Our Amazing Vendors

Our vendors rocked- every single one of them!! 

Ceremony site: Villa Terrace Decorative Art Museum

A+: Quite expensive, but COMPLETELY worth it. We moved our wedding from Madison to Milwaukee just because of this site. You cannot beat it in Wisconsin! The view from the terrace is amazing, Lake Michigan is in the background. The building itself is also wonderful. They have a beautiful bridal suite inside for the bride to dress in. The gardens below are perfect for photography. The main contact there, Judy, was always very responsive via email. They do have quite a few rules regarding events there, but it is understandable as it is a historical building. Highly recommended. Price: $2200

Reception Site: Woman's Club of Wisconsin

A+: Cannot recommend this venue more. Kathy, the main contact we had with the club, was amazing. She was so accommodating and personable. Planning was so easy with her- we communicated via email and she always got back to me right away. She had the entire reception room completely setup the night before so I was able to see it all before hand to approve it. She even threw in free chair covers for us the night before. The venue is amazing- the ballroom and its arched ceiling is so beautiful. The staff there was great. The food was PHENOMENAL- we had the prime rib that is to die for. They also supplied our cake, and it was so yummy and beautiful. This place is the best kept secret in Milwaukee. Their prices are so reasonable too- $30 for prime rib!!! And if you only rent the ballroom, there is no food/bev min. Price: approx $5400 (still waiting for final billing) (Cake was $450 of that)

Linens: BBJ Linen

A: Linens we rented for the king table were gorgeous (kind of expensive though IMO). I didn't work directly with them (our reception site handled everything), but as far as I know, they were great! Price: $197

DJ and Lighting: Double Platinum DJs (Bill Spindler)

A+: Bill did a fantastic job at our wedding. Music was a really big part of our wedding, and he was able to accommodate all our requests about which songs to play and which to avoid. He did a great job on the mic during the grand entrance and the garter/bouquet toss. He also provided the uplighting for our reception- and it was fantastic. It added just the perfect touch to the room. Price: $1199

Ceremony music: Racine String Quartet

A+: We hired them for a trio to play at our wedding ceremony. It was super easy to work with them and figure out the details. For $390 we got 15 minutes of prelude music, music during ceremony and then 10 minutes postlude music. They were fantastic- sounded so beautiful. Made me feel like I was in a movie walking down the aisle. Their prices are way better than other quartets/trios in Wisconsin, and they are top-notch musicians. Price: $390

Photography: Front Room Photography

A+: We had so much fun with our photographers, Calfa and Dan. They were on top of everything and really knew what they were doing. We haven't seen many of the pictures yet, but the ones we have seen look amazing. They were sure to get pictures of all the things that I wanted. My husband is actually a photographer who is just starting in the wedding industry, and he aspires to be like Front Room someday. Can't wait to see the pictures! They had concerns that we would be crunched for time, but we couldn't afford to add an extra hour, which would be $400 extra. Dan showed up a half hour early off-the-clock, and they both ended up staying a good half hour late to make sure to get dancing shots. Can't thank them enough. Price: $3500 (without album or prints)

Flowers: Bloom Floral and Event Design (Laurel Flannery)

A+: I was set on a centerpiece design that was quoted to me as $150 per centerpiece through a number of florists. Laurel Flannery who owns Bloom Floral quoted me $50 each. She was awesome to work with through the entire process. We planned through email correspondence, and she always got back to me right away. She didn't charge me to use any of her candleholders, vases, or ceremony stands. I was blown away by every single piece she made- the bouquets were gorgeous, the ceremony pieces were AMAZING, the centerpieces were even better than what I imagined. Price: $1050

Bridal gown/Bridesmaid dresses: Brandi's Bridal Galleria

B: Great selection, although the bridesmaid dress I ended up selecting was not available as a sample at the store. They were fabulous in getting me fitted for my dress. Alterations were excellent, but a little pricey. Bridesmaid dresses came in over a week late, even though I paid extra for a rush order (however I'm not sure how much of this was the bridal shop's faulty versus the factory). Price: my gown $850, bridesmaids $209, my alterations $250

Transportation: Airport Towncar Express

A+: Very friendly on phone and in person. We reserved two pickups, one at 5:30 pm at the ceremony site and one at 11:30 pm at the reception site. Both times were on time with air-conditioned car ready. Great drivers. Easy payment process- let us pay at the end of the night with no deposit. Way more economical than a limo, and we got to be alone with each other for the car ride. Price: $100 + tip

Hair and Makeup: Exclusiva Salon and Spa

A+: So happy with how I looked! Everyone was so nice and accommodating. My first makeup trial left me disappointed, so they let me come back to have a second trial for free. The second look was AMAZING! Also came here the day before to get my nails done with my mom. Package included hair and makeup trial and day of, mani and pedi. Price: $260. 

Other Budget Items:

Invitations: DIY'd, printed at Kinkos. Price: $109

Menu cards, programs, table numbers, placecards: DIY'd, printed at Kinkos. Price: $60

Veil @ Ebay. Price: $20

Shoes @ Endless.com Price: $90

Suits @ Macy's Price $

Earrings @ JC Penny Price $20