Grand Lens Photography Captures Every Nuance of Your NJ Wedding

Below, some beautiful NJ wedding photography samples from Grand Lens Photography. If you're on the hunt for affordable NJ wedding venues, check out the linked list of recommendations that they have so thoughtfully provided.

Contact Grand Lens Photography for a quote at (239) 349-4580

Contact Grand Lens Photography for a quote at (239) 349-4580

Contact Grand Lens Photography for a quote at (239) 349-4580

Contact Grand Lens Photography for a quote at (239) 349-4580

All photos on this page copyright Grand Lens Photography.

The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ - Video

I was just noodling around YouTube in search of interesting NJ wedding videos, and came across a very nicely done recap of a wedding held at The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ. The video was put together by Majestic Events, who provides photography, videography and DJ services. You can find them at MajesticWeddingsNJ.com.

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!

Pocono Resort Wedding – Great, Affordable Idea for a Frugal NJ Bride

Photo of Erhardt's Waterfront Resort, Lake Wallenpaupack, PA
Courtesy of Amanda Meyer Photography

I attended a wedding last year for a NJ bride and groom who opted to get married in the Poconos. Their wedding venue of choice was all-inclusive, offering a ceremony and reception on the premises, open bar, catered food and music provided by the venue, and best of all, guests got to stay over in their on-site lodging. Or, at least I'm pretty sure that's what their wedding package was. The music was a DJ, so I assume that they didn't have to bring it in. But I could be wrong about that – best to check.

Anyway, this particular Pocono resort was located in Hawley, PA, although the name escapes me and nothing in my Google research is ringing a bell, either. Something with the word "Lodge" but I can't seem to remember the rest.

It took us about an hour and a half drive to get there from NJ, which I felt was reasonable and actually kind of a sweet little getaway. The place reminded me of "Kellerman's" from Dirty Dancing... kind of a humble and cozy feel, in a peaceful mountain setting, but also with the full amenities: comfortable rooms, swimming pool, shuffleboard, tennis, beautiful views and great food.

All in all, it was a great wedding weekend, and I suspect, considerably less pricey than some of the gargantuan NJ weddings you've probably attended.

To get a look at the choices for a Pocono Wedding that's close enough for your NJ, NY and PA guests to enjoy a mini weekend getaway, visit this link.

More Inexpensive Wedding Venues in NJ and PA

This is Bella Giorno Catering in Belvidere, NJ. Little did I know that you
can have your wedding hosted right on the premises, with a lovely
outdoor setting that's perfect for pictures... and then party in a
 fabulous, indoor space. Amazing what you learn from the internet.

The lower-priced wedding venues seem to be in the more westerly part of this state. If you do opt to get married in Warren County or even eastern PA, remember that there are many picturesque spots along the Delaware and Pequest Rivers where you can have beautiful, scenic wedding photos taken.

I was just doing some more poking around trying to get an idea of what people pay for their weddings, and I came across a really informative thread. Seems that wedding hall per-plate prices run the gamut, depending on what part of NJ you live in, what's included in the wedding package, and so on.

On this thread, I saw a range of wedding prices from $49 pp all the way to $200 pp. Completely crazy, and an indicator that it really pays to shop around. Ask yourself: what do you want out of your wedding? Are things like 7-course tableside service, top shelf liquor, Venetian table, etc. really necessary to make this party great?

I like what one person on that wedding thread had to say about the whole situation:

"We don't have all the extra stuff as far as a Viennese Hr, or Wine tasting bar but we do have each other, family, food/alcohol and music!"

Some Western NJ wedding venues that may be worth looking into:

Belvidere Manor/Belvidere Firehouse - Belvidere, NJ
Never have attended a wedding here, but I know a girl who got married here and she reported it to be a blast - laid back, fun, affordable, no fuss, really great party. Everyone who attended said it was one of the best weddings they'd ever been to.

The Stroudsmoor Country Inn - Stroudsburg, PA - I went to a wedding here and thought it was really well done. A lovely, outdoor Pocono ceremony; nice cocktail hour and dinner, open bar, and spent the latter portion of the evening enjoying some wild karaoke at the after-hours bar. We didn't stay over but many guests did. Convenient, affordable, easy drive just over the Delaware from NJ, elegant, scenic, fun!

White Meadow Lake, Rockaway, NJ - I don't know much about this place, but the photo looks absolutely gorgeous.

Bella Giorno, Belvidere NJ. I have driven by this place for many years, thinking it was a catering facility and having no idea that they host weddings on the premises. Just saw a review from someone who was married here and said it was "fantastic." This is directly on the Pequest River, a very pretty area of Rt. 46 in Belvidere. Check out their photo gallery!

Ooh! We Like this Frugal Wedding Story

Well, you can't get much more budget-friendly than the advice this guy is offering for how to have a super cheap wedding the way you want it. Sounds intimate, original, memorable and fun. Take note of the brilliant cost-slicing ideas he had for saving big on the location, making his own wedding music, limiting the guest list, opting for a different kind of wedding meal, eliminating the wedding dress expense entirely, and other goodies.

Cheap wedding, anyone? Sign me up!

7 Steps for an Awesome, Cheap Wedding

How to Negotiate Great Prices on Your Wedding

You may wonder how people manage to afford a beautiful, lavish wedding. Do they spend the rest of their lives paying it off? Well... beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and expensive is an opinion. Regardless of what you feel is important to invest in on your wedding day, it's certainly worth speaking up on your own behalf so you can save a little bank.

Image courtesy of GoGirlFinance.com

Some tips for how to negotiate for the best wedding day deal:

Go into this feeling confident. So many people won't even try to haggle on prices... why? Somewhere along the way someone told you to take whatever you get? Well, that's just not so! Practice haggling - the more you do it, the better you'll get at it.

Remember that wedding venue managers are people, too. They have overhead costs to cover, like the monthly rent and bills, the salaries of the people who work at their venue, and tons of other expenditures. They want to earn your business, not turn you away laughing. A little negotiation is all it takes to reach a compromise where both parties walk away feeling like they gained something.

Brainstorm ways to work it out. A Facebook friend shared her wedding-day success story with us. She got a very well-known and respected NJ wedding venue to come down on their price by 10 dollars per plate by guaranteeing at least 150 guests.

Determine what you can live without. Another friend pointed out that, after working with the Macy's Bridal Shop assistant, she was able to find a dress that looked nearly identical to one that had a designer label. By choosing the non-designer dress, she paid less than $500 for her wedding gown. In our case, a spring wedding would have been sweet, but we opted for November because prices were lower during that time of year.

Keep your expectations reasonable. As illustrated in the previous point, you may have to forgo certain luxuries if you want to save a bit of cash on your wedding. It's okay to not have the designer dress, get married at the venue that was your second choice and not your first, and so on. Remember that this day is not about being flashy or extravagant. It's about celebrating your love together, and sharing your joy with family and friends.

How to Plan a Wedding When You Already Have a Kid or Kids

Planning a wedding when you already have a little child to deal with... sounds like the worst thing in the world, right? Actually, it isn't.

As a parent, you know what it's like to have someone who is More Important Than You Are. Your kid eats food and wears clothes (diapers?) and will be attending preschool and college, so on and so forth. All of this adds up to EXPENSES. So: you already have a priority that's far greater than throwing the wedding bash of the century: you're just trying to save up some money for your kid's life. Right?

This perspective will give you an entirely different take on the wedding than someone who is childless. It means that you'll be planning this wedding from the mindset of the frugal and practical. You'd rather spend money on your child than on silly stuff that no one will ever remember. Am I right? Of course I am.

The other thing is: if you already have a child, then having fun on your wedding day will be extremely important to you. I mean, sure, everyone wants to enjoy themselves at their own wedding. But this is a little different. Once you become a mom, the urge to have fun grows from fairly strong to DESPERATE. You have one shot at making this day the most fun ever. You know this going in.

Both of these mindsets – frugal and fun – will be the driving force behind your wedding plans. And, because you have a kid or kids, you've got  limited time to screw around with wedding-plan BS. Instead, all the extraneous crap will fall by the wayside. Your mother in law wants to spend the night before the wedding tying up little bags of almonds? Nope, sorry! No time, got this kid here that I have to pay attention to. Don't want to wear 3-inch heels? No problem... you can't anyway, because you won't be able to lug Junior around the party if you do!

I'm telling you, having kids before you get married is actually a blessing as you plan your wedding day. You will really have your priorities in order, and you'll also have a great perspective on what it really means to get married. This day is not about looking model-skinny, having the dress of the year or the cutest wedding favors ever. Rather, it's about spending a day with family and friends, celebrating your love for each other.

To anyone who already has a child or children and is now stressing about making wedding plans... let the non-essentials go! Your wedding, with all its imperfections, is going to be fantastic. Enjoy yourselves! God Bless. Bookmark this blog for tons of tips.

How to Plan A Simple and Frugal Wedding in 6 Months - Part 1

Step 1: Phone your venue of choice and set a tentative date.

Step 2: Choose an officiator and set a date. The officiator will travel to the location where your wedding ceremony will be held. He or she may also wish to meet up and discuss your relationship/thoughts about marriage and other details.

Step 3: Meet with event manager and lock in your wedding date. Discuss details such as time of day wedding will be held, open or cash bar, cocktail hour appetizers, dinner selections. Discuss any questions you may have.

Step 4: Begin writing up the guest list. This may change as things progress. Parents often find people to add. Choose your bridal party if you plan to have one. We kept things simple, and had only a maid of honor, best man, and ring bearer (our son).

Step 5: Do a price comparison on the cake bakery. I am embarrassed to say that we spent about $350 on the cake because we didn't shop around. I'm told my friend got her wedding cake for $15! Select a bakery and give them an idea of the design/type of cake you'd like.

Step 6: Start hunting for your wedding dress. This is one of the more time-intensive aspects of getting married. Like any bride, you want to look good on your wedding day.

Step 7: Choose your music: wedding DJ, band, or both? We ended up having both, but only because our band guy informed us that this was what "the kids" enjoyed.

Step 8. Purchase wedding invitations. We bought ours online, but you can print them yourself if you know how.  

Step 9: Begin collecting the addresses of people you plan to invite. Parents are typically a good source for this type of information.

Step 10: Follow up with wedding event manager and cake baker about the anticipated number of guests. Do a food tasting if you insist on one. We didn't. The guy told us the food was excellent, and we believed him. It really was!

Step 11: Buy your dress! Be sure it's at least 2 sizes bigger than your street size. Anticipate alterations.

Step 12: Initiate a discussion about what the bridesmaids and maid of honor will be wearing. I personally was very relaxed about this. You may decide that you want everyone to wear a specific dress, in a specific color. Or, you may choose the color but allow them to wear whatever style of dress is most flattering for each person. Finally – you might just say something like, "Everyone wear black!"

Read Steps 13 through 26, here

Seeking an Affordable NJ Wedding Venue? Don't Knock the Elks!

When we started talking to my husband's parents about wedding plans, my father-in-law suggested the Somerville Elks Club. He said the price would run around $60 or $70 a head, and that shocked us. We knew nothing about the outrageous expense of a NJ wedding, or the ridiculous amounts of time and effort that go into planning one from scratch.

A few calls to some local fire houses who took their sweet time in getting back to us, and a quick review of all we'd have to take care of on "our day," and we quickly realized that 6 or 7 grand for a 100-person wedding really isn't all that much. After all, this was an "all inclusive package":

5-hour reception with cocktail hour
open bar
catered dinner and dancing
cutting and serving of our cake

...all at a respectable-looking place where we'd be proud to celebrate our wedding day. For a few extra fees, we could have the actual ceremony there on the premises, and let their staff deal with decoration and chair setup/takedown.

Our visit to the Somerville Elks included a tour of the premises, a look around the room where our wedding would be hosted, and a meeting with the event manager to discuss the menu and other options.

We selected a Saturday afternoon buffet, because the price was $10 less per plate than tableside service. The dinner entrees all sounded great to us – a pasta dish, a beef dish, a chicken dish and a fish dish; plus salad, rolls and sides. Meaning, each person would get to go up and try ALL of the aforementioned entrees... because, after all, it was a buffet. Pretty awesome, really.  

It really was a hell of an offer, so we took it. What with me being a full-time mom to our  2-year-old, and my husband and I both managing our own small businesses, we really didn't have the time to spare for anything more involved. And to be perfectly honest, we weren't all that picky about the small details.

If you'd like to have your own, budget-friendly NJ wedding, visit http://somervilleelks.com. Ask for John Stepe – he'll take excellent care of you!