The Fire Hall Wedding: An Affordable Option, Not to Be Overlooked!

We opted to not do a fire house wedding. We had thought about it, and even priced out a few local fire houses in our area. But, with running two businesses and raising a small child, we just didn't have the time or energy for a total, do-it-yourself wedding.

I remember going to the wedding of some friends who rented out a fire hall space years ago. It was a small gathering – maybe sixty people? They got married right on the premises. Some features which made this kind of neat, special, and one-of-a-kind... not to mention saved the bride and groom a lot of money I'm guessing:

Guests helped decorate, set up and clean up. I am assuming the family pitched in for these activities. They did a nice job. Everything ran smoothly and there were no "mishaps" or wedding-day fumbles as far as I knew!

Guests brought covered dishes. Well, why the heck not? You can think of your wedding as a highbrow event where people expect to be waited on. Or, you can think of it as a fun and humble gathering of family and friends. Why NOT encourage people to bring their signature recipes? All that's required is someone to manage the food setup and takedown (after all, you wouldn't want the bride and groom doing all this work on their special day).

Guests pitched in. I remember helping to fill up water pitchers and replenish the napkin supply at that wedding... it felt nice to be a contributor for our friends' special day! I also remember the smiling bride and groom, the lovely music and dancing... the laid-back feeling of simply enjoying the company of a group of nice people.

Guests took photos and played music. Okay - I'm not sure about the music, exactly. It was a long time ago. But a DJ station is certainly easy enough to set up if you have a bit of computer skill and patience. I DID go to a different wedding where the bride's brother played DJ all night... what a great gift to give!

If you have the time and are lucky enough to be surrounded by giving, helpful individuals... why NOT spend the extra time coordinating a firehouse wedding. Homemade decorations... homemade goodies... a hand selected musical score... what's not to love?

We're interested to hear from brides and grooms who made firehouse wedding a success. How was the planning? What did you have to ask for help on? What would you do differently if you could? Write to info@njweddingonabudget.com or comment below!