
This couple was looking to have a fabulous reception and the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts worked out perfectly. They did a Friday night wedding to help save on costs, and we’d say they did a pretty amazing job!
For $30K they had some amazing vendors and 180 guests. Read on for the full cost breakdown but we’d recommend starting with their wedding video by Orphonic Weddings:
MIM Family Used
As always, we were excited to hear they used several of the Married In Milwaukee Family of wedding vendors, including:
- Photography: Happy Gnome Photography
- DJ: Sound By Design
- Catering: Sazama’s
- Venue: Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
Quick Facts – Marcus Center Wedding:
- Guests: 180
- Ceremony: St. Sebastian
- Reception: Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
- Total Costs: $29,825

Wedding Essentials ($7,600):
- Invitations/Stationery: $500
- Pies: $400
- Photographer: $2,000
- Videographer: $2,000
- Flowers: $2,700

Reception and Ceremony Costs ($19,390):
- Venue: $1,600
- Ceremony: $275
- Food/Drinks: $16,000
- DJ: $1,095
- Transportation: $420

Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($2,835):
- Dress: $1,600
- Bride’s Shoes: $55
- Rings: $800
- Groom’s Attire: $180
- Hair and Make-up: $200

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:
The Venue:
We chose to have a Friday wedding to help with the costs a bit. We knew we wanted to have a fabulous reception, so the Marcus Center with their giant ballroom was the perfect fit.The Flowers and Pies:
Esther does amazing flowers and had the best design ideas for the pie display and overall reception, with delicious pies from a college friend of Melissa’s who now runs Yield Bakehouse.The DJ:
Sound By Design was the only DJ we would work with because they simply are the best, and they had all the wedding guests on the dance floor all night long.The Photos and Video:
Our photographer (Happy Gnome) and videographer (Orphonic Weddings) captured all the important moments and we have amazing photos and video as a result. Johnny and Amy kept us on track and made sure we got to attend the happy hour to mingle with our guests.We choose not to overdo it with favors, extra décor, etc. because at the end of it all, we just wanted to have a really good time, and we definitely achieved our goal! You don’t need to hire a wedding planner when you have a great staff at the reception venue, as well as vendors that are experienced and know how to keep things on schedule.
– The Bride and Groom
A BIG thanks to the bride and groom for sharing their awesome Marcus Center wedding and to Happy Gnome Photography for the photos!
If you’re currently working on your wedding budget, make sure to read through our previous articles featuring real Milwaukee wedding cost breakdowns.

beautiful wedding photos .