is beautiful and includes the food and is nowhere near that much. For me that would be too much to even consider it.

[JerAndKathy]

Precisely why I think those averages are insane. It lumps all of us $5-7,000 wedding folks in with the Hollywoods and Wannabewoods and then averages them. Well, yeah, a 5mill wedding will drive that average through the roof and make "the average cost of a wedding is your first born child"...

Cost of weddings and is it too much or not is based on national averages. It's based on local prices. If three different reception halls in your area are all in the $1,000 ballpark, but the next one says $4,000 and it's a smaller place, and doesn't provide this or that like the other places do...Then yes, it's too much. However, if all of the reception halls in your area are $4,000 and offer pretty much the same line of services...Then no, $4,000 isn't too much.

If it is too much for you (not generally too much, but too much for YOU), then look in a neighboring city and then weigh the options of your guests travel time vs the saved cost.

[Deidre98]

The other thing that those averages don't take into consideration is that a $5k wedding in the midwest is equal to a $15-$20k wedding here in California.

[JerAndKathy]

Exactlty - when you ask youself "is that too much"...You have to look at local prices for the same product/service.

[*Ashley*]

$15,000 just to reserve the room is a bit much so I'm going to have to agree that that cannot be just to reserve the room. There are places down here that cost that much total. If you're getting in that all food and bar service I'd say that's really good depending on the size of wedding you're having. Ours will be a bit more than that (hopefully a little bit and not a big bit), because the reception is very important to us. That being said, we are hosting a wedding for 250+ guests with full open bar and we got a STEAL on our price -- we're making our money go a LONG way -- I'm not a good person to answer this because I'm planning a ridiculously large wedding (at least in my opinion).

It's just what is most important to you I think :) If the reception is not, then yeah, that's outrageous. However if it is and you're having a large wedding with a budget that will allow it, then do what you feel comforatable with. Every bride is different. :) I'm sure your wedding will be gorgeous no matter where you host your reception and no matter what the price. Since joining wedding boards I have seen som INCREDIBLE weddings where the budget was only $5K at the most and equally gorgeous ones that cost $40K+

Jade your site was incredible!

[Jade]

Thanks Ashley, I just fell in love with it!