Jack's Barn – Rustic Barn Wedding in Northwest NJ

Well, we've been on the hunt for a closer barn wedding venue than that superb place I visited in Ithaca, and I finally got word of one here in NJ...

Image courtesy of NJ wedding photographer Nick Speer
web: www.speerimages.com phone:  973-903-6926

Tucked away in a not-so-distant western New Jersey township called White is "The Loft" at Jack's Barn. This is Warren County's premier, barn-wedding location that juxtaposes rustic and refined elements for a truly unforgettable wedding reception setting and celebration.

Once a thriving feed mill, Jack's Barn lends an original and historic flavor to your special event. Their turn of the century backdrop sets the scene for breathtaking wedding-day photos. The Loft at Jack's Barn is also updated with all the necessary elements that will add convenience and sophistication.

For catering, Jack's Barn offers you the option of working with one of 3 different local NJ wedding vendors: Frungillo Caterers, Q-Classic or David'sCountry Inn. They encourage you to reach out to each one of these fine establishments before choosing one that best meets your needs.

If you're looking to set a date for your wedding in 2017, then contact Jack's Barn as soon as possible. They only have a few spots left for 2016 which may or may not be available by the time you read this post. Jack's Barn can accommodate events both large and small.

Just a mile from Jack's Barn is Twenty Belvidere... another beautiful, historic location that can comfortably host up to 16 guests for your after-wedding overnight stay. This historic hilltop estate features 8 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms and one half-bath. Guests have access to the grand parlor and music room, fenced in "three-season room," spacious foyer and library, and resplendent grounds.

Jack's Barn – www.jacksbarn.com
1487 State Highway 31 Oxford NJ 07863
908.857.2054
jacksbarn@comcast.net

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!

Average Cost of NJ Wedding vs. Budget NJ Wedding and How You Can Save or Cut Corners

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I came across a really comprehensive list of NJ Wedding Expenses in this article. I was shocked at the amount of dollars NJ brides, grooms and their families typically shell out to create the wedding of their dreams.

As I repeat throughout this blog, we were totally frugal in our efforts to have a nice, simple and tasteful wedding.

I wanted to do a comparison of the "typical" NJ wedding vs. our budget NJ wedding and what you can save on/eliminate in the interest of keeping wedding costs down.

So here is a breakdown of each aspect of the standard NJ wedding. Under each heading, first you'll see the costs of what the average NJ bride and groom spend. Then below it you'll see what we spent (or opted to NOT spend at all) on our wedding.

Hope this gives you some good ideas of how much you can chisel off the total cost of your NJ wedding, simply by being practical and sticking to the essentials!

Attire

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING:

Bride accessories: $367 to $569
Groom accessories: $193 to $300
Groom suit/tux: $265 to $412
Hair/makeup service: $193 to $300
Headpiece/veil: $344 to $534
Wedding dress: $1,524 to $2,367 

Attire Total: $2,886 to $4,482

OUR WEDDING:

Bride undergarments: $100 (bought imitation Spanx at JC Penney)

Groom accessories: 0

Groom suit/tux: $120

Hair/makeup: 0 (Friend helped with makeup and hair)

Veil: $30 (purchased on Etsy.com)

Shoes: $40 (Etsy.com)

Wedding Dress: $248 (Ebay.com)

Alterations: $100 (local seamstress)

Child's suit: $30 (Ebay)

Child's shoes: $15 (Ebay)

Attire Total: $683.00

Ceremony:

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING:

Ceremony accessories: $215 to $334
Ceremony decorations: $640 to $994
Ceremony location: $748 to $1,162
Officiate/pastor/priest: $268 to $417
Rehearsal dinner: $1,453 to $2,257

Ceremony Total: $3,324 to $5,164

OUR WEDDING:

Ceremony deco: $50 (We had minimal decor – just the arch)
Ceremony location/chair setup/runner: $500
Officiate/pastor/priest: $400
Rehearsal dinner: $0 (We opted to NOT have a rehearsal dinner)

Ceremony Total: $950

Music/Entertainment

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING:

Ceremony/reception band: $2,184 to $3,392
Ceremony/reception DJ: $834 to $1,295
Ceremony/reception musicians: $688 to $1,068

Entertainment Total: $3,706 to $5,755

OUR WEDDING:

Ceremony/reception band: $2,900
Ceremony/reception DJ: included in above
Ceremony/reception musicians: $0 (We had friends perform our chamber music in lieu of a wedding gift)

Entertainment Total: $2,900

Flowers:

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING: 

Boutonnieres/corsages: $203 to $316
Bride bouquet: $174 to $270
Bridesmaid bouquets: $278 to $431
Ceremony flowers: $497 to $772
Flower girl flowers: $56 to $87
Reception flowers: $1,122 to $1,742

Flowers Total: $2,330 to $3,618

OUR WEDDING:

Boutonnieres/corsages: $0 (We did not have these at all)
Bride bouquet: $0 (Maid of honor put together bouquet from her family greenhouse flowers)
Bridesmaid bouquets: $0 (Only had maid of honor and best man to keep costs down)
Ceremony flowers: $0
Flower girl flowers: $0
Reception flowers: $0

Flowers Total: $0

Gifts

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING:

Gifts for attendant: $541 to $841
Gifts for each other: $436 to $678
Gifts for parents: $192 to $298
Gifts and Favors Total: $1,169 to $1,817

OUR WEDDING:

Gifts for attendant: $0
Gifts for each other: $0 (Who does this??)
Gifts for parents: $0 (We technically still owe our parents a nice dinner out as a thank-you!)

Gifts and Favors Total: $250

Invitations and Other Mailings

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING:

Bridal shower invitations: $115 to $179
Guestbook: $56 to $87
Invitations & reply cards: $50.00
Personal stationery: $154 to $240
Save the date cards: $188 to $293
Thank you cards: $101 to $156

Invitations and Stationery Total: $1,103 to $1,714

OUR WEDDING:

Bridal shower invitations: $0 (I did not have a bridal shower)
Guestbook: $0 (No guest book at our wedding)
Invitations & reply cards: $50 (ordered online)
Personal stationery: $0
Save the date cards: $0 (Did not have these)
Thank you cards: $20?? (Purchased at Staples)

Postage: $100.00

Invitations and Stationery Total: $170.00

Rings

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING:

Engagement ring: $5,271 to $8,187
Her ring: $1,063 to $1,652
His ring: $749 to $1,164

Jewelry Total: $7,083 to $11,003

OUR WEDDING:

Engagement ring: $0 (My ring was passed down from husband's grandmother)
Her ring: $200.00 (Found antique wedding band on Ebay)
His ring: $300.00 (Had his ring crafted at local jeweler)

Earrings for Her: $50

Jewelry Total: $550.00

Honeymoon

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING:

Honeymoon: $4,244 to $6,592

Bridal consultant/planner: $1,525 to $2,368

Honeymoon/Planning Total: $5,769 to $8,960

OUR WEDDING:

Honeymoon: $0 (We did not take a honeymoon after our wedding)
Bridal consultant/planner: $0 (No wedding planner)

Honeymoon/Planning Total: $0

Photography

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING: 

Photographer: $2,328 to $3,615
Videographer: $1,691 to $2,627

Photographer/Videographer Total: $4,019 to $6,242

OUR WEDDING:

Photographer: $600.00 (Found our guy on Craigslist)
Videographer: $0 (Did not video our wedding)

Photographer/Videographer Total: $600.00

Reception

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING:

Reception beverages/bartender: $2,537 to $3,940
Bride/groom hotel: $319 to $495
Cake: $613 to $953
Cake knife set: $49 to $76
Cake topper: $47 to $73
Reception decorations/centerpieces: $1,225 to $1,904
Favors: $409 to $635
Reception food service: $8,637 to $13,415
Reception location: $2,808 to $4,362
Reception rentals: $1,257 to $1,953

Reception Total: $17,901 to $27,806

OUR WEDDING:

Reception including food and service: $11,250.00 (November day wedding at Somerville Elks with buffet dinner and open bar)

Reception beverages/bartender: INCLUDED
Bride/groom hotel: $??
Cake: $535 (local bakery)
Cake knife set: $0 (Why do we need this again?)
Cake topper: $0
Reception decorations/centerpieces: $0
Favors: $0

Tips: $280

Reception Total: $12,065.00

Transportation

AVERAGE NJ WEDDING:

Car rental: $346 to $538
Limo rental: $763 to $1,185

Transportation Total: $1,109 to $1,723

OUR WEDDING:

Car rental: $0 (Father in law drove us to the hotel from the reception)
Limo rental: $0

Transportation Total: 0

GRAND TOTALS

Average NJ Wedding, Grand Total Low End: $68,567.00

Our Budget NJ Wedding Grand Total: $18,168.00

Source of Average NJ Wedding Costs: CostofWedding.com

Cheap Wedding Venue in Lakehurst, NJ

Just saw an ad in the "Celebrations" Wedding Advertiser for La Bove Grande - "an exquisite banquet hall in Lakehurst, NJ." They're advertising $49.95 per person including open bar. They also do bar and bat mitsvahs, sweet sixteen parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, family parties and corporate events.

Call them for a personal tour of their wide selection of halls and ballrooms: 732 657 8377.

You can also visit them online at http://labovegrande.net.