
We are super excited to feature our first Cost Breakdown at The Factory on Barclay! It’s such an awesome venue with a unique layout – we love it!!
For their wedding, this couple used the theme “industrial enchanted forest,” and we think they did a great job with it! For just over $45k, they had an awesome wedding with some great wedding vendors. Read on to see their beautiful wedding at The Factory on Barclay.
Married In Milwaukee Family Used:
We were excited to see that this couple used several Married In Milwaukee Family Members!! Here are the MIM Family Members involved in this wedding at The Factory on Barclay:
- Venue: The Factory on Barclay
- DJ: Milwaukee Airwaves
- Dress: Miss Ruby
- Photo Booth: Milwaukee Airwaves
Quick Facts – The Factory on Barclay Wedding:
- Guests: 160
- Ceremony: Christ King Parish
- Reception: The Factory on Barclay
- Total Costs: $45,839

Wedding Essentials ($13,269):
- Invitations/Stationery: $1,192
- Desserts: $632 (ice cream)
- Wedding Planner: $1,500
- Photographer: $3,600
- Videographer: $2,745
- Flowers: $3,600

Reception and Ceremony Costs ($25,228):
- Ceremony: $600
- Reception: $11,172 (includes venue rental and drinks)
- Food: $10,961
- Drinks: $0 (included in reception cost above)
- DJ: $2,495 (included DJ and photo booth)

Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($5,992):
- Bride’s Dress: $2,147
- Traditional Dress: $0 (custom Vietnamese traditional dress was paid for by family)
- Bride’s Shoes: $145
- Groom’s Attire: $800 (custom suit from NL Suits)
- Hair and Makeup: $1,400
- Rings: $1,500 (cost for wedding bands – engagement ring cost not included)

Other Costs ($1,350):
- Rentals: $420
- Rehearsal Dinner: $0 (hosted by family)
- Transportation: $750
- Wedding Party Gifts: $180

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 Planner:
When we were planning our wedding, the one thing we decided was vital was having a wedding planner. Laura was someone I found on Instagram, after meeting with her she understood our vision of wanting to be a more hands on couple but needing some assistance in finding the right vendors. She helped us significantly along the way, she was there for every milestone and was with us the whole day on the wedding.The Venue:
The venue was one of the more difficult places to nail down because we obviously wanted the right space. When we went to see The Factory on Barclay, my husband saw the potential of it.Sarah was wonderful to work with and can make accommodations for any couple. We loved the space for the industrial feel with the charm of Milwaukee. The chandeliers were so romantic, and amped those up by adding greenery to the space.
The Photographer:
Michelle was definitely a vital piece. Her wedding package included engagement photos, 12 hour wedding day coverage, including a wedding album.Matt was not excited at all what-so-ever to take pictures. She made him feel so comfortable during the process and he felt at ease with her, which definitely made the process for him less painful. Now after receiving the photos, we are so in love with everything.
The Flowers:
A coworker referred me to Jane Kelly because she used them for her daughter’s wedding. After making my appointment with her, she understood my vision and went well above and beyond what I wanted.We threw together keywords and made the day the “industrial modern enchanted forest” that we wanted. My dream was to have greenery on chandeliers at The Factory on Barclay. We were worried about going out of our final floral budget, but she was so amazing she actually went to the venue to look at everything to bring my dream to reality.
The Bridal Attire:
I had no idea what I was looking for when I was looking for a dress. Reagan from Miss Ruby was so patient through the process but also super helpful in that she knew exactly what I was looking for without even knowing it. She asked me to trust her and to humor her in the dress that she brought out, and after putting it on it was the ‘one’ dress.It was always important to me to include my culture in my wedding day, so my mother was kind enough to have her friends and family from her homeland create a custom wedding ‘ao dai’ for my husband and I.
We also included something called chao ban as a part of our reception to walk to every table as the bride and groom to personally thank them for coming to our special day.
Overall, we wouldn’t have changed anything from our day. It was the best day, we couldn’t have asked for anything more. The day was wonderful thanks to our vendors, without them we would not have been able to enjoy the day to its fullest potential.
– The Happy Couple
A BIG thanks to the couple for sharing the Cost Breakdown of their awesome wedding at The Factory on Barclay and to Meesh Photography for the amazing photos!
If you’re currently working on your wedding budget, make sure to read through our previous Cost Breakdown articles featuring real Milwaukee wedding cost breakdowns.