How Much Do Weddings Cost in Wisconsin? A Realistic Budget Guide
How Much Do Weddings Cost in Wisconsin? A Realistic Budget Guide. If you’re planning a wedding in Wisconsin, one of the first questions you’re going to ask is probably how much does a wedding cost in Wisconsin. This guide walks you through real numbers, priorities, and how to build a wedding budget that actually feels aligned to you.
Table of Contents
- Average Wedding Cost in Wisconsin
- Where Your Wisconsin Wedding Budget Goes
- Sample Wisconsin Wedding Budget for 150 Guests
- How This Budget Looks in Real Life
- What Impacts the Cost of a Wisconsin Wedding
- How to Create a Wisconsin Wedding Budget You Feel Good About
- Affordable Wisconsin Wedding Planning Tips
- Wisconsin Wedding Venues
- Wisconsin Wedding Planners
- Tips for Planning a Wisconsin Wedding
- Other Wisconsin Wedding Guides
- Wisconsin Wedding Photographer
Average Wedding Cost in Wisconsin
Most couples in Wisconsin invest anywhere between $40,000-$60,000, depending on the size and vendor experience.
Where Your Wisconsin Wedding Budget Goes
Venue and Catering:
40-50 percent of your total budget (depending on guest count)
Photography and Videography
20-25 percent of your total budget
Florals and Design
5-15 percent of your total budget (depending on multiple factors like guest count and wedding party size)
Attire and Hair/Makeup:
5-10 percent of your total budget
Entertainment:
5-10 percent of your total budget
Planning and Coordination:
10-20 percent of your total budget
Sample Wisconsin Wedding Budget for 150 Guests
This is just an example of a full wedding experience in Wisconsin with experienced vendors.
Estimated Budget: $32,000-$69,000
-Venue: $5,000-$9,000
-Catering and Bar: $10,000-$17,000
-Photography / Videography: $4,000-$10,000
-Floral and Design: $3,000-$8,000
-Dj and Entertainment: $2,000-$4,000
-Wedding Planner / Coordinator: $4,000-$10,000
-Wedding Attire and Hair/Makeup: $2,500-$5,000
-Cake / Desserts: $500-$1,500
-Stationery/signs/invites: $500-$1,500
-Transportation/ Miscellaneous: $500-$3,000
How This Budget Looks in Real Life
This investment usually includes:
– A private venue
-Full catering and open bar
-A professional dj with ceremony and reception coverage
-Mid Level floral design with ceremony and reception installation, bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, and boutonnieres.
-An experienced photographer
-An experienced day of coordinator or planner
-An elevated and relaxed guest experience
What Impacts the Cost of a Wisconsin Wedding
-Guest Count
-Time of year or day of week
-Location and venue type
-Level of customization
-Vendor Experience
-Wedding Party Size
-More or less extensive floral design
-DIY
My advice is if you are on a strict budget, pick your top 3-5 non negotiable vendors and then make your budget from there.
Example:
If your top 3 are:
-venue
-photo/video
-Dj
Your estimate so far would be $11,000-$23,000, so if you have a budget of $32,000, you might have to diy invites/ stationery from places like canva or diy florals or have less florals. A $32,000 budget is hard but its not unattainable. A lower budget does mean more diy though.
How to Create a Wisconsin Wedding Budget You Feel Good About
- Identify your top three priorities- Most couples choose photography/videography, venue, dj, florals, or catering.
- Fund those top three categories first. Your budget should 100% reflect what matters most to you.
- Adjust the guest count before the experience. Reducing your guest list gives you flexibility without sacrificing the parts of the wedding day you really care about. Catering costs about $50-$100 per plate and open bar is $30-$90 per person. This could mean up to a $9500 difference in budget with a 100 person guest list, $14,250 difference in budget with a 75 person guest list, and $19,000 difference in budget with a 50 person guest list vs a 150 person guest list. Keep this in mind when putting together your guest list.
Affordable Wisconsin Wedding Planning Tips
Affordable doesn’t necessarily mean cutting corners. It means planning and budgeting intentionally. Some of the most meaningful weddings I’ve photographed were under $32,000 because the couples intentionally focused their budget on what really mattered to them and not what social media shows them a wedding should look like.
Wedding Venues to Consider:
-The Covenant at Murray Mansion
Wisconsin Wedding Planners
Tips for Planning a Wisconsin Wedding
-Build in buffer time into your timeline
-Have a weather backup plan
-Choose vendors that align with your values and budget
-Prioritize guest experience
Other Wisconsin Wedding Guides
-How to Plan an Outdoor Wedding at Schlitz Audubon in Milwaukee
-How to decide who to invite to your wedding
-Best Wisconsin Wedding Venues
Wisconsin Wedding Photographer
As a Wisconsin Wedding and Elopement Photographer, I help plan couples wedding days that feel intimate and unique. From timeline assistance to location scouting, permits, and guidance. You can check out my work and reach out through this link.
Hey there!! I’m Jessica, your go to Wisconsin and destination/ travel wedding, elopement, and boudoir photographer. I help couples ditch the big wedding stress and plan a wedding day that’s is authentic to them. Whether you’re dreaming of an adventure elopement, a breathtaking micro wedding, a wedding at a venue, a cozy in home session, a picnic engagement session, or an intimate boudoir session in Milwaukee, I got you! I’m here to guide, plan, and capture it all in an authentic way. My style is storytelling, so expect real moments, genuine emotions, and photos that really feel like you. Let’s create a day that feels unique to the two of you
