local (Milwaukee) wedding vs destination wedding - looking for opinions

Re: local (Milwaukee) wedding vs destination wedding - looking for opinions

• StephJean83 member

  

  May 2013

  I understand the cost of having a local wedding vs a destination wedding or even moving the wedding from Milwaukee to a different part of the state. Have you looked at off season? Or even looking out of the downtown area? I know in Pewaukee there are some locations that offer discounts if the wedding is November to March. Are you from Milwaukee and most of your family is there? Fory FH and I, we weighed the option of a local for us wedding in Milwaukee and it would be about $20,000 to $25,000 for 300 and skimpy and scrapping thing off the wish list for the wedding, including a dress for me that wasn't a dress a friend wore previously. Or having the wedding in the western part of the state, closer to some family and being able to spend more on having a nicer wedding, buying myself a wedding dress of my dreams, and still come in around $16,000.
  
  I have heard great things about Black Swan in Grafton if having the wedding too far from Milwaukee isn't an option, they are too small for us. Hubbard Park had some pretty decent prices but they are too small and closed in the "winter", we are having a November wedding.
  
  I know someone who wanted a DW and they opted for a wedding on Lake Geneva, in the summer. There is still the feel of the DW but the convenience of home. Also if you opt for a later or earlier wedding you can have an appetizers and desserts vs full sit down dinner. Hope this helps and isn't more confusing :-)

  You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back. - Barbara DeAngelis

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• muenginerd member

  

  May 2013

  We're getting married in Milwaukee and I want to say food/venue. is going to be between 13K-15K before anything else is involved.  Hotels also surprised me, cheapest we could find for the summer at a decent hotel was about $125/night which to me was slightly high at what we were able to book hotels for other events through the year.  So a Summer Wedding on a Saturday, depending on venue/food, 20K might be tight but is definitely doable.

  Now I have a few friends who have a much lower budget and are planning Friday weddings.  They are definitely finding a large price break with vendors on Fridays.  Also as someone else said, you'll see discounts for venues/vendors for Weddings Nov,Feb-Apr,

  I also stood up as MOH in a destination wedding and it was amazing!!! The Bride and Groom did not want most of their family there due to past issues, and gave friends 18+ months notice to save, so who ever wanted to be there was.  It was a fantastic trip, no stress what so ever.  The resort took care of everything.  We just showed up!  It was definitely a wedding to remember and they spent less than 6K.  Two years later people are still talking about the wedding/trip, and we're all planning a reunion trip back to the resort soon!  The couple threw a reception a month later back home, very budget friendly and nice, for anyone who couldn't make the trip.

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• hardlyhannah member

  

  May 2013

  I stood up in a friends destination wedding - they made the decision for the same reason as you, getting married here was going to be to expensive. They went to Florida though.

  
  

  It was really nice, but for me their timing was kind of a bummer - but that was personal choices. We were more limited on what we could do for them because we had just graduated college and didn't really have the money to travel to the wedding as well as gifts etc. (not that they expected it)

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• Andama08 member

  

  May 2013

  FI and I considered a destination wedding but we figured the amount each of our parents paid to get there could go towards a wedding here in Milwaukee. We've been together for over 8 years and we knew alot of our close family and friends couldn't afford to attend if we went out of state. We have a guest list of about 150 people and the wedding/reception is going to cost less than $10,000. We changed our date from a Saturday to a Sunday and our reception will be held at Davian's in Menomonee falls. They also offer a 5% discount in Fridays and Sundays and a lower room minimum. I'd say it would be more worth it to cut your guestlist down and celebrate with more people.

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• rungirl12 member

  

  May 2013

  Since you just got engaged, I'd sit on the decision for awhile and think about pros/cons for each.  I'm guessing if you wait a month or two, one option will begin to appeal to you more than the other.  If it is only cost/price keeping you from doing a local wedding, I don't think that's a reason alone to do a destination.  If this is something you've toyed with for awhile and other aspects of it appeal to you as well, that's different.  Realistically, you could have a much smaller local wedding that costs the same as a destination.  I am quite savvy at saving $$ and had a Saturday night wedding with full dinner for 100 guests for under $5k.  There are plenty of ways to cut costs if you do research and some legwork.  I'd be happy to share ideas.  It sounds like your family & friends are supportive regardless.  Realize with a destination, you may have someone you really expected would come or be there, even someone you would want in your wedding party that just can't pay to go.

  

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• [Deleted User] member

  

  May 2013

  @rungirl12 where did you have your wedding held ?

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• chicky13 member

  

  May 2013

  Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'd love to hear any money saving / tips ideas for the Milwaukee area. We are open to Friday or Sunday weddings but want a "warm" month (June - Sept) since we love the outdoors. 

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• muenginerd member

  

  May 2013

  Look into Warehouse.  It's popular venue with a few friends who are having budget friendly Friday weddings (no Saturday options are available there).  I would check into catering through restraunts rather than catering companies.  Maybe try like a Joey Bouna or Saz's?  Sendick's also does great catering for cold food(not sure about hot) we use them alot at work and they are fantastic. 

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• Kimberlybfpc member

  

  June 2013

  We are getting married in Vegas, as FI and I are paying for everything ourselves, and I can't come to grips with paying that much money to have a local wedding. We found that destination was the best fit for us, also because I don't want to have to do a lot of planning. I think it's whatever works best for you as far as budget, planning, etc. 

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