We love weddings at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. And the thing that makes them even better is when they use tons of MIM Family Members like this one did!
This couple pulled off an awesome wedding for just under $42,000 and came out of it debt free! Make sure to read the “Note from the Bride and Groom” below to learn more about their budgeting/saving process.
#MIMFamily Used:
As always, we were excited to hear they used several of the Married In Milwaukee Family of wedding vendors, including:
- Venue: Marcus Center
- Caterer: Sazama’s Fine Catering
- DJ: Sound By Design
- Hotel: Saint Kate – The Art’s Hotel
Quick Facts – Marcus Center Wedding:
- Guests: 160
- Ceremony/Reception: Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
- Total Costs: $41,922
Wedding Essentials ($7,001):
- Invitations: $300
- Cake: $395
- Photographer: $4,752
- Flowers: $554 (included: bridal party bouquets, remembrance bouquets, all Baby’s Breath)
- Centerpieces: $1,000 (silk flowers handmade by the bride’s mother and aunt)
Reception and Ceremony Costs ($25,436):
- Ceremony: $400 (Fitch Garden at the Marcus Center)
- Venue: $2,170 (room plus additional linens)
- Food/Drinks: $19,921 (included: open bar all night, appetizers, steak and shrimp, salmon or vegetarian)
- DJ: $1,675
- Officiant: $600
- Chair Rental: $670
Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($5,669):
- Dress: $1,500
- Bride’s Shoes: $80
- Groom’s Attire: $169
- Rings: $3,800
- Hair and Make-up: $120
Other Costs ($3,816):
- Transportation: $966
- Wedding Party Gifts: $700
- Other Gifts: $200
- Hotel Suite: $450 (interContinental)
- Rehearsal Dinner: $0 (gift from groom’s parents)
- Vendor Tips: $1,500
A Note from the Bride and Groom
We asked the bride and groom to tell us about their planning and budgeting process, and this is what they had to say:
A Debit Free Wedding
Our goal was to always cash flow our wedding. We did not want to have the stress of worrying about credit card payments afterwards. So, we sat down and looked at our normal daily living costs, bills, etc and then based off of that looked at what we could afford over the next (almost) 2 years.We knew it was going to take a lot of discipline and hard work but we were up for the challenge, as we had just become debt free and we didn’t want to go back to that.
The Budget’s Focus
We did a lot of research online via Married in Milwaukee at various local vendors to fit our personality style and needs. We chose to focus the majority of our budget on our venue, food & drinks, photographer and DJ. Why? Because when you think of any awesome party you’ve ever been to, food, drinks and music are the top things you remember!The Venue
We knew we wanted to get married in downtown Milwaukee, because we are in love with this city and have called it home for over 10 years. The Marcus Center was a one-stop shop for amazing downtown location, class and catering which took A LOT of stress off of us. Their staff is truly some of the best in business.The Photographer
And of course, we wanted an A-mazing photographer to capture all the wonderful memories throughout the day and Studio 29 went above and beyond. Not to mention, they are just awesome people to be around! They have such an amazing ability to capture the day and tell your story.– The Bride and Groom
A BIG thanks to the bride and groom for sharing their awesome Marcus Center wedding and to Studio 29 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.
