This couple wanted to show their guests a great time while keeping it convenient for those from out-of-town. It’s historical elegance and convenient location made Waukesha’s Historic Courthouse 1893’s the perfect spot!
For $50k we think this couple had an awesome wedding and showed 200 of their friends and family a great time! Read on to learn more about this beautiful Historic Courthouse 1893 wedding.
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 Historic Courthouse 1893 wedding:
- Venue: Historic Courthouse 1893
- DJ: Sound By Design
- Caterer: Chef Jack’s
- Makeup: The Hitching Post Weddings
- Hotel: The Ingleside Hotel
Quick Facts – Historic Courthouse 1893 Wedding:
- Guests: 200
- Ceremony/Reception: Historic Courthouse 1893
- Total Costs: $48,900
Wedding Essentials ($8,119):
- Invitations/Stationery: $320
- Cake: $1.031
- Candy Bar: $200
- Photographer: $2,295
- Flowers: $4,273
Reception and Ceremony Costs ($28,656):
- Ceremony/Reception: $6,700
- Food: $12,916
- Drinks: $7,145
- DJ: $1,895
Attire, Jewelry and Beauty ($7,875):
- Bride’s Dress: $1,200
- Bride’s Shoes: $75
- Groom’s Attire: $180
- Hair and Makeup: $1,300
- Nails: $120
- Rings: $5,000
Other Costs ($4,250):
- Transportation: $750
- Hotel Suite: $200
- Wedding Favors: $100
- Wedding Party/Parent Gifts: $2,000
- Rehearsal Dinner: $1,200
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:
The Engagement:
We had always said we wanted a long engagement from the start as we got engaged in October of ‘19; which we found out had to be the case when we started venue hunting and discovered that all Summer dates in 2020 were already booked up. This ended up being a lucky sign for us due to the Pandemic cancelling so much of 2020.Thankfully, we never had to reschedule anything which was nice. Also having a year to stay at home forced us to save extra money to help put towards our goal of building a home which is what we decided to use some of our honeymoon fund for.
The only thing I will say regarding a long engagement is we did this also out of thoughtfulness to other friends and family getting married before our date and for our guests and our bridal party so they could save and not have other obligations already booked.
In hindsight not sure I would have done that because I realized that if people want to come to your wedding, they will find a way to make it work financially, time wise, etc. and be there. So my advice to others planning a wedding is just do it when it works for you.
The Venue:
We spent the most amount of our money on the venue as all our guests were coming from out of town by at least 2-4 hours away and we wanted to treat them and make them feel special. So having everything that could be conveniently located in one area was a huge draw for us and a money saver for transportation.The Historic Courthouse 1893 with Eric, Lisa, and their team did not disappoint and met the budget with how many great extras that are included, i.e. those things you really don’t think about when you start venue shopping.
The decorations already provided at the Historic Courthouse provide a great backdrop for any event and the selection of pieces you can rent can really add those finishing touches and save on coordination of an outside vendor and/or the headache of transportation and crafting yourself.
The Catering:
The Chef Jack’s team assistance in coordination to us over the year and half long engagement truly made wedding planning a breeze. Not to mention Chef Jack’s food is to DIE for and all our guests are still raving about our entrees and late-night burger station. We also hosted a fully open bar because after COVID everyone needed a drink. 😊The Wedding Party Gifts:
A lot of our budget went to bridal party as it was a large party of 16 people total. The bride paid for the makeup application (via The Hitching Post Weddings), accessories, and jewelry for the bridesmaids and the groomsmen all had matching watches to sport as well as other gifts for the occasion/as a thank you.The Receiving Line Photos:
The one unique thing we did for our wedding which I truly find to be super nice in hindsight is we set up a fast photo shoot after our wedding as a sort of receiving line. We had our DJ Chris with Sound by Design and help of Adam and Taylor with SB Photography help us coordinate us this. We were then able to take pictures with each of our guests and the various friend combinations that come within those connections.Having these pictures is so nice and great to reflect back on who was there. We then had these pictures printed and sent them out in addition with our thank you’s to our guests. Taking these pictures also really cut down on the amount of being stopped and asked to take a picture with everyone during the reception which meant we could tear up the dance floor more and just cut loose. Plus you then could guarantee everyone looked nice for a picture and were not a drunken sloppy mess yet.
All in all really happy with our Team of Vendors we selected. The amount of knowledge and expertise that all of them showed was tremendously helpful. We definitely felt like we had the cream of the crop! I would recommend anyone on this list at any given time. There is not enough thanks to be said to these amazing Married In Milwaukee vendors.
– The Bride and Groom
A BIG thanks to the couple for sharing the Cost Breakdown of their awesome wedding at the Historic Courthouse 1893 in Waukesha and to SB Photography 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.
