Tennesseans-
Do you follow Ms Cheap in the Tennessean? No, then you should. Here are her "cheap" wedding finds for Brides on a budget.
Follow her blog here http://blogs.tennessean.com/cheap/faqs/
Here is an excerpt from her blog!
"Do you have a list of places where you can get married or have a wedding reception at an affordable rate?Here’s a listing of some of the more affordable venues in the Midstate that are available for weddings and/or receptions. This list has not been updated this year, but should give you some ideas.
–Bridal Path Wedding Chapel (889-6200 or www.bridalpathwedchapel.com), 2415 Atrium Way, offers a wedding for 125 people that includes a photographer, a videographer, a minister and music, plus the altar, candles and pew flowers, for $1,695. It also has a reception package for an additional $1,679. The reception package features a wedding cake, nuts, mints and punch, servers and cleanup. You could add more extensive catering at your own expense. The Bridal Path’s lowest price is the Friday walk-in wedding deal where you can get married between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. for a flat $160 fee in the chapel or $125 outside in the gazebo.
–Wightman Chapel (320-4655) at Scarritt-Bennett Center, which will seat as many as 300 guests, is not exactly cheap at $1,800 for four hours, including rehearsal time the day before. But Scarritt-Bennett also has the small, charming 20-seat Skinner Chapel, which is $300 to rent for three hours. Reception facilities, where alcohol is prohibited, are available for a separate fee.
–Buchanan Log House (871-4524, www.buchananloghouse.com) 2910 Elm Hill Pike. This historic home is available at a rate of $600 for six hours. That includes access to a kitchen, 48-72 chairs and several tables inside. The back yard can seat 150, and if it rains, you can move inside and everyone stands.
–Cool Springs House (371-0060) in Crockett Park in Brentwood rents $100-$350, depending on when you want it and whether you live in Brentwood. Brentwood residents get a discount. Price includes some tables and chairs and all of the indoor space, which would accommodate the wedding party and 125 guests. There is a $75 cleanup fee and you can bring in your own caterer and music.
–Two Rivers Mansion, (862-8431, ext. 233) 3130 McGavock Pike, stays booked up and is $1,000 to rent - including includes chairs and tables inside the mansion.
–The Martin Center of Senior Citizens Inc. (376-0102) at 960 Heritage Way, off Concord Road in Brentwood, can accommodate 200 people for a seated dinner or 300 people for a stand-up reception. The cost is a flat $150 an hour with a four-hour minimum, and you can bring in your own caterer, bartender (for beer and wine only), band, etc. www.themartincentertn.org–There are also lots of affordable outdoor locations, but you have to figure in the additional costs of a tent, tables and chairs etc. It is $150 to get married in Centennial Park- at the Sunken Garden or at the Rose Arbor (over near the Centennial Arts Activity Center). For info, see http://www.nashville.gov/parks--For a casual reception or wedding, pavilions at various Metro parks can be rented for as little as $15.www.nashville.gov/parks or 862-8400
–War Memorial Plaza rents for $65. The rental is cheap but keep in mind that you will pay extra for the troopers for security as well as tables, chairs, and possibly a tent. But of course you don’t need much decoration because it is so beautiful. 532-9151
–The Iris Garden at Ellington Agricultural Center, which is maintained by the Middle Tennessee Iris Society, is another great spot for a daytime or early evening wedding There is no set rental fee but they ask for a minimum donation of $100 – to support the society. Weddings and/or receptions can be held most any time between April and the first weekend of October, with a few dates blacked out. The peak blooming time for the Iris is late April/early May but the garden is lovely throughout the season. 883-4338.
–The Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge is another good bet. If you are going to be there less than an hour, chances are they will not charge you anything. But if you want to close off the bridge and have it all to yourself for the day, it could be $1,000. 862-6024.
–Spring Haven Mansion, 545 East Main St. in Hendersonville, can be rented for $300 an hour on the weekend and $125 an hour during the weeknights and as little as $75 an hour for a midday event during the week. They have packages that include the venue, photography, tables and chairs, linens, music system, valet parking, a wedding coordinator for the wedding day starting at $1,800. www.springhavenmansion.com 826-9702
Do you have a list of web sites and other resources for people looking to have an affordable wedding?Helpful Web sites
www.theknot.comwww.theweddingreport.comwww.weddingchannel.com
www.cheap-chic-weddings.comwww.pearlsplace.comwww.glamforless.comwww.lilywedding.comwww.costofwedding.comWedding planning resources
–The Wedding Book, The Big Book for Your Big Day, by Mindy Weiss with Lisbeth Levine, Workman, $19.95. This book is a great resource every step of the way.
–Bridal Bargains, Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget by Denise and Alan Fields, $14.95, Windsor Peak Press. It’s full of good, useful information and is written with humor and lots of detail.
–Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot by Cara Davis, $11.95, Relevant Books. This new little book shows you how to plan a church wedding in less than six months for about $5,000 instead of the norm, which the author says is 11 months in planning and a cost of $27,000."
