After this couple saw the Great Hall at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery, they were sold. In fact, they didn’t even look at any other venues! 90 percent of their guests were from out-of-town, so having their ceremony and reception in the same place was a must and the Great Hall worked perfect for that.
For $30,000 this couple had an awesome wedding at Best Place and used some amazing vendors. Read on to see their photos and full budget breakdown. And don’t miss the “note from the couple” at the bottom of the article.
Married In Milwaukee Family Used
This couple used several MIM Family which we always love to see!! Here’s the MIM Family Members involved in this Pabst Best Place wedding:
- Photography: Kathy McDowell Photography
- Venue: Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery
- DJ: Sound By Design
- Photo Booth: Sound By Design
Wedding Quick Facts – Best Place Wedding:
- Guests: 128
- Ceremony/Reception: Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery
- Total Costs: $30,170
Wedding Essentials ($4,123):
- Invitations: $350 (save the dates and invites)
- Cake: $430
- Photographer: $2,000
- Flowers: $1,343 (bridal bouquet, 4 bridesmaids bouquets, flower girl crown and petals, 14 boutonnieres, 4 wrist corsages, altar flowers and pillars)
Reception and Ceremony Costs ($17,618):
- Ceremony: $250
- Reception: $5,822
- Food: $5,698 (appetizers during the cocktail hour, a buffet dinner, and a late night popcorn station)
- Drinks: $3,198 (cocktail hour open bar; hosted beer wine and soft drinks all night)
- Officiant: $60 (friend paid with a bottle of wine)
- DJ: $1,795
- Photo Booth: $795 ($100 discount for using Sound By Design’s DJ services)
Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($3,460):
- Bride’s Dress: $1,100 (includes alterations)
- Groom’s Attire: $250
- Brides’ Shoes: $85
- Hair: $630 (bride’s hair plus bridesmaids and mothers)
- Makeup: $597 (bride’s makeup plus bridesmaids and mothers)
- Rings: $798
Other Costs ($4,969):
- Transportation: $875
- Wedding Party Gifts: $122
- Wedding Favors: $162
- Hotel Suite: $810
- Rehearsal Dinner: $1,500
- Tips: $1,500
Honeymoon ($1,300 – Not Included in Total):
- Honeymoon: $1,300 (trip to Washington DC)
A Note From The Couple
We asked the couple to tell us about their planning and budgeting process, and this is what they had to say:
We were very lucky in the fact that both sets of our parents were really ready and able to help us with our wedding budget. Without our families we would not have been able to have the most beautiful wedding.
Kathy McDowell and her photography partner Sean were the best! Not only did we get a great deal on the session, but they were so much fun to work with. The bride’s family is not easy to corral, and they did it efficiently in order to get our family pictures done in the hour that we had during the cocktail time. Kathy really listened to our wants and we got some amazing pictures that we will be able to keep forever.
The venue was the most important part of our wedding. The Great Hall at Best Place was the first and only venue we looked at. Since 90% of our guests were travelling from across the country it was important to us to have our ceremony and reception at the same place. The space was large enough and it was so beautiful that we did not need many decorations for the space itself.
We saved tons of money on decorations since they were all made by the bride and her family and reused from her sister’s (and bridesmaid) wedding from the previous October. Some simple paint and stain changed the decorations, and no-one was the wiser that they were used at a wedding that they had attended.
Jessica at Beauty and Whiskey is incredible as well. She is a total professional. She came to our suite and expertly did 9 faces (including the bride’s) in record time. She rolled with the punches when we went in shifts so people could go get their hair done and when some people were running late. Jessica also was amazing at keeping the bride calm during the day. It was wonderful to have her around and work with her. She was the best!
A BIG thanks to the couple for sharing their awesome Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery wedding and to Kathy McDowell Photography for the photos!
If you’re currently working on your wedding budget, make sure to read through our previous articles featuring real Milwaukee wedding cost breakdowns.
