Wow, this couple had a great wedding at Bay View’s amazing Cafe Centraal! Their small guest list (80 people) along with gifts from friends and family helped them save on their costs. Add in that it was a Thursday night wedding and you see why they had an awesome wedding for only $13K.
This couple’s vision for their wedding was a laid back celebration with friends and family that had an “urban fairytale” vibe. We think their Café Centraal wedding pulled this off superbly. Read on to see their photos and a budget breakdown.
Married In Milwaukee Family Used
This couple used a ton of MIM Family which we always love to see!! Here’s the MIM Family Members involved in this Cafe Centraal wedding:
- Photography: Michelle Kujawski Photography
- Venue: Centraal Grand Cafe and Tappery
- Cake: The Cake Lady
- Planner: Chasing Threes Wedding Design
Wedding Quick Facts – Café Centraal Wedding:
- Guests: 80
- Ceremony/Reception: Café Centraal
- Total Costs: $12,917
Wedding Essentials ($5,338):
- Invitations: $389
- Desserts: $500
- Photographer: $2,900 (part of this expense was gifted to the couple)
- Videographer: $0 (gifted)
- Flowers: $1,549
- Wedding Planner: $0 (gifted by a friend)
Reception and Ceremony Costs ($6,099):
- Ceremony/Reception: $0 (no rental fee – just food/drink minimums)
- Food/Drinks: $5,000
- Officiant: $0 (friend)
- DJ: $799
- Transportation: $300
Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($655):
- Bride’s Dress: $0 (dress was a gift)
- Groom’s Attire: $250
- Brides’ Shoes: $15
- Hair and Make-up: $390
Other Costs ($825):
- Wedding Party Gifts: $200 (jewelry, custom hanger and wine growlers for the ladies; shoes for the men)
- Hotel Suite: $625
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:
The Venue & Food:
For our wedding the venue and food were at the top of our list. We were looking for a venue that had character and charm but also had amazing food.From the hand cut kettle chips to the blackberry jam turkey sandwiches, Café Centraal had been a frequent lunch and dinner spot for us, when we asked them to host wedding the staff worked with us to create our perfect menu.
For the overall wedding we were not looking to have a traditional wedding. Our vision was for a laid back celebration with friends and family! Café Centraal provided all of that and more!
The brick, the greenery and accents of gold in the courtyard during the day made this the perfect spot for us to say “I do”, and later when sun goes down the twinkly lights come on lighting up the deck floor making the perfect dance floor.
Photos:
Michelle Kujawski was our wedding photographer. To this day we continue to stare in amazement at our wedding photos because they all turned out so beautiful!A customer at my husbands work recommended her to us and we decided to give her a call. She took the time to sit down and hear about our wedding, asked questions and made every photo shoot fun. Michelle is a true professional and her passion for getting the perfect shot comes through every time we worked with her.
Flowers:
Floral Alchemy provided all of the flowers and arrangements for the wedding. Elizabeth Egan was recommended to us by Michelle (our Photographer). They had actually done some work together and we figured why not have them team up one more time?Michelle’s photos capture just how beautiful Floral Alchemy did with the flowers! She really took the time to look at all of our examples and put her own personal touch on them. We couldn’t have asked for more beautiful arrangements!
Cake:
Before we even knew we were getting married we knew exactly where to get our wedding cake! My childhood friend (The Cake Lady) has been baking cakes for almost every occasion we’ve had: birthdays, showers, anniversaries, you name it!Not only are her cakes delicious, but also beautifully made. Our wedding cake exceeded out expectations and was such a hit that we only went home with a few slices. It really was an honor to have a friend be such a memorable part of our special day!
– The Bride and Groom
A BIG thanks to the couple for sharing their awesome Cafe Centraal wedding and to Michelle Kujawski 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.
