Jersey wedding in the works!

September 1, 2009 7:45 PM

Help! We need an interesting wedding venue in NJ for spring or summer of 2010.

The man and I are getting hitched! It's very exciting! However, now we're faced with finding a venue for our nuptials. Does anyone have any suggestions for a unique place for a reception in New Jersey? We're trying to find an budget-friendly, interesting, "out of the box" place to have both the reception and the ceremony. We've lived in Jersey all our lives, but we definitely need some assistance in this area. Here are some specifics:

Spring/summer of 2010
120 guests
Ceremony and reception in the same place
Semi-formal to casual vibe
Outdoor ceremony if possible, with a contingency plan if it rains

Forgive me if I've forgotten any important details - my head is a swimming right now. Our minds are wide open, so no idea is too strange. Thanks in advance for any help you can give us!

posted by Nutritionista to food & drink (9 comments total)

You don't mention if you're looking at South, Central or North Jersey....

I used to work special events at the NJ State Aquarium in Camden years ago. I helped out at several weddings held there and they were spectacular. One had the ceremony outdoors on the deck at sunset with the stunning Philly skyline as a backdrop, then the dinner was catered indoors with the giant tank and the gorgeous aquamarine colors of the tank lit beautifully. The plus? Exotic fishes watching over everyone.
posted by HeyAllie at 8:02 PM on September 1 [1 favorite]

We live in Central Jersey and we're open to having it anywhere in the state right now. It's all fair game!
posted by Nutritionista at 8:20 PM on September 1

Skylands Manor, Ringwood, NJ. Weddings a specialty. Beautiful mansion.
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:17 PM on September 1 [1 favorite]

Grounds For Sculpture would be just awesome for this if you're set on an outdoor ceremony.

My own wedding ceremony was at the Newark Museum. They were wonderfully friendly, the place was beautiful (seriously - the courtyard is fab and there are rooms in the mansion that are so cool...) and our guests got to look at amazing art while we snuck off to take photos. I can't say enough nice things about them or the experience in general.

Congratulations, btw!
posted by mintcake! at 12:11 AM on September 2

Seconding Grounds for Sculpture. I attended a bridal shower there with lunch at Rats and it was absolutely beautiful and unique. It's a one-of-a-kind place, definitely. I would question its budget-friendliness, though.
posted by lagreen at 7:06 AM on September 2

We went to a wedding at the manor , may not be unique, but was beautiful and the food was amazing. The groom mentioned one of the reasons they picked it was that it was priced well.
posted by cestmoi15 at 7:38 AM on September 2

have you thought about ellarslie museum?

there's outdoor and indoor facilities. it's definitely "out of the box." and i'm sure it's much more budget-friendly than grounds for sculpture.

there's plenty of room. and it's definitely 'semi-formal to casual.'

we know some folks who got married there . . . and they loved it. it was quite beautiful . . .
posted by deejay jaydee at 8:43 AM on September 2

The Morven Museum in Princeton. But it's going to be expensive, compared to what's been mentioned here so far.
posted by Zambrano at 9:56 AM on September 2

My brother's was at Skylands Manor, and was absolutely magnificent, so I am seconding it.
posted by mephron at 10:31 AM on September 2