8 surprisingly affordable luxury wedding venues for your micro wedding
Most people wouldn’t put the words “luxury” and “micro wedding” together in a sentence, but we’re here to assure you that the two are not mutually exclusive.
If you have expensive tastes (it’s okay to admit it!) but hope to exchange vows with just a select group of your nearest and dearest—or if you’re planning a micro wedding on a budget but still want to feel like a prince or princess on your wedding day—just know that you can still have an affordable micro wedding and say “I do” in an incredibly glamorous setting. How, you might ask, when wedding venues are just so expensive these days?! (Ahem: these top 10 Orlando and Central Florida area wedding venues under $2,000 might convince you otherwise.)
The answer: finding a luxury wedding venue that offers micro wedding or intimate wedding packages.
Trust us, it’s incredibly hard to find this information online (we would know: we had to do the grueling work to put this list together!), so save yourself the trouble with our top recommendations for wedding venues that bring on the glam without breaking the bank.
These 8 luxury wedding venues in Central Florida are surprisingly affordable for micro weddings and intimate weddings—keep reading for the full list!
8 SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE LUXURY WEDDING VENUES FOR YOUR MICRO WEDDING
PICTURE CREDIT: KATE RACHEL PHOTOGRAPHY
1. The Capen House at the Polasek in Winter Park, FL
One of Winter Park’s most sought-after wedding venues, the glamorous Capen House at the Polasek is a luxurious wedding venue exuding Southern charm and vintage elegance. Exchange vows in the lush lakefront backyard, dance the night away on the home’s brick-paved patio, and capture intimate bridal portraits among the home’s historic features.
We’ve picked Capen House for this list of affordable luxury wedding venues for micro weddings because of its intimate feel and the ability to seat a small gathering indoors (large wedding receptions do not have an indoor option). Historic home wedding venues like Capen House are such a lovely choice for micro weddings as they blend the intimacy of a cozy home wedding with the elegance of a high-end venue and don’t feel empty if your guest count is on the smaller side.
If you’re planning a micro wedding, you may find Capen House a very affordable option. As of the writing of this article, weekday pricing in the peak of wedding season (October–April) is listed at $1,900, with off-season (May–September) weekday pricing of just $1,450—both for a full 8hr rental of the home.
PICTURE CREDIT: US!
2. Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach, FL
Nothing screams “luxury” more than getting married in an art museum, but you’d be shocked to know that a museum wedding can be surprisingly affordable. Daytona Beach’s Museum of Arts and Sciences offers several locations throughout the museum property to host an indoor wedding ceremony and indoor wedding reception. From the elegant Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art to the classic simplicity of Root Hall, MOAS makes hosting an art museum wedding easy and affordable. While renting the full museum or the popular Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art (pictured above) are pricier options, weekday rentals for some of the museum’s other spaces start at just $950.
PICTURE CREDIT: GIAN CARLO PHOTOGRAPHY
3. Luxmore Grande Estate in Winter Springs, FL
Jaw-dropping Luxmore Grande Estate in Winter Springs, FL brings Southern elegance to Central Florida. This home, while not historic, is modeled as a glamorous estate manor that’s sure to wow your wedding guests with its grand columned porch, stately staircase, and crystal chandelier. Exchange vows in the scenic garden and celebrate your ever after in the home’s ballrooms; sneak in romantic bridal portraits in the moody library or in front of the home’s outdoor fountain. If you want to feel like the belle of your very own ball, this is the wedding venue for you!
Luxmore Grande Estate offers elopement and minimony wedding packages that make getting married at this luxurious wedding venue affordable for intimate gatherings. The elopement package for up to 8 guests is priced at $995 while the 30-guest minimony package costs $1,795.
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PICTURE CREDIT: US!
4. Tavares Pavilion on the Lake in Tavares, FL
We recently had our first wedding photography experience at Tavares Pavilion on the Lake in Tavares, FL and were floored by how stunning this hidden gem of a wedding venue truly is. Located an hour’s drive from central Orlando, this scenic wedding venue is perched along the shore of picturesque Lake Dora at the end of a dramatic paved pier. Inside, the venue simply consists of two large halls one atop the other (along with bridal and groom suites and other necessary amenities) for seamless hosting of your wedding ceremony and wedding reception.
The breathtaking lakefront views from the floor-to-ceiling windows and the sweeping staircase are the real stars of this elegant wedding venue, however. You and your loved one will say “I do” against the stunning backdrop of the venue’s signature staircase, and you’ll love the view of the lake from both your wedding ceremony and wedding reception!
City-owned Tavares Pavilion on the Lake is affordably priced, with weekday (Monday–Wednesday) evening rentals starting at $1,400. Thursday and Friday daytime rentals are the same cost, whereas Thursday, Friday or weekend evenings range from $1,800–5,500. Hosting a weekday wedding is a fabulous way to save money on your wedding venue without sacrificing on elegance and is a move we highly recommend!
PICTURE CREDIT: THE HOWEY MANSION WEBSITE
5. The Howey Mansion in Howey-in-the-Hills, FL
If you want to feel like Daisy Buchanan in your very own Gatsby-inspired wedding venue, then you must visit The Howey Mansion in Howey-in-the-Hills, FL. This historic home built in 1925 exudes Roaring ‘20s glamor with luxurious details in every room. From the expansive ballroom to its winding staircase, your guests will never forget a wedding day experience like this.
While larger weddings can enjoy seating guests in the home’s intimate garden, micro weddings have the option for indoor gatherings. Dance away on top of the home’s historic hardwood floors and capture elegant bridal portraits on the sweeping staircase or outdoors on the sweeping lawns. A wedding at The Howey Mansion is sure to feel luxurious, no matter your guest count!
This highly sought-after wedding venue is a bit higher-end in pricing, but its 6hr wedding package—starting at $3,000 for weekdays—still clocks in significantly more affordable than most wedding venues of this caliber. The weekday rental does not include a guest count cap (besides the max capacity of the wedding venue), so it’s an ideal option for either regular-size weddings or intimate micro weddings. Whether you hold an intimate wedding or a large bash, elegance can come without breaking the bank at The Howey Mansion.
PICTURE CREDIT: HISTORIC DUBSDREAD BALLROOM WEBSITE
6. Historic Dubsdread Ballroom in Orlando, FL
We have attended not one, but two family weddings at Historic Dubsdread Ballroom in Orlando, FL so we can personally attest to how beautiful this historic wedding venue is! Built in 1924, this space exudes rustic charm mixed with high-end elegance. Offering three distinct spaces and options for either indoor or outdoor wedding ceremonies, the wedding venue’s signature ballroom boasts hardwood floors, open wood-beam ceiling and original stone fireplace all showcasing country elegance.
A wedding day experience at Historic Dubsdread Ballroom is priced at $2,500, making it surprisingly affordable especially compared to many other local wedding venues. However, if you’re planning a more budget-friendly bash, the venue’s website does state it offers discounts for weekday weddings—and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to ask if your micro wedding qualifies for an additional discount as well!
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PICTURE CREDIT: ERIKA GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY
7. Lake Mary Events Center in Lake Mary, FL
The well-loved Lake Mary Events Center is located along the shore of West Crystal Lake in quiet Lake Mary, FL. This elegant, classic indoor wedding venue offers multiple spaces to host your wedding, from its spacious ballrooms to its lakefront outdoor lawn. The signature Grand Ballroom hosts stunning views from its floor-to-ceiling windows, bringing the outdoors in, and elegant hardwood floors ensuring a picture-perfect wedding.
This affordable wedding venue offers a variety of pricing options. Weekday rentals of one room starting at $350 (the Grand Ballroom, which is the popular choice, starts at $550), while Friday morning full-building rentals are priced at $1,000 or Thursday evenings for $2,000. Weeknight rentals are higher-priced but still well within many weddings’ budgets; but with the many options to fit any budget, a micro wedding at Lake Mary Events Center can be one that does not break the bank!
PICTURE CREDIT: 28º NORTH PHOTOGRAPHY
8. Cypress Grove Estate House in Orlando, FL
Last but most certainly not least in our list of luxury wedding venues that are surprisingly affordable for small weddings is the elegant Cypress Grove Estate House in Orlando, FL. Sitting on 80 scenic acres, this 1925 Colonial-style home stands out with its sweeping brick driveway, iconic white siding, and towering oak trees. With backyard views of Lake Jessamine, this historic home wedding venue evokes the vintage elegance of a ‘20s lakeside vacation estate.
Weddings at Cypress Grove Estate House take place at the dedicated lakeside wedding ceremony site, with space for an outdoor wedding reception on the brick-paved and column-lined courtyard just behind the historic home. While indoor wedding receptions may be an option for small weddings, we cannot confirm, so it’s worth asking if this is an option for your micro wedding. However, you can still enjoy the glamor of the home’s tastefully-curated interior for your bridal suite and bridal portraits.
Cypress Grove Estate House is well-known for its luxury as a wedding venue, yet many couples may not know that it also offers weekday elopement and minimony wedding packages at very affordable rates. Elopements are limited to 8 guests and start at $995 for a 2hr venue rental, while “minimonies” for micro weddings of up to 30 guests include a 4hr venue rental for $1,795.
Holding a micro wedding in Central Florida can be affordable and luxurious at the same time. Whether you’re throwing an intimate elopement wedding at one of these historic home wedding venues or celebrating an upscale art museum micro wedding, we hope this list proves that it actually IS possible to get married on a budget without sacrificing elegance.
Your wedding photographer doesn’t have to break your wedding budget, either. If you’re planning a micro wedding in the Orlando or Central Florida area, we offer wedding photography and videography packages exclusively curated for the needs of micro weddings, affordably priced so you can prioritize your budget on what matters most to you! View our pricing or schedule a free consultation today.
