This couple loves Milwaukee and wanted it to be center stage at their wedding. The Milwaukee County Historical Society was the perfect venue to do this.
They used some awesome vendors (including several MIM Family Members) and we think had an amazingly awesome wedding for $37,000. Read on for all of the details.
#MIMFamily Used:
We just have to make note of the several Married In Milwaukee Family Members they used for their wedding. Check them out below and please consider them for your wedding:
- Catering: Saz’s Catering
- Planner: Events to a T
- Invites: Bay View Printing Co.
- Dresses: Miss Ruby
- Rehearsal Catering: Tall Guy and a Grill
Quick Facts – Historical Society Wedding:
- Guests: 75
- Ceremony/Reception: Milwaukee County Historical Society
- Total Costs: $37,363
Wedding Essentials ($8,985):
- Invitations: $747
- Cake: $331
- Photographer: $3,775
- Wedding Planner: $2,500 (month of coordination)
- Flowers: $1,632 (2 bridal bouquets, 6 bridesmaid bouquets, 2 “groomsmen” boutonnieres, 6 family member corsages/boutonnieres)
Reception and Ceremony Costs ($19,925):
- Venue Fee: $5,700
- Food: $6,340 (3 stations, plus 9 passed appetizers and late night snack)
- Drinks: $3,619 (rail bar + signature drink)
- Officiant: $0 (friend)
- DJ/Uplighting: $1,690
- Photo Booth: $695
- Rentals: $1,881 (tables and chairs)
Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($5,214):
- Dresses: $2,798 (cost for two dresses)
- Dress Alterations: $800 (cost for two dresses)
- Shoes: $466 (cost for 4 pairs of shoes as they used different shoes for the ceremony and reception)
- Hair, Make-up and Nails: $1,150 (the couple paid for hair for all bridesmaids and MOB/aunt. Cost listed doesn’t include gratuity)
Other Costs ($3,239):
- Transportation: $800
- Wedding Favors: $45
- Wedding Party Gifts: $120 (Milwaukee-made candles)
- Hotel Suite: $872 (two nights)
- Rehearsal Dinner: $884 (At Ruby Tap, catered by Tall Guy and a Grill)
- Marriage Licence: $110
- Bridal party Accessories: $158
- Welcome Bags: $100 (for hotel guests)
- Thank You Notes & Stamps: $50
- Venue Decorations: $100
Honeymoon ($4,000 – Not Included in Total):
- Cape Town, South Africa: $4,000 (Various activities paid for by guests through their honeyfund)
A Note from the Couple
We asked this happy couple to tell us about their planning and budgeting process, and this is what they had to say:
We had a conversation early on about what parts of our wedding were most important to us, and what we wanted to spend most of our money on – we decided on photography, venue, food, and beverages. We also knew that we were going to pay for most of our wedding ourselves, and so wanted to use discretion on the remaining items, while still using vendors that we loved and felt a connection with.
We met in Milwaukee and love this city – it has both a small town feel, with all the perks of a big city (great food, so many fun events throughout the year), and so we knew we wanted Milwaukee to take center stage in our wedding. That’s why we immediately fell in love with the glamour of the Milwaukee County Historical Society (complete with the ‘Love MKE’ signs!) and knew we had to get married there. The rest of our wedding fell into place around the art-deco theme of the Historical Society.
Early on we also went to the ‘Love is Love’ wedding showcase and met two amazing MIM vendors there that we instantly knew we wanted to work with – Emily from Wood Violet and Ashley from Bay View Printing Company. Each of them incorporated the local Milwaukee vibe that we loved into their work – Emily using locally sourced flowers, and Ashley with her beautiful local shop and MIlwaukee-themed designs.
Another thing that was very important to us was that our wedding be less traditional and stress free! Saz’s amazing stations were the perfect fit for this (everyone still compliments the food), and Zilli’s bartenders were incredibly friendly and had everyone’s drink orders memorized by the end of the night! We also invested in Events to a T to help us with month-of coordination, and couldn’t be happier with how our coordinator, Emily, handled everything. Between her help and all of our amazing vendors, our wedding really was the perfect day!
– The Happy Couple – Jen and Kelly
A BIG thanks to this couple for sharing their beautiful Milwaukee County Historical Society wedding and to Karen Ann Photography for the amazing photos!
If you’re currently working on your wedding budget, make sure to read through our previous articles featuring real Milwaukee wedding cost breakdowns.
