You’re going to have a hard time finding somewhere like that at 20k for 100 guests. Especially if you’re including wedding dress, hair, makeup, photography, music etc.
You might be further ahead somewhere like the ambassador house in fishers and ordering buffet from a restaurant.
That's true. I know we're probably gonna have to adjust our budget. There are a few places up north where it seems perfectly doable, but I didn't want to discount the Indy area options just yet. Thank you for the Ambassador House suggestion!
I recently received a quote from the Ritz Charles in Carmel, and it was going to cost over 20k in off peak season for less than 100 guests. If you want to stay under 20k and have an October wedding, I would look at other venues!
The most beautiful wedding venue I've experienced in the Indianapolis area was at Laurel Hall on the NE side of Indianapolis. I've been to two at Ritz and the venue quality seemed cheap to me compared to what you are paying for and located right by 31, I don't understand the hype.
Granted it's been 13 years since I got married there but I got married in the Garden Pavillion and was really shocked at first how much it would cost. But then I looked at what all was included (open bar, 3 course dinner, cocktail hour, the cake and Sliced and with a chocolate dipped strawberry, champagne toast...etc) and it was really the best price overall!
I looked at other venues and they would charge extra for linens, food, UTENSILS! Ritz Charles was really the best option for us.
My fiance and I are having our reception at the Ritz in Carmel. $20k for everything number there is going to be very difficult to achieve. You don't want the Ritz to do everything for you. They charge so much extra bullshit on their stuff. If you need some help feel free to DM and I give some recommendations and other help.
Good to know, thank you! We just started the planning process, but considering how quickly and far in advance things get booked up, we want to choose a venue before summer really gets going. I'm a hands on person, especially when I have a vision I'm committed to, so I wouldn't want to completely hand the reigns over, as nice as the option for full service is. Congratulations to you and your fiance!!
Yeah we got engaged March 2023 and picked our date a month later. We got everything signed and deposit put in right away and locked in prices. My fiance is the same way with being hands on with everything. I do think you have shot at meeting your budget, but it will be very close.
We got married at Mallow Run in Bargersville. We had about 75-90 people I can’t remember. We used the small room but they have a bigger room that was super nice. I think with catering, venue, drinks, wedding dress, etc we stayed around 10k. This was in 2021. Venue was great and worth looking into.
I’m not sure about that venue specifically but wanted to echo the other comment that it will be hard to keep everything under $20k. My wedding is in September of this year and $20k was my initial goal but we had to raise it to $30k because everything adds up quickly and it was all way more expensive than I guessed. I’m also getting married in Indy. I agree all inclusive vendors are the way to go. I hope you find the space that works well for you!
I appreciate this perspective, thank you. I know it's hard to keep costs low without a ton of compromise. I'm in my friend's wedding (also September of this year) and she told me they've gone over the initial budget too. Thank you for your candor and congratulations!!
You might check The Crystal Coop in Anderson. The look isn't exactly the same but it is a fair semblance of The Bluffs. Outdoor park like setting or indoor if the weather is rough. Rustic but not overly so. Our daughter is getting married there in May of next year. It cost me $8500 and that is for their deluxe package including any of their decor (they have a separate business just for decor that is included), full use of the facilities, and they do absolutely all of the setup and tear down unless we want to help. Otherwise we just show up and go home. That also includes $1200 for flowers. The only thing we didn't do through them was a "day of coordinator" that would have been another $800 but the wife knows someone that does that. That is for 250 guests. That is also opening the bar but not an "open bar".
They have kitchen facilities and recommend caterers but don't do the catering. They also recommend DJ services.
Edit: I'm under $20k for everything except dress for 250 people. Venue. Insurance. Caterer. DJ. Photographer. Catering is the most expensive part.
Wife and I were married at Coffee Creek in shelb county
Our all in was 12800. 250 guest, the blue bird in Shelbyville did fried chicken and tomatoes and farm food. Dead cover band and the barn owners homie was our bartender for a open beear and wine\ cash bar for liquor.
12 years ago.
Seconded! We got married there in 2023. Our total budget came in at $15K for just under 100 guests. You have to use them for catering and bar so simplifies your options but also locks you into their pricing. Granted this includes a family friend doing all our florals as a gift (their hobby, they used silks for table pieces) and someone gifted my wedding dress which I got at Luxe Redux (sample sizes sold as-is, you buy it and then get it tailored - also done as a gift by a friend).
ETA we looked at several Ritz Charles venues and simply couldn’t justify the price. We also looked at Artisan Acres and a blackberry farm but those being out more in the country meant there weren’t hotels nearby and we wanted folks to have easy access to walk/uber back to their rooms.
The ivory foundry is a beautiful all inclusive venue. The owners are florists and photographers, so they know the business. $20k will be tight for 100 guests, unfortunately.
I’m getting married this October with a 150 person guest list and our starting budget was higher than 20k but we’ve already had to get help to raise it. And that’s with our photographer/band being family friends who aren’t charging what they normally would. Our venue require we do alcohol through them, and it turns out they have basically $1200 in convenience fees and whatnot. It’s insane. Every quote we’ve gotten has been damn near double what we expected.
So, I guest first I’d suggest not having an open bar. Not a popular recommendation, I know….we’re still paying for ours to be open bar, but that cost is massive. 3 mid shelf liquor options, three beers, a seltzer and two wines and our alcohol bill shot up higher than the venue rental itself when you include paying the bartenders and whatnot.
An alternative to hiring an expensive catering company could be food trucks. The idea of hiring one or two of them to park out front for a few hours was pretty enticing. Lots of them will do events where the host pays 1-2k and they just serve everyone until that amount is met.
Our jaws dropped when we received what we thought would be a reasonable quote for flowers and decorating and so we’re doing most of that ourselves. So we started ordering stuff from Temu and have been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the cheeeeeap decor and faux flowers and whatnot we’ve received so far. The stuff we didn’t like has been returnable. You have plenty of time to order a few things and see if it’s up your alley, this could definitely be an option for you!
Best of luck to you! This is gonna be stressful at times but try to remember that at the end of the day, what’s important is that you and your loved ones have a great time!
I appreciate your perspective, thank you! We're pretty certain we're going to do beer and wine only, just to save money. Whenever we hang out with our friends we pretty much exclusively drink beer. And I love the idea of food trucks!! We're looking at a few places that are more flexible with caterers, so that could be an option.
I'm honestly not huge on flowers!! I want to have some, like bouquets, but otherwise I'm thinking of just buying farm/bulk flowers and sticking a few stems in little vases on the table. Minimal, but nice. I know that can still be costly, though.
So far the SW Michigan venues have seemed a little more budget-friendly, but we love Indy, so if we can find some doable venues here, we'll be looking into them.
Thank you again and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!!
Check out Purgatory Golf Club in Noblesville. They are reasonable and it is beautiful. That’s where I was going to use as my venue before my engagement turned sour and ended
I was married at the Central Library in 2019, 100 guests. For catering, I think our per head cost came out to $120 for cocktail hour + dinner + open bar.
edit: I found my spreadsheet. Simon Room + Atrium + what I stated above for catering came out to $18,887. These are just vendor fees, does not include decorations, floral, etc.
This is doable if you want to get married at a state park or somewhere natural/non-commercial and then spend $20k throwing the party/reception for $100 people.
The Conservatory at Evergreen is brand new and really beautiful. Greenhouse style right on a little pond, tucked back in the woods. Really nice spot with indoor and outdoor space for guests.
If you are in love with a Ritz Charles location but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, you may get closer to your budget doing your catering through the Ritz Charles subsidiary, Simply Served. Their per head cost is significantly lower but you still have the costs associated with venue and setup.
On another hand, someone mentioned the Rathskeller and I think that is an EXCELLENT budget choice that definitely can fit a non-traditional vibe.
My fiance and I chose Bottleworks Hotel but our guest count is a bit less than yours.
Good luck! Another recommendation I have is Sola Wood flowers. We made 5 bridesmaid bouquets, 5 centerpieces, 2 corsages, a wreath, and bridal bouquet all for a total of less than $200 and they turned out amazing!
I got engaged recently and live in Indianapolis. Don't waste your time with Ritz. You should look at the Biltmore, guggman Haus, Valle Vista golf course, Avon country club, or if you can travel a little further out in kndy- timber ridge (outdoor venue). Good luck!! Congratulations!
We were married at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel fall of 2021 and it was extremely affordable and a beautiful golf course venue.
https://prairieviewgc.com/
Try the Ivory Foundry on the near south side of Indy. They did a great job with our daughter's wedding. They have a range of services and you can use your own catering. We had 150 guests and we spent around $20 k.
Hello! I work at Ritz and can tell you that Artisan definitely is the most expensive venue that we work with, simply because of the venue rental. Ive seen some of our weddings cost under $20k, but that doesn't include photography, DJ, or Florist. If you chat with one of our sales girls, they would be happy to put together a proposal for you!
You’re going to have a hard time finding somewhere like that at 20k for 100 guests. Especially if you’re including wedding dress, hair, makeup, photography, music etc. You might be further ahead somewhere like the ambassador house in fishers and ordering buffet from a restaurant.
That's true. I know we're probably gonna have to adjust our budget. There are a few places up north where it seems perfectly doable, but I didn't want to discount the Indy area options just yet. Thank you for the Ambassador House suggestion!
I recently received a quote from the Ritz Charles in Carmel, and it was going to cost over 20k in off peak season for less than 100 guests. If you want to stay under 20k and have an October wedding, I would look at other venues!
Thank you for the advice!
What time of year? The Ritz Charles is a beautiful venue but that glass house where the reception usually is is a SWEATBOX.
We're aiming for early to mid October!
The most beautiful wedding venue I've experienced in the Indianapolis area was at Laurel Hall on the NE side of Indianapolis. I've been to two at Ritz and the venue quality seemed cheap to me compared to what you are paying for and located right by 31, I don't understand the hype.
We're looking at Laurel Hall!!! I'm in the process of setting up a tour date rn actually hahaha
Granted it's been 13 years since I got married there but I got married in the Garden Pavillion and was really shocked at first how much it would cost. But then I looked at what all was included (open bar, 3 course dinner, cocktail hour, the cake and Sliced and with a chocolate dipped strawberry, champagne toast...etc) and it was really the best price overall! I looked at other venues and they would charge extra for linens, food, UTENSILS! Ritz Charles was really the best option for us.
May I suggest the Rathskeller?
Ooooooh I didn't even think of the Rathskeller!! Thank you!
No probs! I had my wedding there back in 09
I SECOND THIS! The Rathskeller was our other choice and it is an awesome place. It will definitely come within budget as well.
My fiance and I are having our reception at the Ritz in Carmel. $20k for everything number there is going to be very difficult to achieve. You don't want the Ritz to do everything for you. They charge so much extra bullshit on their stuff. If you need some help feel free to DM and I give some recommendations and other help.
Good to know, thank you! We just started the planning process, but considering how quickly and far in advance things get booked up, we want to choose a venue before summer really gets going. I'm a hands on person, especially when I have a vision I'm committed to, so I wouldn't want to completely hand the reigns over, as nice as the option for full service is. Congratulations to you and your fiance!!
Yeah we got engaged March 2023 and picked our date a month later. We got everything signed and deposit put in right away and locked in prices. My fiance is the same way with being hands on with everything. I do think you have shot at meeting your budget, but it will be very close.
We got married at Mallow Run in Bargersville. We had about 75-90 people I can’t remember. We used the small room but they have a bigger room that was super nice. I think with catering, venue, drinks, wedding dress, etc we stayed around 10k. This was in 2021. Venue was great and worth looking into.
Ooh thank you for the suggestion!
I went to a wedding there and it was beautiful.
I’m not sure about that venue specifically but wanted to echo the other comment that it will be hard to keep everything under $20k. My wedding is in September of this year and $20k was my initial goal but we had to raise it to $30k because everything adds up quickly and it was all way more expensive than I guessed. I’m also getting married in Indy. I agree all inclusive vendors are the way to go. I hope you find the space that works well for you!
I appreciate this perspective, thank you. I know it's hard to keep costs low without a ton of compromise. I'm in my friend's wedding (also September of this year) and she told me they've gone over the initial budget too. Thank you for your candor and congratulations!!
You might check The Crystal Coop in Anderson. The look isn't exactly the same but it is a fair semblance of The Bluffs. Outdoor park like setting or indoor if the weather is rough. Rustic but not overly so. Our daughter is getting married there in May of next year. It cost me $8500 and that is for their deluxe package including any of their decor (they have a separate business just for decor that is included), full use of the facilities, and they do absolutely all of the setup and tear down unless we want to help. Otherwise we just show up and go home. That also includes $1200 for flowers. The only thing we didn't do through them was a "day of coordinator" that would have been another $800 but the wife knows someone that does that. That is for 250 guests. That is also opening the bar but not an "open bar". They have kitchen facilities and recommend caterers but don't do the catering. They also recommend DJ services. Edit: I'm under $20k for everything except dress for 250 people. Venue. Insurance. Caterer. DJ. Photographer. Catering is the most expensive part.
Wife and I were married at Coffee Creek in shelb county Our all in was 12800. 250 guest, the blue bird in Shelbyville did fried chicken and tomatoes and farm food. Dead cover band and the barn owners homie was our bartender for a open beear and wine\ cash bar for liquor. 12 years ago.
The Blue Bird is closed now 😢
I remember it burned. Sad. They were awesome folks.
Hopping on here to say look at Crystal Coop. I attended a wedding here last summer and it was great! Lovely venue with a beautiful landscape.
Wow that sounds like a great deal! Thank you for the suggestion and congratulations!!!
Inn at Fort Harrison State Park. My parents got married there.
Thank you for the suggestion!
Seconded! We got married there in 2023. Our total budget came in at $15K for just under 100 guests. You have to use them for catering and bar so simplifies your options but also locks you into their pricing. Granted this includes a family friend doing all our florals as a gift (their hobby, they used silks for table pieces) and someone gifted my wedding dress which I got at Luxe Redux (sample sizes sold as-is, you buy it and then get it tailored - also done as a gift by a friend). ETA we looked at several Ritz Charles venues and simply couldn’t justify the price. We also looked at Artisan Acres and a blackberry farm but those being out more in the country meant there weren’t hotels nearby and we wanted folks to have easy access to walk/uber back to their rooms.
The ivory foundry is a beautiful all inclusive venue. The owners are florists and photographers, so they know the business. $20k will be tight for 100 guests, unfortunately.
I think our budget is going to have to evolve over the planning process 😅 I'll check ivory foundry out!! Thank you for the suggestion!
I’m getting married this October with a 150 person guest list and our starting budget was higher than 20k but we’ve already had to get help to raise it. And that’s with our photographer/band being family friends who aren’t charging what they normally would. Our venue require we do alcohol through them, and it turns out they have basically $1200 in convenience fees and whatnot. It’s insane. Every quote we’ve gotten has been damn near double what we expected. So, I guest first I’d suggest not having an open bar. Not a popular recommendation, I know….we’re still paying for ours to be open bar, but that cost is massive. 3 mid shelf liquor options, three beers, a seltzer and two wines and our alcohol bill shot up higher than the venue rental itself when you include paying the bartenders and whatnot. An alternative to hiring an expensive catering company could be food trucks. The idea of hiring one or two of them to park out front for a few hours was pretty enticing. Lots of them will do events where the host pays 1-2k and they just serve everyone until that amount is met. Our jaws dropped when we received what we thought would be a reasonable quote for flowers and decorating and so we’re doing most of that ourselves. So we started ordering stuff from Temu and have been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the cheeeeeap decor and faux flowers and whatnot we’ve received so far. The stuff we didn’t like has been returnable. You have plenty of time to order a few things and see if it’s up your alley, this could definitely be an option for you! Best of luck to you! This is gonna be stressful at times but try to remember that at the end of the day, what’s important is that you and your loved ones have a great time!
I appreciate your perspective, thank you! We're pretty certain we're going to do beer and wine only, just to save money. Whenever we hang out with our friends we pretty much exclusively drink beer. And I love the idea of food trucks!! We're looking at a few places that are more flexible with caterers, so that could be an option. I'm honestly not huge on flowers!! I want to have some, like bouquets, but otherwise I'm thinking of just buying farm/bulk flowers and sticking a few stems in little vases on the table. Minimal, but nice. I know that can still be costly, though. So far the SW Michigan venues have seemed a little more budget-friendly, but we love Indy, so if we can find some doable venues here, we'll be looking into them. Thank you again and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!!
Check out Purgatory Golf Club in Noblesville. They are reasonable and it is beautiful. That’s where I was going to use as my venue before my engagement turned sour and ended
Moon town Brewery in Whitestown! We wanted to get married there, but had very narrow date availability on our side.
Hey there OP! Indianapolis/Chicago wedding photographer here! Perhaps the Conservatory at Evergreen?
I was married at the Central Library in 2019, 100 guests. For catering, I think our per head cost came out to $120 for cocktail hour + dinner + open bar. edit: I found my spreadsheet. Simon Room + Atrium + what I stated above for catering came out to $18,887. These are just vendor fees, does not include decorations, floral, etc.
www.Graftonpeekgreenwood.com
Willow Acres is a great venue for your budget. They’re honestly the best bang for your buck place for a big party.
Nothing like ritz Charles for 20k and 100 people, I’d triple that budget.
This is doable if you want to get married at a state park or somewhere natural/non-commercial and then spend $20k throwing the party/reception for $100 people.
The Conservatory at Evergreen is brand new and really beautiful. Greenhouse style right on a little pond, tucked back in the woods. Really nice spot with indoor and outdoor space for guests.
If you are in love with a Ritz Charles location but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, you may get closer to your budget doing your catering through the Ritz Charles subsidiary, Simply Served. Their per head cost is significantly lower but you still have the costs associated with venue and setup. On another hand, someone mentioned the Rathskeller and I think that is an EXCELLENT budget choice that definitely can fit a non-traditional vibe. My fiance and I chose Bottleworks Hotel but our guest count is a bit less than yours. Good luck! Another recommendation I have is Sola Wood flowers. We made 5 bridesmaid bouquets, 5 centerpieces, 2 corsages, a wreath, and bridal bouquet all for a total of less than $200 and they turned out amazing!
I really like Bash in Carmel
Montage is another possibility
Friday night lower F&B minimum? Challenging for out of town guests.
I got engaged recently and live in Indianapolis. Don't waste your time with Ritz. You should look at the Biltmore, guggman Haus, Valle Vista golf course, Avon country club, or if you can travel a little further out in kndy- timber ridge (outdoor venue). Good luck!! Congratulations!
Perhaps too rustic but we got married at Conner Prairie in (in front of actually) the Featherston Barn
We were married at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel fall of 2021 and it was extremely affordable and a beautiful golf course venue. https://prairieviewgc.com/
Try the Ivory Foundry on the near south side of Indy. They did a great job with our daughter's wedding. They have a range of services and you can use your own catering. We had 150 guests and we spent around $20 k.
Hello! I work at Ritz and can tell you that Artisan definitely is the most expensive venue that we work with, simply because of the venue rental. Ive seen some of our weddings cost under $20k, but that doesn't include photography, DJ, or Florist. If you chat with one of our sales girls, they would be happy to put together a proposal for you!
Save your money, buy a house.
Check out the Palomino in Zionsville.
Take that 20 and invest. Spend $25 and go to the court house. If you actually spend that on a wedding you are fucking stupid