This couple lives in Bay View and and love the South Shore Park area. So, when they got engaged, South Shore Pavilion was the perfect spot to say their I-Do’s. As you’ll see in their Cost Breakdown, they spent just over $26,000 for 150 guests and we think they did a great job!
They saved money by getting help from friends and family (flowers, officiant and bartenders). In addition, they decided on a taco bar for food instead of the traditional plated dinner, which we love! This also made it easier to accommodate their guests with dietary restrictions (gluten free, vegetarian, etc.) as they could build their own meal. Read on to learn more about this Cost Breakdown at the South Shore Pavilion.
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 South Shore Pavilion:
- Photos: Opia Photo Co.
- Catering: All Occasions Catering
- Hotel: Hilton Milwaukee City Center
- Rehearsal Dinner: The Garden
Quick Facts – South Shore Pavilion Wedding:
- Guests: 150
- Ceremony/Reception: South Shore Pavilion
- Total Costs: $26,306
Wedding Essentials ($3,162):
- Invitations/Stationery: $412 (including $200 for postage)
- Cake: $100 (purchased sheet cakes)
- Photographer: $2,650 (included engagement session)
- Flowers: $0 ( family friend)
Reception and Ceremony Costs ($13,885):
- Reception Venue: $3,381
- Food: $3,045
- Serving Staff and Room Flip: $795
- Drinks: $319 (purchased themselves)
- Bartenders: $400 (friends)
- DJ: $1,400
- Officiant: $0 (family)
- Planner: $900
- Rentals: $2,041 (plates, silverware, linens, glasses and bar supplies)
- Taxes/Fees: $1,604
Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($4,476):
- Bride’s Dress: $1,988
- Bride’s Shoes: $30
- Groom’s Attire: $165
- Beauty: $310 (hair, makeup, manicure, pedicure)
- Rings: $1,983 (wedding bands)
Other Costs ($4,783):
- Transportation: $510 (transport for guests from hotel to reception)
- Wedding Party Gifts: $300 (monogramed bags, candles, knives and flasks)
- Hotel Suite: $645 (3 nights at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center)
- Rehearsal Dinner: $2,539 (at The Garden)
- Other/Tips: $789 (vendor tips, alteration, decorations)
Honeymoon ($1,700 – Not Included in Total):
- Honeymoon: $1,700 (trip to New Orleans)
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:
Ways They Saved:
We wanted our wedding to reflect us as a couple. We are typically pretty laid back and didn’t want a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding our wedding. We knew there were a few areas that were important to us, but we were able to save money on things like decorations by choosing such a beautiful venue. Since we weren’t getting married in a church we didn’t need a pastor to marry us and we preferred someone who knew us as a couple to officiate. Choosing a family member not only saved money but also made the ceremony that much more special.The Venue:
We have both lived in Milwaukee for almost ten years and love the city. We know the city has so much to offer; so it was important for us to have our wedding here. We live in Bay View and love the area so the South Shore Park Pavilion was the perfect choice!We love visiting the beer garden and farmers market there in the summer and always thought the building was beautiful with such a great view. With the huge windows looking over the lake and awesome architectural features we didn’t need to bring too much in as far as decorations – tons of candles on the tables complimented natural beauty of the space and created the most romantic reception.
The Photographer:
We really wanted gorgeous pictures to capture our day. We spent hours researching local photographers. We found Opia Photography through a local Facebook Group and loved her pictures!Being indecisive we kept searching wedding groups and Instagram for ideas of photographers, but kept coming back to Chelsea’s page and loving her pictures so much. We did our engagement pictures downtown outside in the fall – as soon as we got those photos back and saw how amazing they were, we knew we had entrusted our wedding to the right person.
The Food:
We knew that food was important but also a place we could likely save some money. Instead of the traditional wedding menu of steak, fish or chicken or we decided on a taco bar. It was significantly cheaper than other options and who doesn’t like tacos?We have lots of friends and family with varying dietary restrictions (gluten free, vegetarian etc.) and they appreciated being able to build their own meal around their needs. All Occasions Catering did a great job with the food and we had multiple people compliment us on the tasty food!
– The Bride and Groom
A BIG thanks to the couple for sharing the Cost Breakdown of their awesome wedding at the South Shore Pavilion and to Opia Photo Co. 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.
