We love how they used both The George (ceremony and reception) and the Madcap Lounge (cocktail hour) for their wedding – it’s the perfect use of this venue! Read on for their full wedding cost breakdown at the George and Madcap Lounge and don’t miss the “note from the couple” at the bottom.
Married In Milwaukee Family Used:
We were excited to see that this couple used two Married In Milwaukee Family Members!! Here are the MIM Family Members involved in this wedding at The George and Madcap Lounge:
- Venue: The George and Madcap Lounge
- Caterer: Saz’s
Quick Facts – The George Wedding:
- Guests: 145
- Ceremony/Reception: The George and Madcap Lounge
- Total Costs: $63,450
Wedding Essentials ($12,950):
- Invitations/Stationery: $1,300
- Photographer: $5,250
- Cake: $550
- Flowers: $3,600
- Wedding Planner: $2,250
Reception and Ceremony Costs ($31,250):
- Reception: $6,000 (The George and Madcap Lounge)
- Ceremony: $1,000 (The George and Madcap Lounge)
- Drinks: $9,300 (Saz’s)
- Catering: $11,300 (Saz’s)
- Officiant: $950
- DJ: $2,300
- Rentals: $400 (Saz’s)
Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($10,700):
- Bride’s Dress: $4,000
- Bride’s Shoes: $200
- Groom’s Attire: $1,200
- Beauty: $2,500
- Rings: $2,800
Other Costs ($8,500):
- Hotel Suite: $800
- Rehearsal Dinner: $6,500
- Wedding Party Gifts: $1,000
- Other: $200
Honeymoon ($10,000 – Not Included in Total):
- Trip to Hawaii: $10,000 (not included in total)
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:
Our top priority was to create a meaningful and fun experience for us and our wedding guests on the day of the event. To do this, we agreed that our top budgetary priorities were overall aesthetics and food and drink. While our wedding was not inexpensive, we are happy with the value we got for our money and know it went a long way to provide the best experience for everyone involved.
This included a high-quality venue (The George and Madcap Lounge) that provided an experienced and attentive staff, upscale food options (Saz’s), and top-shelf liquor for an open bar all evening. We had the best night of our lives, and we were proud to hear how many of our guests told us it was the best wedding they had ever been to.
Food and drink:
One of our favorite parts of our relationship is how much we both enjoy good food and drinks. We also both know how important it is to keep guests full and happy. So from the start, we knew we didn’t want to spare expense on food and drink. We went for the top-level alcohol package and the food that we liked most at our caterer’s tasting event (Saz’s).That meant we were able to pass champagne at the beginning of the ceremony to start everyone off with a festive mood, offer substantial appetizers including an oyster bar, ensure high quality drinks flowed all night, and keep the dance floor alive with delicious late-night sliders.
The Venue’s Aesthetics:
We knew that we wanted our wedding to look beautiful, and we wanted to create a feeling of coziness and intimacy. We toured several venues on a single day, and we quickly realized that it would be overwhelming to create the experience we wanted with a blank-slate venue. The George and Madcap Lounge stood out from the others because it was meticulously decorated with striking artwork, furniture, and architectural details.This amounted to a captivating visual impact. So we avoided the cost and stress of filling a space with rentals or DIY decorations. This higher cost meant we needed to be mindful of our floral budget. We spent a lot of time finding a florist who helped us create a vision while also being creative with the budget. We re-used floral elements across the ceremony for the reception, and had some high-impact floral moments, but relied on greenery to fill in the remaining space.
Cost control:
Because we focused so much on the experience of the ceremony and reception, our price per guest was high. We did a few things to control costs in other areas without sacrificing our priorities. First, we picked a winter weekend instead of the high-wedding-season so that we could get a discounted rate on our venue, which saved us thousands of dollars. Although we didn’t expect the snow and cold we ended up with, we loved our winter wedding.It was unique, cozy, and our most memorable photographs look like we got married in a snow globe. Second, we leaned into keeping our guest list tight. We appreciated the fact that our venue had a 160 guest maximum since this helped create the feeling of intimacy, and kept us accountable to a small guest list. Third, we went cheap and cheerful with the details.
For example, we designed our own stationary using Minted, bought accessories second-hand, restored an antique mantle that my parents sourced from their home state as our altar, and borrowed little things like table numbers, card boxes, and picture frames from friends. Finally, we cut out some aspects completely – mostly things that have more value after the fact than they do in the moment, such as a videographer, a photo booth, and wedding favors.
We avoided spending money on transportation by choosing a hotel within walking distance of the venue and choosing a venue where we could host both our ceremony and our reception.
– The Happy Couple
A BIG thanks to the couple for sharing the Cost Breakdown of their awesome wedding at The George and Madcap Lounge and to Mo Schultz 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.
