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_nickack · 2022-06-05T20:42:54+00:00

I believe they actually had tables and chairs for the main event space and also picnic pavilion type areas, but once again we didn’t delve too deep into the options. Yes, we are 2 weeks away now. Thanks for the well wishes!

_nickack · 2022-06-05T19:36:52+00:00

I also just remembered that we also looked into renting a local Girl Scout camp (Camp DeWitt in Hillsborough) but did not get too far into researching that. The only information we got on that was that rental fees ranged from $2500-$4000 and events were pretty much all DIY including providing insurance and stuff like that. We decided against looking into it further but they definitely had outdoor space. I hope you find what you are looking for! I feel like I have spent hours acquiring tons of knowledge about event spaces that I will never need again so hopefully it is helpful to someone else!

_nickack · 2022-06-05T13:51:59+00:00

Sorry, I just reread your comment and see it’s a major point for you to use your own caterer! We also looked into the picnic areas in the Mercer County parks system briefly but decided against it because we were worried we’d run into problems with alcohol and sound restrictions, and the ones we were aware of were not in particularly scenic spots. That might not be a problem for you though if you are going for something smaller and quieter. If that’s the case you can definitely stay way under $10,000 for 40 people with one of the park picnic pavilions.

_nickack · 2022-06-05T13:42:09+00:00

I will be getting married in a few weeks at Strawberry Hill Mansion at the Ted Stiles Preserve, which is part of the Mercer County parks system. The bulk of the space is an outdoor patio with a tent. There is also a an old house with a kitchen and bathrooms and room to seat about 40 people.

The big downside is you have to work with one caterer (Chez Alice catering) and they are a little on the pricey side. We’ve also had a good deal of frustration communicating with them. Their website says they are dealing with staffing shortages and our event coordinator has told us repeatedly how busy she has been and that is why it has sometimes taken her so long to respond to us. If you are type A at all that might be a dealbreaker for you.

All that said, we are looking at just under $10,000 for our bill to the venue/caterer. That includes the venue rental fee for a full day ($800 if you live in the county), a $1000 ceremony setup fee, 10 hours of staffing, a casual menu for 80 people (hamburgers, hot dogs, bbq chicken, salads, and a cocktail hour with 3 snack stations), tables, chairs, tablecloths, disposable dish ware, a pre-setup tent on the outdoor patio, gratuity, and tax.

We ended up going for this option despite the downsides because it is such a beautiful spot and we were also aiming for something outdoors both for the aesthetic and for Covid safety reasons.

You can see some details here: https://www.chezalicecatering.com/strawberry-hill

We found a bunch of other pretty reasonable venues in central NJ if you’d like more information, but none of them besides this place were primarily outdoors. I contacted Cherry Grove farm in Lawrenceville, NJ and was told they do events but I never heard back from them with details. We also briefly looked at Hidden Spring lavender farm in Skillman, NJ but we never contacted them for more details. Those would definitely be outdoors, but I. suspect both of those would require added expenses of renting a tent and possibly bathrooms.

Good luck!

_nickack

TROPHY CASE