MUScoop
MUScoop => The Superbar => Topic started by: wadesworld on November 30, 2022, 10:01:11 PM
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Starting to plan a wedding. Anybody have any cool venue recommendations in the Southeastern Wisconsin area for a potential fall wedding?
Also, any wedding advices? Any cool things that you did or have seen at weddings that made them unique or more enjoyable/memorable for the guests?
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Got married 5 years ago. The one thing that everyone still talks about is that we did a gourmet mac n cheese bar (in addition to a buffet).
My general advice is to not overspend on the venue. It's the first major financial decision you have to make and it can facock the rest of your budget.
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ZFB had his at the local VFW. Pot luck dinner and the PBR was free until the two half barrels were gone. Everyone had a blast.
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Got married last may. Miller room in Milwaukee. Was absolutely beautiful and took a ton of planning off our plate. We did photos at Atwater, the spot outside what used to be water Buffalo, and on MU's campus. Our DJ was DJ Goose in the Milwaukee area. He was awesome and kept everyone dancing all night, people still tell my wife they've never been to a wedding where the dance floor was that packed all evening.
My only advice is
1. Don't eat a raw egg at 2am the night before, it will make you nauseous.
2. Get a second photographer. One for your photos and one for the actual event photos.
3. Get a good night sleep instead of partying with your buds the night before, I look like a raccoon in my photos.
Best of luck!
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Starting to plan a wedding. Anybody have any cool venue recommendations in the Southeastern Wisconsin area for a potential fall wedding?
Also, any wedding advices? Any cool things that you did or have seen at weddings that made them unique or more enjoyable/memorable for the guests?
How many people and where are the guests from? Church or public ceremony? Logistics are the first question.
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RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
Marriage jokes….
Why is the bride smiling at the altar?
What do eggs Benedict and….. ?
Congrats.
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How many people and where are the guests from? Church or public ceremony? Logistics are the first question.
Somewhere around 225 guests (invited, anyway). Open to either, but probably public ceremony. I personally like the idea of having the ceremony at the same venue as the reception but not a deal breaker. Trying for a later fall wedding, so probably indoors.
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Somewhere around 225 guests (invited, anyway). Open to either, but probably public ceremony. I personally like the idea of having the ceremony at the same venue as the reception but not a deal breaker. Trying for a later fall wedding, so probably indoors.
Okay, my experience is as a father. My daughter's reception was at The Best Place. I think their limit was just under 200. She was married at Old St. Mary's which has a long wait list and you take the time they have (thus, that should come first if that's important). In her case, it was 11 AM and the reception started at 5. Most of groom's side and their friends from California so a downtown wedding with hotels was a must (and I didn't have to pay a ton for charter busses).
What to do in between? Party bus for wedding party photos around town, hotel lunch buffet for the old folks, Lakefront Brewery tour for the rest. This gap actually turned from a problem to a great social transition.
4PM cocktail hour at Best Place's courtyard and adjoining hall. 5PM people escorted upstairs to reception area which also contains a big bar, dance floor, DJ area. Later a M&C and dessert/coffee area. They had a baby sitting room there and a locked wedding party room. Afterparty was in basement vault. All contained which as a parent you worry about with drinking. All walkable or Uberable to hotels.
They work with caterers, photographers (tip: have photos taken of each table so you can remember 25 years later), hotels, parking, etc. Ways we saved money were hotel room packages which included free suites and discount on Sunday brunch. No cost for charter busses. Sign up for a California Sparkling wine club and ship it to venue. Is a $5000 designer dress worth it?
I know they also set up on the courtyard or inside hall for services if that's your choice. It was a beautiful, unique and historic venue, and it brought back good memories for my MU friends.
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A friend's daughter got married at Rustic Manor in Hartland this summer, had the ceremony outdoors and it was a really nice setup there.
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merrill hills just remodeled their facility and is spectacular. huge window views looking out at hole #18 green(everybody 4 putts #18) and the #1 tee box. beautifully landscaped, waterfalls, streams running out toward ponds. new chef who's enthusiastic as hell to make this place a true venue and take the flagship status of brandybrook away.
have a picture but seems it's too much for scoop to process and attach
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merrill hills just remodeled their facility and is spectacular. huge window views looking out at hole #18 green(everybody 4 putts #18) and the #1 tee box. beautifully landscaped, waterfalls, streams running out toward ponds. new chef who's enthusiastic as hell to make this place a true venue and take the flagship status of brandybrook away.
have a picture but seems it's too much for scoop to process and attach
Waterfalls on a golf course are an utter waste of money and resources. Hard pass
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Waterfalls on a golf course are an utter waste of money and resources. Hard pass
Clearly you haven't enjoyed a challenging mini golf course
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Is a $5000 designer dress worth it?
No. Not under any circumstance. Even if the bride has her heart set on a particular dress, you can hire a seamstress to make a knockoff for way less than that, and no one will know the difference.
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merrill hills just remodeled their facility and is spectacular. huge window views looking out at hole #18 green(everybody 4 putts #18) and the #1 tee box. beautifully landscaped, waterfalls, streams running out toward ponds. new chef who's enthusiastic as hell to make this place a true venue and take the flagship status of brandybrook away.
have a picture but seems it's too much for scoop to process and attach
Too many murderers in Waukesha County. I wouldn't feel safe.
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Mrs. TAMU and I agree that if we got married again, we wouldn't do a videographer. We watched the video once and it was very meh. The pictures were a lot more meaningful. We also had friends who filmed the most important parts that we actually wanted. Would have saved us a lot of money.
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Mrs. TAMU and I agree that if we got married again, we wouldn't do a videographer. We watched the video once and it was very meh. The pictures were a lot more meaningful. We also had friends who filmed the most important parts that we actually wanted. Would have saved us a lot of money.
Really? We actually felt very different, weren't gonna have one initially but decided on it and are super thankful because we hated our photographer
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Too many murderers in Waukesha County. I wouldn't feel safe.
only at parades and by losers who should've been in jail because the assinine DA's don't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law to keep places like waukesha county safe
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I would say the 80/20 rule is really accurate. We were at almost exactly 20% declines.
We thought the videographer was worth it.
One other fun thing was we had a painter come and paint basically a live image of the wedding as a gift from one of our parents. I think it was pretty reasonable and makes for a nice thing to hang in our house.
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Too many murderers in Waukesha County. I wouldn't feel safe.
Shouldn't he do the wedding in Mequon?
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One other fun thing was we had a painter come and paint basically a live image of the wedding as a gift from one of our parents. I think it was pretty reasonable and makes for a nice thing to hang in our house.
Ive seen this more and more (usually on social media) but its an incredibly cool and meaningful idea, IMO.
My wife and I got married last summer. Things were still a bit touch and go with some COVID stuff. We never planned a big proper wedding for a variety of reasons, and a potential destination wedding got shelved due to disagreements and family scheduling ::)
We ended up doing a small wedding on the bluffs at What Should Have Been Marquette's Campus Concordia. It was meaningful, intimate, and really cool. The pictures turned out unbelievable, which was most important to us.
I think videographers are great/essential for a proper larger wedding with a dance floor. I think seeing the video of weddings Ive attended makes it come to life as a memory far more than still photos. But the photos of the wedding party, bride and groom, and ceremony are hugely important obviously.
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only at parades and by losers who should've been in jail because the assinine DA's don't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law to keep places like waukesha county safe
Build a wall and elect better DA's then.
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Ive seen this more and more (usually on social media) but its an incredibly cool and meaningful idea, IMO.
My wife and I got married last summer. Things were still a bit touch and go with some COVID stuff. We never planned a big proper wedding for a variety of reasons, and a potential destination wedding got shelved due to disagreements and family scheduling ::)
We ended up doing a small wedding on the bluffs at What Should Have Been Marquette's Campus Concordia. It was meaningful, intimate, and really cool. The pictures turned out unbelievable, which was most important to us.
I think videographers are great/essential for a proper larger wedding with a dance floor. I think seeing the video of weddings Ive attended makes it come to life as a memory far more than still photos. But the photos of the wedding party, bride and groom, and ceremony are hugely important obviously.
Eh, I love our photos and our photographer got a ton of awesome action shots. Large wedding and dance floor... We had someone video the ceremony and I think we've watched it once.
You've only been married a year, so let me know what you get around to watching yours again. :P
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Always a bridesmaid, never a bride opinion: the videographer always makes me nervous and I avoid them during the reception.
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Hire the best band (and bring them up from Chicago) and provide the best bar. Everything after that is filler.
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Elope.
Seriously, weddings are a waste of money. "Oh, it's for a wedding? That gets our 40% surcharge." Agree with Lens on the bar and the band/DJ.
Besides, down in Missouri, you'll be swingers within 10 years.
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Eh, I love our photos and our photographer got a ton of awesome action shots. Large wedding and dance floor... We had someone video the ceremony and I think we've watched it once.
You've only been married a year, so let me know what you get around to watching yours again. :P
I literally said we had a small wedding and the pictures were great. So definitely won't watch video I don't have ;D
But of my friends who had them, one couple watched it on their 1st, 2nd, and 5th anniversaries. Another has kids who love watching it but couldn't care less about Mom and Dad's pictures. Ive seen my SIL's at least twice. Its also very meaningful to them cause my wife's grandma fell pretty ill 6 months after the wedding and passed a bit after and its the last great video they have of her active and happy. YMMV
Elope.
Seriously, weddings are a waste of money. "Oh, it's for a wedding? That gets our 40% surcharge." Agree with Lens on the bar and the band/DJ.
Funny thing about that. We went to one of my best friend's wedding about a month before ours. Big grand ceremony in Denver, amazing all around. My buddy told me he was really jealous that we were having a small little ceremony. 2 of the bridesmaids got married in the 18-24 months prior and were like "loved my wedding/pictures, but definitely kind of wish we did what you guys are doing.
Meanwhile, all the unmarried/unengaged women were like "awwww aren't you sad you wont have a huge wedding" to my wife.
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I'm in the keep it small/simple concept. We flew to NOLA and got married 2 days (Thursday) after Mardi Gras with just 2 friends and the pastor present, granted that does severely limit the wedding presents received.
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I'm with Ziggy.
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I'm with Ziggy.
People in Missouri are big time swingers?
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No idea. I do like the elope concept.
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Another piece of advise is check the load in / load out terms. My 3 sisters were at the Wisconsin Club (requires 1 year social membership) and they could drop things off Friday, pick things up Sunday. My brother was at Discovery World and he was carrying things out at Midnight.
Many event venues will limit your time. Clubs are usually much more flexible. Find someone to sponsor you if you're interested in that. As an event guy, believe me...flexible load in / load out is key.
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First rule, don't invite dentists. You don't want that kind at your wedding!
Seriously, do what you two want, not what tradition, or family, or social pressure dictates.
Our wedding was a destination wedding...at Gesu when we lived in Florida. Reception was a booze cruise, so no first dance, band or corny DJ, followed by a raucous night at Buck Bradleys. (When you start drinking unidentifiable blue drinks, it may be time to stop) Nothing like closing Bucks in a wedding dress and tux.
But we had a blast. No drama.
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As someone with flat feet…a comfortable pair of shoes is vital. Between the pictures (you’re in basically all of them), the ceremony, reception, you don’t really realize how taxing it is until the day after.
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As someone with flat feet…a comfortable pair of shoes is vital. Between the pictures (you’re in basically all of them), the ceremony, reception, you don’t really realize how taxing it is until the day after.
That goes triple for the bride.
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First rule, don't invite dentists. You don't want that kind at your wedding!
Seriously, do what you two want, not what tradition, or family, or social pressure dictates.
Our wedding was a destination wedding...at Gesu when we lived in Florida. Reception was a booze cruise, so no first dance, band or corny DJ, followed by a raucous night at Buck Bradleys. (When you start drinking unidentifiable blue drinks, it may be time to stop) Nothing like closing Bucks in a wedding dress and tux.
But we had a blast. No drama.
Weren't you like...50 when you got married? ;D
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Congrats on getting married. Now the federal gift will unfairly given you benefits just for doing this private, personal act.
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There's some really good stuff in here. Thanks for all the advice, I appreciate it. And keep it coming if you have it!
We've talked about doing a really small thing with immediate family and then having something bigger at a later time. Could still do that. I have quite a large family, so anything that involves more than immediate family isn't going to be quite so small. I'd be totally fine not having any speeches, I think she wants to have at least one person from each side give a speech.
Congrats on getting married. Now the federal gift will unfairly given you benefits just for doing this private, personal act.
It's the only reason she said yes.
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Weren't you like...50 when you got married? ;D
That was just the normal Saturday night when I was 50. ;D
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We had a huge wedding, but my father in law paid for it as he wanted it to be the event to get his entire, large family together. We did the whole large ballroom in a hotel thing with a DJ, and our siblings played some music live. We are very fortunate, and with that being said, we spent money on our honeymoon. Spent 3-4 weeks together (Aruba, Vegas, Chicago), it was great. Spend money on the honeymoon.
My brother in law had a small ceremony and reception in Nashville, beautiful, small venue, 50 people. Then, he had a big reception back in West Bend, WI, at his wife’s family’s farm that was built out to be a place for receptions. They brought in a caterer and a live band, was great.
My step sister got married at the Riviera in Lake Geneva, beautiful setting, beautiful town (I was born and went to high school there), it’s where I proposed to my wife. My sister got married at Lake Lawn Lodge near LG, was awesome to have the hotel there so I could, well, imbibe. My brother got married at the Horticultural Hall in LG (100 people or so), ceremony outside in the garden, reception in the main building, walking distance to the lake, I stayed in a condo downtown so I could, well, imbibe. His wedding was really wonderful.
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I'd be totally fine not having any speeches, I think she wants to have at least one person from each side give a speech.
One speech/toast from each side (no more). Have them delivered early before the booze is flowing - the last thing you want are drunken ramblings from a groomsman about the good old days! Give the job to people who are funny and comfortable with public speaking.
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One speech/toast from each side (no more). Have them delivered early before the booze is flowing - the last thing you want are drunken ramblings from a groomsman about the good old days! Give the job to people who are funny and comfortable with public speaking.
One of the reasons I think its best to have the reception right after the ceremony.
Also have a signature cocktail or something so the bar doesn't get crowded right when it opens.
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One speech/toast from each side (no more). Have them delivered early before the booze is flowing - the last thing you want are drunken ramblings from a groomsman about the good old days! Give the job to people who are funny and comfortable with public speaking.
One of my good friends married the youngest daughter of a family, she was the youngest by about 10 years so she was def the baby. Her father got up for the father of the bride speech, after a few glasses of wine, and blubbered about “his special girl” and “praying every night she’s taken care of how she deserves”. It was one of the most awkward FIFTEEN minutes of my life
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Thought of another one. Tell your venue beforehand whether or not it is okay for them to give your extra wedding cake away.
The one thing we really splurged on was the cake. My wife is a baker and wanted a really nice cake. They served cake right before the parent dances. I stayed on the dance floor for awhile before coming back to my seat for cake. They cleared my plate before I took a bite. I didn't mind at the time because I figured I'd get a slice at the end. Fast forward to the end of the night and I ask the venue contact where the extra cake was. She had given it away to the venue staff. Not to be a dick about it but we payed a lot of money for the cake, they should have at least asked. My wife got me a small cake from the same shop for my next birthday so I could finally try my wedding cake.
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Another bit of cake advice. We did a multiple layered cake, but only the top layer was cake. The rest was styrofoam covered in frosting. They had sheet cakes in the back and we cut the the top layer.
No one had any idea until we told them and it saved a bunch.
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People will remember the food, they won’t remember the color napkins you chose. Don’t sweat the small details, make a decision and move on.
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Mrs. TAMU and I agree that if we got married again, we wouldn't do a videographer. We watched the video once and it was very meh. The pictures were a lot more meaningful. We also had friends who filmed the most important parts that we actually wanted. Would have saved us a lot of money.
I find video >>>> photos, so we disagree there. But I agree that it's not important to have a professional videographer.
On a few occasions .. I took it upon myself to video a rehearsal/wedding. Nothing fancy, I just took out my phone and filmed, all the speeches, the toasts, pieces of the ceremony, some dances, etc. Then I took the footage, spliced it all together and sent it to the couple as a 'gift' a few days after the wedding.
I'm no pro, but each time the couples were blown away. Some indeed remarked that was all they needed, no multi-thousand dollar video guy making a full blown production that takes a month to edit.
TLDR .. find someone in your guest list who is handy with a camera. Maybe it's a teenager, hire them for $100 and give them some guidance. They're probably bored at your wedding anyhow.
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My wife and I hosted the wedding and reception of our daughter last September. Her wedding was in Libertyville, IL at our long-time parish but her reception was at The Club at Strawberry Creek west of Kenosha, just past the Brat Stop. If was everything she wanted and she was incredibly happy.
Much depends on your budget and how many people are coming. Strawberry Creek wasn't inexpensive but they were a bargain compared to other comparable venues. The staff is incredible; the food was outstanding; and, every possible concern was anticipated. They were incredibly nice people to work with and, if you try, you probably could get a round or two of golf thrown in.
We had one heck of a Dad/Daughter first dance. When she was a young girl, we both sang one song whenever it came on the radio at the top of our lungs. We both had an awful voice, so it was perfect. That's what we did in lieu of a dance on her wedding. My wife cringed but she said, "well, it's you two!" Morale of the story: It's her day, do what she and ye want!
As an added bonus, we had lunch the day after at the Brat Stop. Biggest bill I ever racked up there, but we spent the afternoon as family and close friends and had one heck of a time!
We spent way too much money on a 1960s era moonbeam florist. Our photographer was good and the church was easy to work with!
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Here are my biggest tips:
80/20 rule is very accurate for guest attendees
Have some type of food available for guests at 10pm (Taco/Nacho bar, Pizza, etc.)
Live bands are worth the extra $
Look for a venue that has 2 bar areas, or at the least a very large bar area
I never liked venues where you have to clear tables for the dance floor...
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We had one heck of a Dad/Daughter first dance. When she was a young girl, we both sang one song whenever it came on the radio at the top of our lungs. We both had an awful voice, so it was perfect. That's what we did in lieu of a dance on her wedding. My wife cringed but she said, "well, it's you two!" Morale of the story: It's her day, do what she and ye want!
Was it "You Can Call Me Al"?
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One bit about live bands .. we went to a wedding 10 years ago, the groom was a Chaldean (Iraqi Catholic).
They had this band that was literally, ear-splittingly loud. The first song they played was a solid 25 minute techno-funk opera of some sort. Most guests *had* to leave the room, it was that painfully loud, to seek refuge in the hallway. How the bride and groom survived, I know not, maybe they had earplugs.
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Another piece of advise is check the load in / load out terms. My 3 sisters were at the Wisconsin Club (requires 1 year social membership) and they could drop things off Friday, pick things up Sunday. My brother was at Discovery World and he was carrying things out at Midnight.
Many event venues will limit your time. Clubs are usually much more flexible. Find someone to sponsor you if you're interested in that. As an event guy, believe me...flexible load in / load out is key.
Speakin' of loads, make sure the venue has 'nough chitters. Neva saw sew many folks havin' ta take dumps and/or pisses all at once 'pendin' on da food and drink served, aina?
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Until a live band can play Get Low as good as Lil Jon, I prefer a DJ.
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Here are my biggest tips:
80/20 rule is very accurate for guest attendees
Have some type of food available for guests at 10pm (Taco/Nacho bar, Pizza, etc.)
Live bands are worth the extra $
Look for a venue that has 2 bar areas, or at the least a very large bar area
I never liked venues where you have to clear tables for the dance floor...
White castle.
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One bit about live bands .. we went to a wedding 10 years ago, the groom was a Chaldean (Iraqi Catholic).
They had this band that was literally, ear-splittingly loud. The first song they played was a solid 25 minute techno-funk opera of some sort. Most guests *had* to leave the room, it was that painfully loud, to seek refuge in the hallway. How the bride and groom survived, I know not, maybe they had earplugs.
Did the couple not hear this band before they hired them?
I am so old that when we were looking for a band, we had to sit in a booking agent's office and look at VHS tapes of different bands. The one we picked ended up being great. And in a weird coincidence, some of its members were in the band that played during the main event at our 25th reunion.
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Was it "You Can Call Me Al"?
Nope. 😎
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The Wisconsin Club worked out well. Was close to all the Hotels. The staff knows what they are doing which makes life easier. They mark everything up , but that is the case everywhere.
One of the nice perks is instead of a venue charge they have you buy a Social Membership . You can use that all year at both the City Club and their Country Club. Gives you some limited access to Golf. Enough so that if you wanted to have fun Golf event for the Groomsmen or Out of Towners .
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If my wife and did it again, we’d do immediate family and other close family and friends only. Keep it under 50 people. A wedding is just you buying dinner for a bunch of other people.
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One more thing....If the reception is not next to a hotel, provide a shuttle.
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Thoughts on whether to invite kids of guests or not? We were thinking all would be welcome, but then her friend said that we should expect people to leave early. My thought is that not enough guests would be bringing their kids anyway, so it might cause a few guests to leave early but I don't think it's going to be much of a factor.
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Thoughts on whether to invite kids of guests or not? We were thinking all would be welcome, but then her friend said that we should expect people to leave early. My thought is that not enough guests would be bringing their kids anyway, so it might cause a few guests to leave early but I don't think it's going to be much of a factor.
Consider your Scoop friends that aren't legally allowed to be within 500' of a child
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Thoughts on whether to invite kids of guests or not? We were thinking all would be welcome, but then her friend said that we should expect people to leave early. My thought is that not enough guests would be bringing their kids anyway, so it might cause a few guests to leave early but I don't think it's going to be much of a factor.
If from out of town, yes. Provide a sitter and negotiate an extra room for them to play/hand out in.
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If from out of town, yes. Provide a sitter and negotiate an extra room for them to play/hand out in.
This, and it will be much cheaper than paying for multiple 4 year olds as a part of your headcount for the catering bill
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Thoughts on whether to invite kids of guests or not? We were thinking all would be welcome, but then her friend said that we should expect people to leave early. My thought is that not enough guests would be bringing their kids anyway, so it might cause a few guests to leave early but I don't think it's going to be much of a factor.
We didn't allow kids at our wedding. As far as I'm aware it didn't keep anyone we wanted there from coming and near 100% of our guest list was there when the venue kicked us out. I've been at weddings where it looks half empty by 9pm presumably because people had to put their kids to bed. I've also been at a wedding where a child had a tantrum throughout the service and the parents chose not to remove them and address it outside.
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Thoughts on whether to invite kids of guests or not? We were thinking all would be welcome, but then her friend said that we should expect people to leave early. My thought is that not enough guests would be bringing their kids anyway, so it might cause a few guests to leave early but I don't think it's going to be much of a factor.
I'm OK with it, but the best way to deal with it is to get an extra hotel room or 2 and hire a babysitter for guests to leverage.
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Thoughts on whether to invite kids of guests or not? We were thinking all would be welcome, but then her friend said that we should expect people to leave early. My thought is that not enough guests would be bringing their kids anyway, so it might cause a few guests to leave early but I don't think it's going to be much of a factor.
We invited all kids none below 7th grade showed up. Unfortunately, the table of middle schoolers and high schoolers were the only table to get a refill on champagne on the bright side our teenagers were weirdly happy and laughy for being teens.
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Thoughts on whether to invite kids of guests or not? We were thinking all would be welcome, but then her friend said that we should expect people to leave early. My thought is that not enough guests would be bringing their kids anyway, so it might cause a few guests to leave early but I don't think it's going to be much of a factor.
*Figure out the parents you really want to be there and ask what they think.
*Our decline rate was nowhere near 20%. You probably know your guest list decently enough to have a rough idea once you figure out timing and location.
*Prioritize your $$ to what matters to you and screw the rest. For us, the band, the food, the photographer, and an open bar were important. The rehearsal dinner, cake, flowers, and lighting took a back seat.
*Late night food is a must.
*Pay attention to what you're asking of your wedding party. Travel, clothes, makeup/hair, bachelor/bachelorette parties, showers can really add up in time and $.
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I am coming up on 10 year anniversary and people still tell us how our reception was one of the best they've ever been to. But the funny thing is, we didn't do too much to be unique. You should just do little things that make it fit you.
In our case, my wife loves vintage things... art, music, etc. so we used that as a theme. A few things people still comment on:
1. We had a welcome drink (Southern Comfort Old fashions, a sweet and a sour because that is my favorite drink and fit the theme). It really set the tone for the evening
2. Instead of a guestbook or picture for people to sign, we had two early 1900's typewriters for people to type messages on old looking paper. The messages and typing errors were hilarious and we turned it into a book. The book is a fun mix of sentimental and NSFW/Non-kid friendly messages! One of the best decisions ever.
2. Venue - We were at the Prtizlaff right when they opened as a venue. The whole warehouse look was brand new then and again worked with the theme.
Point being, figure out what makes you guys happy and then have FUN with it and don't stress out trying to make it perfect.
Just remember, don't spend money just to spend money. It's not worth it, the day should be about the couple, the rest is just an accessory to help celebrate!
As a bonus tip, I'll just say that things are guaranteed to go wrong that day. As someone who stepped on my wife's dress and ripped it early in the reception, cut the cake with a butter knife because we forgot the family heirloom cake knife, and had everything running late... people STILL had a great time. Keep a good attitude and just focus on each other, the day goes fast and will be a blur!
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Some great advice from UWW2MU and drewm88.
You don't need much more than that, wades!
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Has anyone been to a wedding at the Pritzlaff Building? Between location, availability, and budget that seems to be rising to the top of our list right now. Any thoughts on it for anyone that has been to a wedding there?
Main concerns would be parking and the fact that they have two rooms for weddings right next to each other, so chances are there will be another wedding going on at the same time in the same building.
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Has anyone been to a wedding at the Pritzlaff Building? Between location, availability, and budget that seems to be rising to the top of our list right now. Any thoughts on it for anyone that has been to a wedding there?
Main concerns would be parking and the fact that they have two rooms for weddings right next to each other, so chances are there will be another wedding going on at the same time in the same building.
Ive been to 2 different weddings there. Both were cool Very different vibes, one summer and one winter, but its really flexible to your aesthetic and desires. Plenty of space, good layout, good bathrooms, good location for meandering to after reception locales.
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Ive been to 2 different weddings there. Both were cool Very different vibes, one summer and one winter, but its really flexible to your aesthetic and desires. Plenty of space, good layout, good bathrooms, good location for meandering to after reception locales.
Yeah seems like you can do a lot of different things with the space. Just out of curiosity, were both weddings you went to in the same room? One is smaller and has access to the alleyway, while the other is larger but doesn’t have much for outdoor space available. The larger one has a staircase in the middle of it.
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Yeah seems like you can do a lot of different things with the space. Just out of curiosity, were both weddings you went to in the same room? One is smaller and has access to the alleyway, while the other is larger but doesn’t have much for outdoor space available. The larger one has a staircase in the middle of it.
They were both in the smaller, non-staircase room
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They were both in the smaller, non-staircase room
Awesome, thanks. I think we both like that one better, and probably a better size for our guest list. But I believe they said they don’t flip the room so the ceremony has to be out in the alleyway if we do it there, which could be chilly when we’re looking (October). They said they have people rent heaters for the alleyway.
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Has anyone been to a wedding at the Pritzlaff Building? Between location, availability, and budget that seems to be rising to the top of our list right now. Any thoughts on it for anyone that has been to a wedding there?
Main concerns would be parking and the fact that they have two rooms for weddings right next to each other, so chances are there will be another wedding going on at the same time in the same building.
We looked at it, the concerns you had were the reason we passed.
Our reception was smaller- I think we had 125 in attendance, so we opted for the Historical Society building which was perfect. Dinner upstairs, dancing and bar downstairs, photo booth in the old bank vault.
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Yeah seems like you can do a lot of different things with the space. Just out of curiosity, were both weddings you went to in the same room? One is smaller and has access to the alleyway, while the other is larger but doesn’t have much for outdoor space available. The larger one has a staircase in the middle of it.
Clearly you didn't read my earlier post! ;)
But mine was in the third room that you're not referring to. We had 275 guests give or take but we hired a valet. The only issues we had were that guests of the other wedding that night were using our valet which caused backups during the peak arrival time. >:( However, some people parked themselves and said they had no issues finding parking.
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Clearly you didn't read my earlier post! ;)
But mine was in the third room that you're not referring to. We had 275 guests give or take but we hired a valet. The only issues we had were that guests of the other wedding that night were using our valet which caused backups during the peak arrival time. >:( However, some people parked themselves and said they had no issues finding parking.
Hah, sorry! It had been a little bit since this was active and I didn’t go back and reread. I did remember your post but did not remember that Pritzlaff was where you had it.
They did not mention the third room. Might be booked up for fall of 2023 so didn’t even bother mentioning it. I don’t love the idea of having 2 other weddings at the same time in the same place. But I did really like the building and there are going to be negatives with every option.
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After all this, you’re still going through with this….or at least eloping?
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If there are 2 weddings, have a cash bar at yours and make sure the other one has a open bar.
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If there are 2 weddings, have a cash bar at yours and make sure the other one has a open bar.
Beer and wine are free, hard stuff costs money.
We did full open bar and the amount of soldiers left behind 3/4 full was disgusting.
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Beer and wine are free, hard stuff costs money.
We did full open bar and the amount of soldiers left behind 3/4 full was disgusting.
You didn't get it.
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Hah, sorry! It had been a little bit since this was active and I didn’t go back and reread. I did remember your post but did not remember that Pritzlaff was where you had it.
They did not mention the third room. Might be booked up for fall of 2023 so didn’t even bother mentioning it. I don’t love the idea of having 2 other weddings at the same time in the same place. But I did really like the building and there are going to be negatives with every option.
I worked at a facility that hosted 3 weddings every Saturday when I was in my teens. I don't really recall any issues popping up because of the multiple weddings taking place.
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You didn't get it.
correct.
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Hah, sorry! It had been a little bit since this was active and I didn’t go back and reread. I did remember your post but did not remember that Pritzlaff was where you had it.
They did not mention the third room. Might be booked up for fall of 2023 so didn’t even bother mentioning it. I don’t love the idea of having 2 other weddings at the same time in the same place. But I did really like the building and there are going to be negatives with every option.
So I actually misread your post! The smaller room I thought you were referring to is not the one I was thinking of. The one I was thinking of might only be open for use of small events or if you have the ceremony there as well. Not sure exactly what they're doing these days with that space.
My reception was in the smaller room with the access to the alley (325 street address). It was plenty of space for 275-ish guests (forget exact count). I can tell you that other than the valet issue, we never even noticed there was another wedding going on since the entrances were opposite each other. And between the two rooms, I think the alley access one is far better because it doesn't have that staircase blocking views and people really liked being able to go outside. We bought a couple outdoor heaters in case it got chilly, and then sold them on craigslist (FB marketplace wasn't big then) after for most of what we paid.
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So I actually misread your post! The smaller room I thought you were referring to is not the one I was thinking of. The one I was thinking of might only be open for use of small events or if you have the ceremony there as well. Not sure exactly what they're doing these days with that space.
My reception was in the smaller room with the access to the alley (325 street address). It was plenty of space for 275-ish guests (forget exact count). I can tell you that other than the valet issue, we never even noticed there was another wedding going on since the entrances were opposite each other. And between the two rooms, I think the alley access one is far better because it doesn't have that staircase blocking views and people really liked being able to go outside. We bought a couple outdoor heaters in case it got chilly, and then sold them on craigslist (FB marketplace wasn't big then) after for most of what we paid.
Awesome, this is great information. We have a 10 day hold on the 325 space. I didn't love the staircase in the 333 space and how it almost turned the room into an L shape and split it between a dining area and the dance area, and I do really like the alleyway.
They require an outdoor ceremony for the 325 space which is really the only thing that had us considering the 333 space, since we'll be having it in late October and you never know what the weather is like in Wisconsin. They offer outdoor heaters for $150/heater. I'll have to work with them on having an idea on how many heaters they would recommend. We do love the idea that if the weather allows for it you can have some lawn games set up out there and bring in a food truck.
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Don’t serve a cab. It’s just a high alcohol sugar bomb from Cali.
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Awesome, this is great information. We have a 10 day hold on the 325 space. I didn't love the staircase in the 333 space and how it almost turned the room into an L shape and split it between a dining area and the dance area, and I do really like the alleyway.
They require an outdoor ceremony for the 325 space which is really the only thing that had us considering the 333 space, since we'll be having it in late October and you never know what the weather is like in Wisconsin. They offer outdoor heaters for $150/heater. I'll have to work with them on having an idea on how many heaters they would recommend. We do love the idea that if the weather allows for it you can have some lawn games set up out there and bring in a food truck.
Ohhh yeah! I remember the heater thing now! You can buy a heater off Amazon for less and give them away as door prizes for that price! ;D. Just need someone with a pickup to bring them to the ceremony!
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Ohhh yeah! I remember the heater thing now! You can buy a heater off Amazon for less and give them away as door prizes for that price! ;D. Just need someone with a pickup to bring them to the ceremony!
Are you referring to propane heaters? You will also have to factor in the cost of the propane tank, which will probably push the cost over $150.
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Worried about $150 heaters adding to the cost of a wedding? This is why MU's endowment is so small, aina?
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Are you referring to propane heaters? You will also have to factor in the cost of the propane tank, which will probably push the cost over $150.
Yes I was, and I agree it does put it a little over w/ propane (but not taking into account that you can sell them after to recoup most of the money) But again, they're renting them for the cost to buy them which just seems crazy to me.
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Yes I was, and I agree it does put it a little over w/ propane (but not taking into account that you can sell them after to recoup most of the money) But again, they're renting them for the cost to buy them which just seems crazy to me.
Welcome to the Event Industrialized Complex. In my last job, I worked for a NFP and I saw all the bills we paid for various conferences and the prices were insane. I have seen $5 granola bars and $85 urns of coffee.
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Does anybody have any recommendations for photographers in the Milwaukee area? The two we had recommended to us are booked for our wedding weekend.
Also, I feel more confident I'll be able to figure this one out on my own but it doesn't hurt to ask. Does anyone have any recommendations for the best way (and/or vendor in Milwaukee) they've seen desserts? Nothing wrong with just putting a piece of cake in front of everyone, but I kind of like the idea of giving some variety and letting guests find what they like.
Lastly, any good food trucks that you know of that will go to wedding venues for some late night food?
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Does anybody have any recommendations for photographers in the Milwaukee area? The two we had recommended to us are booked for our wedding weekend.
Also, I feel more confident I'll be able to figure this one out on my own but it doesn't hurt to ask. Does anyone have any recommendations for the best way (and/or vendor in Milwaukee) they've seen desserts? Nothing wrong with just putting a piece of cake in front of everyone, but I kind of like the idea of giving some variety and letting guests find what they like.
Lastly, any good food trucks that you know of that will go to wedding venues for some late night food?
Sent a PM
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merrill hills just remodeled their facility and is spectacular. huge window views looking out at hole #18 green(everybody 4 putts #18) and the #1 tee box. beautifully landscaped, waterfalls, streams running out toward ponds. new chef who's enthusiastic as hell to make this place a true venue and take the flagship status of brandybrook away.
have a picture but seems it's too much for scoop to process and attach
Actually #9, #18 isn't viewable from the clubhouse.
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Don’t hire this guy as your videographer
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It was fun reading back through this thread after the event.
Ended up with about 165 guests. During some of the planning I definitely thought it would've been easier to just do something really small, but the weekend was great and I wouldn't have changed anything. I definitely expected to be stressed and overwhelmed throughout the night, but it was about as smooth as we could've hoped for. Of course you wish you could spend more time with each person there, but everyone understands.
Biggest hiccups this weekend were we booked the bridal suite at the hotel we booked a room block at for Friday night so that my (now) wife could stay there Friday into Saturday and the bridal party could get hair and makeup done in the same room ahead of the wedding, and then kept the room Saturday night. We asked for early check in but they said they can only put in a request for it but couldn't guarantee it. So we went to check in right at check in time (3:00) ahead of the rehearsal and they told us they didn't have a room ready because there were AC issues in the room. They loaded up a cart with all our stuff and put it in an office they promised nobody could get into, but we had some expensive jewelry with us so the matron of honor had to carry a bag of jewelry around all night. The room was ready after the rehearsal dinner and they made sure to take care of us, so overall not hugely harmful.
Then I left the marriage license at my parents' house. Fairly easy fix. Sister in law's mother was in town babysitting the nieces and was going to be coming back and forth to help make the nieces available for pictures and then get them to sleep. So she got it from my parents' house and dropped it off when picking up the nieces for the night.
Late night food truck (empanadas) showed up an hour later than scheduled, and the crowd had died down by that point. We had paid for 26 dozen empanadas, and I'm quite certain we didn't eat nearly that many. Overall that was probably the worst thing to happen, and I still got to eat them and they were delicious so can't really complain too much there. Was thinking about contacting them and seeing if they'd comp us a meal or something next time we're in town, but I'll probably just let it go.
Otherwise we couldn't have asked for a more fun, smooth day. Had it at the Pritzlaff and the staff was way more involved in the day and helpful than I expected. They basically ran the entire rehearsal and ceremony and really made sure we (the bride and groom) were taken care of all night, without being overbearing. We were very thankful they finished their project to make the covered part of the courtyard have the ability to be closed off. They had almost the material you use for the giant tents roll out across the courtyard and then had an industrial sized furnace, so it felt like we were just indoors. It would've been very chilly had it not been for that.
Had Sound by Design as our DJ and pretty much the same thing, came to me when absolutely needed but let ust just enjoy the night and followed our timeline and playlists exactly as we asked for. Didn't have very traditional songs for our first dance, recessional, etc. but everyone had fun with it. We originally weren't going to do a photobooth but decided people tend to like them and added one last minute. They were going to set up a background, but said that the brick background is really cool as is and thought maybe we'd like to leave it as the brick background, which we did. People loved it and some of the photos are absolutely hilarious.
Used Saz's as our caterer and they put together the menu exactly as we asked. We liked the idea of a buffet style because that way you get to choose what food you want, vs. plated where you're just served what's there. But we don't love having to make everyone get up and walk over to it, serve tables 1 by 1, etc. So Saz's suggested family style. It was so awesome. I couldn't even tell you how many people mentioned they'd never seen that at a catered event and thought it was not only delicious food, but a really cool way to serve the food. Plenty of each item for everyone at each table, and then they brought out seconds on whatever was picked over.
We did cake jars from Black Twig as our desserts and everyone loved them and thought they were somewhat unique.
We used JWag's recommendation as our photographer and they were great. They were much more a "part" of our day, rather than simply "working" our day than I realized. They got all the groups we asked for, and did it in a very timely matter. We had been told to find some time alone for just ourselves at some point, as it will be a blur all day. So after taking family and wedding party photos on site, my bride and I hopped in my car with one of the photographers and went to the Giannis mural for a few pictures. The photographer then recommended heading down to the art museum for our portraits and while it was really cold, we think the pictures are going to be awesome. We got back and the Pritzlaff people had hors d'oeuvres saved for us and grabbed us a drink to have out where the ceremony had been just by ourselves before they grabbed the wedding party for our grand march.
Florist was the person who my sister and brother in law used. She was incredible. We met with her once, told her what we envisioned, she emailed us pictures of what she had in mind, they were exactly what we hoped for, and that was basically it. She took it from there. Had stuff for our ceremony, then converted that into the head table flowers. Hung flowers in a trellis over our dinner table. Was insanely affordable. I don't think she typically does a ton of weddings, but I guess does all of the flowers for Summerfest?
Only two speeches that were both great and not too long. We didn't have a videographer but did have a friend who recorded the speeches and the grand march. I personally don't think we'll regret not having the videographer.
Did the rehearsal dinner at Dorsia which was awesome. Buffet style and then sent home an absurd amount of leftover pasta to us, so those got distributed to a bunch of people. Cheesecake from Simma's for dessert which is always great. Sunday we had the back room at Oscar's Pub for family and out of town guests right when they opened at 11.
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(https://i.giphy.com/media/BPJmthQ3YRwD6QqcVD/giphy.webp)
Congrats!
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(https://i.giphy.com/media/BPJmthQ3YRwD6QqcVD/giphy.webp)
Congrats!
Haha appreciate it!
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Congrats Wades!
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Congratulations! Did Da Judge officiate?
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Damn ... my invitation musta gotten lost in the mail. But it sounds like a great event anyway. Congrats to you and mrs. wades.
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Thanks for resurrecting this thread. I had totally forgotten about it.
Chick Jr. recently announced her engagement, and these tips will come in handy.
One thing I didn't see addressed: Has anyone planned a winter wedding? It's an option she is considering, and I am wondering how well that will work in Milwaukee. Also, are venues, catering, etc. that much less expensive in the Winter to make it worth it?
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Congrats Wades!
Damn ... my invitation musta gotten lost in the mail. But it sounds like a great event anyway. Congrats to you and mrs. wades.
Congratulations! Did Da Judge officiate?
Thank you all! Dajudge did not officiate the wedding. We decided we wanted him to be able to just enjoy the weekend rather than have to officiate it, even though we knew he would've been more than happy to do it and would've done a great job. Him and my now FIL did very nice, relatively quick welcome speeches to open dinner. We had my wife's former pastor officiate it, and he did a great job.
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Happy for you wades, I hope you two have many wonderful years together
Thanks for resurrecting this thread. I had totally forgotten about it.
Chick Jr. recently announced her engagement, and these tips will come in handy.
One thing I didn't see addressed: Has anyone planned a winter wedding? It's an option she is considering, and I am wondering how well that will work in Milwaukee. Also, are venues, catering, etc. that much less expensive in the Winter to make it worth it?
I've been to a lot of weddings and the only Winter wedding I've been to was in Atlanta. I'm assuming you're talking about up north?
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Yep. In Milwaukee.
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Definitely inside.
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Yep. In Milwaukee.
From what I saw when looking around, it seemed as though you would save about $1,000-$1,500 on the venue. I didn't see any catering where it saved any money, but the Pritzlaff only had a list of 5 caterers they worked with and we had a family connection to one, so we didn't do a ton of research into other catering options.
I haven't been to a winter wedding, but I've seen pictures from other peoples' winter weddings and there are some pretty awesome pictures if it's snowing outside.
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Congrats. Hope you have 50 great years.
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Congrats. Hope you have 50 great years.
COLE. What's wrong with 51 years?
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Should’ve just done saz’s sampler platters for late night snacks!
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Congratulations. So what was the first dance song?
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Congrats. Hope you have 50 great years.
Congratulations. So what was the first dance song?
Thank you!
Rose of Sharon by Mumford and Sons
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Congrats ! Who was your photographer
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Missouri Swingers Club status?
Congrats!
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Thank you!
Rose of Sharon by Mumford and Sons
:)
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Speaking of judges, if you are contemplating that, I highly recommend Derek Mosley. He's not on the bench anymore, but still does weddings.
He married into my niece's family, and also did my neice's wedding. He does a great job... and got to know him a bit as we are connected through marriage...kind of a 3rd cousin in-law, 4 times removed. :D
Give him a lookover if a judge is up your alley. Added "benefit"...as some of you probably know, he is an MU law alum and is now teaching at MU since he left the bench.
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One thing I didn't see addressed: Has anyone planned a winter wedding? It's an option she is considering, and I am wondering how well that will work in Milwaukee. Also, are venues, catering, etc. that much less expensive in the Winter to make it worth it?
You may not get better prices on everything, but you can plan a winter event with shorter notice and be much more likely to have all of your preferred vendors, locations, etc. available. The summer months book up fast.
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We were pretty surprised, October had less openings than August for us.
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We are at it again. My son is to be married May 11th. He and his fiancé selected a barn outside Oconomowoc for their venue. So far, so good.
Looks like another really nice wedding in the making.
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dgies
Our youngest son is getting married in June. They have opted for a very small wedding and I am excited for their big day. Our first son had a very big wedding, middle son got married in courthouse (during pandemic) and we have a family party a year later and now a small wedding coming up. We still have our daughter left and do not think she will be getting married anytime soon.
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2024 looks like a big year for weddings. My daughter is getting married in May in Baltimore.
Congratulations, dads.
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Are we sure this thread is a good idea?
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇
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. We still have our daughter left and do not think she will be getting married anytime soon.
I would assume there are some "eligible" bachelors here on scoop.
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dgies
Our youngest son is getting married in June. They have opted for a very small wedding and I am excited for their big day. Our first son had a very big wedding, middle son got married in courthouse (during pandemic) and we have a family party a year later and now a small wedding coming up. We still have our daughter left and do not think she will be getting married anytime soon.
Congrats Goose!
Perhaps we can celebrate our children's good fortune in Phoenix in late March/early April!
That won't be the only thing we celebrate but one of at least two!
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Wades
Sir Lawrence asked the question I was thinking about has well. Glad the wedding went off well.
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Wades
Sir Lawrence asked the question I was thinking about has well. Glad the wedding went off well.
Thank you! It was definitely a consideration and would have been special, but I wanted him to just enjoy the weekend even though he would've loved to have done it. The person who officiated it did a great job, and Da Judge and my FIL gave very nice welcome speeches ahead of dinner. And by Da Judge's standards, he even followed the request of keeping it short!
Congrats to you on the son's wedding. Hopefully more grandkids to come.
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dgies
I hope we are celebrating in April as well. Would be a great party.
tower
Congrats
wades
Grandkids really are the best. Thankful for the three wonderful granddaughters.
Happy to hear DaJudge kept it short. I am sure he was very excited for the big day.
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Congrats to You and Your Bride on a job well done.
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Thanks for resurrecting this thread. I had totally forgotten about it.
Chick Jr. recently announced her engagement, and these tips will come in handy.
One thing I didn't see addressed: Has anyone planned a winter wedding? It's an option she is considering, and I am wondering how well that will work in Milwaukee. Also, are venues, catering, etc. that much less expensive in the Winter to make it worth it?
I highly endorse The Wisconsin Club. Please feel free to DM for details.