This wedding has us excited – not only because it’s at the absolutely gorgeous Villa Terrace, but we love how the couple prioritized their costs. They focused on enhancing their guests’ experience and things that would allow them to relive and remember their big day, like hiring an amazing video team, in this case Sweet Pea Cinema.
For $23K they did a great job and their Villa Terrace wedding looks like it was super fun! Amazing photos, gorgeous videos and a great party. Who could ask for more?
Read on for their full cost breakdown, but we recommend starting with this amazing sneak peek video by Sweet Pea Cinema (see the full video at bottom of article):
Quick Facts – Villa Terrace Wedding:
- Guests: 104
- Ceremony/Reception: Villa Terrace
- Total Costs: $23,172
Wedding Essentials ($7,605):
- Invitations: $400
- Cake: $290
- Photographer: $1,700
- Videography: $4,500
- Flowers: $715 (included: tall centerpieces, tablecloths, pink petals, fingerprint tree with navy blue and pink stamp)
Reception and Ceremony Costs ($12,308):
- Venue/Ceremony: $4,000
- Food: $6,676
- Drinks: $632
- DJ/Photo Booth: $1,000
- Officiant: $0 (family member)
Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($1,590):
- Dress: $1,400
- Bride’s Shoes: $40
- Groom’s Attire: $0 (free with groomsmen rentals)
- Hair and Make-up: $150
Other Costs ($1,669):
- Wedding Party Gifts: $650 (Women: Japanese robes and personalized overnight bags, Men: Express socks and Aldo watches
- Hotel Suite: $119 (Hyatt Regency Milwaukee)
- Rehearsal Dinner: $500
- Other: $400 (Decor including bouquets, boutonnieres, aisle decorations, card box, aisle runner)
Honeymoon ($2,000 – Not Included in Total):
- Honeymoon: $2,000 (Royal Caribbean cruise)
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:
Our wedding was truly a celebration of our love. We chose to focus our costs on things that would not only enhance our guest’s experience but would also allow us to relive and remember the night for years to come-hence why we splurged on our photographer and videographer.
The Venue:
I originally wanted a destination wedding and Davon wanted a domestic wedding. When we stepped into the Villa Terrace, it was like we were in Italy. It took our breaths away with its beauty.Without anything, it was amazing so we knew that we would not need many decorations. It was already beautiful! In order to accentuate the space, we had uplighting on the building and tall floral centerpieces.
The Photographer:
When we saw Milan’s photographs, we felt the emotions in the photos! It was incredible. There was no question. We had to book him. He is an artist and he could “see” a photo even before we had any idea of what he was putting together.He brought an excellent assistant on that day so we got almost 900 digital pictures. We ended up creating our own album at Costco for a fraction of the cost and it looks awesome.
The Videographer:
When we met Cindy and Dean of Sweet Pea Cinema, we knew that they could capture the essence of our love. However, we didn’t plan on spending so much. It was more than worth it!There’s no sense in paying less and risk losing the only opportunity to capture our special day. The final product was a phenomenal cinematic production and we were overjoyed at the end product or as my five year old niece refers to it as “our movie”.
The Caterer:
We wanted everyone to explore the entire grounds so we decided against a traditional sit down dinner and had interactive stations. There is a reason that Zilli’s Hospitality Group has been voted the best caterer eight years in a row. They offered a package that was pretty reasonable. They are so easy to work with and so detail-oriented. They also made sure that we ate.There was food everywhere and it was important for us to have a variety of options for our guests. Therefore, we had passed hors d’oeuvres and also several stations set up throughout the venue so no one got hangry. People loved that they could customize their food at each of the stations. In addition to the fantastic wedding cake from Aggie’s, we provided favor boxes so people could take some of the mini-desserts with them.
The Drinks:
We chose to have a cash bar partially for cost savings but moreso because we wanted our guests to remember our evening.At the end of the day, we wanted to enjoy each other and share our love with our guests. We advise every couple to let their special day be a representation of what’s important to the both of you and it will undoubtedly be memorable.
– Chandra and Davon, The Bride and Groom
A BIG thanks to the bride and groom for sharing their awesome Villa Terrace wedding! Also thanks to WS Photography for the photos and to Sweet Pea Cinema for the videos! Here’s a final look at the full video done by Sweet Pea Cinema:
If you’re currently working on your wedding budget, make sure to read through our previous articles featuring real Milwaukee wedding cost breakdowns.
