I know in NYC it's fine usually to bring your own wine-I did it for my son's wedding (we didn't want a bar just a few bottles for a l'chaim). I think it's up to the caterer/hall.

Fish is a pricey way to go-although who isn't sick of chicken?

If you can get decent help for the community room, it's not a bad idea. My sister does her parties in one and she caters from one place and gets neighborhood guys to set up, serve and clear. It's doable.

And the cake can be made ahead of time, frozen and then decorated with the icing etc. a day or two before (don't freeze it iced).

Good Luck!

Thanks! Good to know. This has turned into a really helpful thread!

We used to do this for every family sheva brochos! It was always the best one, very homey and warm. But now as my 28 nieces and nephews are half married, the guest list of just immediate family is starting to top 50 people and none of us have a house big enough.
We're dreading moving the party to a catering hall or restaurant or shul-it won't be the same at all.
LOVE your idea!

My son got married at Charna-it was lovely. The price was very right and I wasn't expecting much, but the food was amazing (and they send us home with tons of leftovers-chicken cutlets, etc-for Sheva Brochus), and the people there were very nice.
My daughter got married at the uber fancy Temple Hillel and it was a terrible experience. Charna was terrific!
Mazel Tov!

My niece has a child who is allergic to soy and nuts and is having a really hard time finding markets that sell kosher natural foods like a Whole Foods would.
Are there any stores like that around Lakewood? I'm in Queens so I can't help her but I thought someone on this board would know. Even a website would be helpful-she would order online too.
Thanks for your help!

UPDATE! My friend went to the Hewlett/East Rockaway Jewish Center and found the caterer to be really nice, eager to please and willing to work with her! I hope this works out. Plus, it's great to have a new place to make a wedding in the 5 towns!

I take it Linden is in NJ? I will google and pass on the suggestion. Also-didn't know that Rose Castle was so reasonable. I wonder if they would be amenable to something simple?

Two people told me that the caterer here is very eager to please which would work well for a friend of mine trying to do an alternative type wedding.
Any experience with the caterer Culinary Concepts?
Thanks for your feedback!

Thank you for the good suggestions and I will relay them to my friend-I especially like the kiddush room idea with a simple buffet...why not?
I just wanted to explain the number of people. Jewish families are HUGE. I have 28 nieces and nephews, half of whom are married; an equal amount of FIRST cousins, all of whom are married; assorted aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters. My immediate family tops 100 at this point and that's without a single friend.
My friend, however, has a large family and her deceased husband's family is also very large and she is adamant about including them because they are his family. I agree that she should cut but I don;t think it's that simple. With any luck 50-75 people won't show up and that will be good. She is also footing the entire bill for this wedding (we've all seen this happen, not necessary to explain it). So if she wants both sides of her family, plus the kallah's friends, plus his family and his friends...well it's tough.
Still I agree she should cut or be a bit more reasonable and maybe that will happen. I just wish there was a way to do this without spending tons of money for a few hours.

Too frum, I think. They'll require separate seating and my friend will just feel weird dealing with them. Is Brooklyn then out of the question?

Thank you! I will give these to my friend.
How about on Long Island? My mother heard that there was a hall in Huntington that does subsidized weddings but I can't find anything. Is Long Island out of the question? Maybe Westchester?
Oh and anybody have any caterer friends who are willing to go outside the box and make an alternative type wedding somewhere new? When I made my son's Bar Mitzva, we got very lucky and found a guy who was just starting out-ours was his second affair-so we took a chance and he gave us a great party for very little because he wanted to get his name out there.

I made my son's wedding at Ateres Chynka and it was very low key (no flowers, small band) but still the minimum requirement was 550 people-we had 450 and took home leftovers. It was nice but still cost us $20,000, a cost that we were able to split between the two families. My friend does not have that option.
Are the Brooklyn ones all separate seating? We don't need that. I'm thinking stay away from Williamsburg?

A friend is trying to make a wedding on a VERY tight budget and I am finding nothing online to help her. She can make the wedding in any NYC borough and NJ close to NY. She is super frum but absolutely kosher so the hashgocha has to be good.
People have been telling me to talk to caterers but which caterers? Who is not expensive? She needs 350 people (no, can't cut it down, big, big family) at maximum $10,000 for the whole shebang.
Possible? She's open to alternative ideas.
Thanks for your help.