We wanted an outdoor wedding. We're hippies!...at heart. We went to Burning Man!...once.

Anyway, outdoor weddings can be very very EXPENSIVE. I looked at parks that charge $2,500 not including ANYTHING. That means we'd have to bring in rentals, food, etc. We don't have any friends with backyards big enough for 80 people. We also have a lot of older relatives that will need flat & even ground, restrooms and reasonable temperatures.

Long story short, we found a restaurant with a ballroom that includes practically everything for very reasonable prices. Both the ceremony and reception will take place in the same room.