Inexpensive Wedding Venues in the PNW
Budgeting for your big day can be more stressful than you bargained for. And shopping for bargains can be more stressful than their worth. Weddings are historically expensive, and nowadays the average cost floats between $15,000 and $20,000 per wedding! That’s an insane amount of money, even if you don’t have a tight budget. The top three expenses for any wedding are the dress, the food and the venue.
Now, there are lots of great ways to do all three of these on a budget. The dress could come second hand from a boutique and the food could be prepared by friends and family thus costing far less than hiring a caterer. In fact, I’ve written blogs that contain more info on both of these subjects. Venues, however, have not yet had they’re time in the budgeting sun; until today that is!
The Pacific Northwest is a big, beautiful, green (and sometimes gray), natural landscape that provides an excellent backdrop for a wedding. That said, people aren’t stupid (generally), and most venues have found ways to get top dollar for their venues. Now, there’s nothing wrong with doing good business, and often you will find that price correlates with looks, feel and quality when it comes to a wedding venue. However, this isn’t always the case and with venues costing upwards of $3,000-$4,000 for just one day, you may be left searching for a more affordable option. Never fear, I’m not talking about moving all the stuff out of your parent’s basement so that you can use that as your wedding venue (although if you know someone that has, I’d love to ask them how that went), I’m talking about some honest to God, decently priced venue options right here in the wonderful PNW. So, if you’re looking for a way to save some serious cash, then keep reading! Below you’ll find a list of some of the most affordable venues I’ve found here in the PNW!
Property from a friend or family
This is probably the most economical of all the options listed here. Specifically because, odds are that whoever you’re asking will probably let you use their space for free or for next to nothing. There are some drawbacks to using a space owned by a friend or family member, mostly being that the space provided is more than likely not commonly used for weddings. This means that there will be some extra work involved in transforming it into a wedding space. Whether that's just cleaning the grounds or literally removing parts of the property to make space, there will be some things that need to be done to turn it into the venue you desire. However, when you compare a little extra work versus spending thousands of dollars, the choice seems pretty clear!
Property from a neighbor
You might be asking yourself why I didn’t include this with the above idea and the simple reason is that chances are, you will end up paying your neighbor something to use their property. Unlike with a friend or family member who have known you for most of your life, a neighbor might not be that close to you personally, and thus you may have a higher chance of them allowing you use of their space if you offer them some sort of compensation! More than likely you’ll run into the same problems that you would while using a place from a friend or family member, so just be aware, money doesn’t make all your problems go away!
Your local church
Whether you attend your local church or not, more than likely they are willing and prepared to host a wedding inside and outside of their building. Churches often won’t charge an arm and a leg like most other venues, and if you're a member of their congregation they may even give you a special discount. Most churches also have some sort of food preparation area, large gathering spaces for your reception and a hard wood floor in the main area where you can host the ceremony and dancing. You may run into some issues with weekend rentals as churches frequently have services on both Saturdays and Sundays and as their main business is running a church, it may be hard for them to cancel a service. That said, it never hurts to ask what days they have available. The best chance you have at finding a good price for renting a church is definitely with the smaller churches. Mega churches are more likely to have less availability and charge more for you to use their space.
Newell Pioneer Village, Aurora Oregon
If you're looking for a rustic, old-timey look and feel for your wedding then this is the place. Located in the beautiful backcountry city of Aurora, this venue hosts a wonderful selection of spaces for your big day; the Robert Newell House and the Butteville Academy and Jail. They offer a full day rental (8 hours on the day of) with setup and tear-down for $1500. They allow up to 50 guests at this price, with each additional guest costing $10 up to 100 guests at which point the price goes to $2500. So, if you're on a budget and considering this space, try and keep it below 100 people. If that’s not an option, $2500 is still reasonable for a venue, especially one that will accommodate over 100 guests. All this to say, they did mention that you may be able to get a discount if you are willing to handle setup and teardown by yourself as they are short staffed at the moment!
McMenamins
McMenamins is famous across the PNW for having exceptional grounds, good food and great events! Make your wedding day a part of that reputation by renting out a McMenamins venue. They have 11 venues between Oregon and Washington with varying price points and guest sizes to fit any need! I spoke to the Edgefield McMenamins in Troutdale, Oregon as it is the largest of the McMenamins properties and has the most venue options available! The prices vary greatly and are mostly dependent on the number of guests that will be attending the wedding. When renting a McMenamins venue, you only pay the food and beverage fee, which covers bartenders, cooks, food and beverages. This is usually constrained to a guest size cap and thus has a set fee, instead of an overhead per guest fee. This also means that the objects you need to make the venue usable (tables, chairs, place settings, basic table decor) are all included for free with your rental! Below you’ll find a list of four of the most affordable locations within the grounds at the Edgefield McMenamins.
Red Fox Room
10 Person Cap
Half Day Rental
$400 for Morning-Afternoon
$500 for Evening
Barley Room
40 Person Cap
Half Day Rental
$1,000 for Morning-Afternoon
$1,500 for Evening
The Attic
100 Person Cap
Half Day Rental
$1,000 for Morning-Afternoon
$2,000 for Evening
Ballroom
100 Person Cap
Half Day Rental
$1,500 for Morning-Afternoon
$2,000 for Evening
Out of all these options at Edgefield, I’d say that the best bang for your buck would be the Attic, especially if you can get it in the morning to afternoon. For $1,000 to get 100 guests and all the added amenities plus food and drink, you’d have to be crazy not to consider it! The Edgefield McMenamins is also known for having some of the most beautiful grounds available at any McMenamins property. They have some truly incredible spots for photography!
This list is not even nearly complete, however if I keep going this will be the longest blog yet on my website. My point is that you can find some truly incredible places to host your wedding without breaking the bank. This list is a great launching point, so use it as such. If you choose a place off here that’s fantastic, but just know that there are tons of other great and affordable options that I didn’t get to mention. So, look around, you might be surprised what you find!
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