This couple is from Illinois and wanted their wedding to feel warm, romantic and timeless. They visited a ton of venues in Illinois and Wisconsin, but as soon as they walked into Jan Serr Studio they knew they had found the perfect spot.
For just over $65,000 they had an amazing wedding for 161 guests with some awesome vendors! Read on for the full cost breakdown of their beautiful Jan Serr Studio wedding, 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 several Married In Milwaukee Family Members!! Here are the MIM Family Members involved in this wedding at Jan Serr Studio:
- Floral: Flowers for Dreams
- DJ: Sound by Design
- Venue: Jan Serr Studio
- Caterer: Saz’s
- Rehearsal Dinner: Café Hollander
Quick Facts – Jan Serr Studio Wedding:
- Guests: 161
- Ceremony/Reception: Jan Serr Studio
- Total Costs: $65,360
Wedding Essentials ($12,543):
- Invitations/Stationery: $330
- Photographer: $0 (gifted)
- Cake: $330
- Desserts: $300
- Flowers: $6,383 (included: bridal bouquet, bridesmaids bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, baby’s breath pomander, arch décor, votive suite, dessert table décor, low floral tables, floating candle trio tables, fluted floating candle suite, sweetheart table décor from Flowers for Dreams)
- Wedding Planner: $5,200
Reception and Ceremony Costs ($31,745):
- Reception: $7,500 (Jan Serr Studio)
- Ceremony: $1,000 (Jan Serr Studio)
- Catering: $17,750 (includes food and drinks from Saz’s)
- Officiant: $0 (gifted)
- DJ: $2,495 (Sound By Design)
- Rentals: $3,000
Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($11,102):
- Bride’s Dress: $1,932
- Bride’s Shoes: $100
- Groom’s Attire: $0
- Beauty: $3,000
- Rings: $6,070
Other Costs ($9,970):
- Hotel Suite: $350
- Transportation: $20
- Rehearsal Dinner: $2,700 (Cafe Hollander)
- Other: $6,800 (includes: tips, tax, alterations, service fee, cigar bar, bathroom baskets)
Honeymoon ($5,200 – Not Included in Total):
- Trip to St Lucia: $ 5,200 (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:
We wanted our wedding to feel warm, romantic & timeless. We focused on a design that would never go out of a style and provided us with a great backdrop for some beautiful photos. We really wanted to keep our guests in mind while keeping true to our vision. We put a huge chunk of our budget towards the Venue, Food & Drink, and Entertainment.
The Venue:
We visited a TON of venues throughout the Wisconsin-Illinois area (we are from Lake County, IL) before seeing the Jan Serr Studio. We knew we did not want a traditional banquet hall, hotel, or country club venue. This limited our options but, we believed that if we found the perfect venue everything else such as décor would come into place easier.The second we stepped into Jan Serr Studio we knew it was the one. It was perfect with a combination between industrial and modern while also having that timeless, classy feel with the art gallery located on the 1st level. While also being a stunning venue, the people who helped us were amazing. A huge shoutout and thank you to Karin Hurley & Katie Hoffman! They were absolute angels and were so kind, understanding and accommodating.
The Catering:
We thought we were so lucky to have found the perfect venue but, to top it off they had one of the highest rated caterers on their team. We had only heard wonderful things about Saz’s and let me tell you they did not disappoint! Everyone to this day cannot stop talking about how delicious the food was and how big the portions were.Also, everyone raved about the amazing bar staff and how incredibly kind, fun, & FAST they were. We never had the bar close the entire time and you would not have been able to tell, the bartenders/servers were fabulous from start to finish.
The DJ:
The last thing that was super important to us was entertainment. We really wanted our friends and family to have the best time they could possibly have. This started with finding the perfect DJ. We went with Sound By Design after hearing everyone rave about them and after having a phone call meeting, we could tell what the buzz was all about.From your first interaction to your last they are professional, sweet & experts in their field. I was never worried that they would not bring their A game which took a huge weight off my shoulders. Our DJ was Dylan Brundy and he kept everyone on the dance floor all night long. He was wonderful and we could not have asked for a better DJ for the most important day of our lives.
Some other things we did to make our guests experience more enjoyable was create a lounge area with couches, a greenery backdrop & neon sign, a giant game of connect 4 for the ring bearers/flower girl. We rented heaters for the outside balcony, had a dessert bar, and a cigar bar for guests to partake in.
The Photographers:
We also had our fantastic photographers Michelle and Troy go around to each table and take pictures of guests so we can give them those with the thank you cards. Also, shoutout to them they made the day that much more special and provided us with the best atmosphere by keeping things light & fun. The photos are stunning and they are magical geniuses with the way they shoot things.The last thing we had that put a fun twist on a traditional item was an audio guestbook where guests could leave voicemails for us that we received weeks after the wedding and was the sweetest thing to listen too.
The Wedding Planner:
We would like to also mention that none of this would have been possible without our amazing wedding planner Sarah Rodriguez, the owner of Sarah Kathleen Events. Wedding planning is obviously incredibly stressful and like many other people, we had no idea where to even begin. That is where Sarah came in, she helped us every step of the way while guiding us in the right direction, giving the best advice/expertise and being a safe place for us to unload all the bumps/issues that happen leading up to the big day.She is everything you would want in a planner sweet, organized, and timely. Sarah and her team, Kara & Luis were such gems on the big day that we seriously could not have done it without them. They were professional, fun, and the exact people you would want on your side on your big day. We really cannot recommend them enough, if you go with them, you will not regret it! The amount of stress and time you save by having a planner is 100% worth the money.
– The Happy Couple
A BIG thanks to the couple for sharing the Cost Breakdown of their awesome wedding at Jan Serr Studio and to Photo Moxie Studios 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.
