Best Forest Wedding Venues Wisconsin – 10 Smart Ways to Save on Weddings

Tying the Knot Without Breaking the Bank: Smart Savings for Your Forest Wedding at Maidenwood

Hello Maidenwood couples and soon-to-be-wed dreamers! Planning your wedding should be an exciting journey, not a financial burden. We understand that you want to create a magical day at one of the best forest wedding venues Wisconsin has, with its breathtaking Mississippi River views, enchanting forest, and beautiful gardens, without sacrificing the guest experience. So, let’s explore some savvy ways to save while still throwing an unforgettable celebration at Maidenwood with the 10 smart ways to save on weddings below. If you are still looking for one of the best forest wedding venues Wisconsin has, let’s chat 

Prioritizing Experiences, Not Expenses

At Maidenwood, we believe your wedding should reflect your unique love story and create lasting memories for you and your guests. Here’s how you can achieve that while being mindful of your budget:

1. The Guest List: Quality Over Quantity

Tip: A smaller guest list means more personalized interactions and a more intimate atmosphere. At Maidenwood, with our vast outdoor spaces and the setup of our White Barn even a smaller group feels grand and not awkward. We have multiple weddings every year with 25-100 guests and the guests experience has been off the charts.

Why It Works: Fewer guests mean you have the potential to save on food, beverages, table décor (less tables to decorate), favors, shuttles, invitations, etc…plus more opportunities to connect with everyone present.

 

2. Minimal Decor: Take Advantage of Your Venue’s Natural Beauty

Tip: Lean into your venue’s natural attributes. There’s a reason you were drawn to your venue, it’s usually a lot cheaper to highlight those than try to completely overhaul the venue’s features.

Why It Works: Our nature-inspired wedding venue’s setting is so beautiful already you can skip on renting a U-Haul trailer worth of decor. Our couples typically don’t even bring any décor for our forest wedding venue other than if they want to put floral on our arch and our tall grass prairie has vibrant florals all summer long and stunning fall colors so your guests will have plenty of beauty to look at without you needing to bring anything.

3. Digital Details: Skip the Printed Programs

Tip: Create a beautiful digital program or display a large welcome sign with the order of events.

Why It Works: Save on printing costs and paper waste. We find programs are barley ever used by guests. They cost money to print, time to make, and they create waste in our nature-inspired wedding venue. They are most often looked at for 5 seconds then put down.

 

4. Catering Creativity: Explore Alternatives

Tip: Opt for food trucks instead of a traditional plated dinner.

Why It Works: These options can be more cost-effective and create a fun, interactive dining experience. At Maidenwood, our flexible spaces allow for diverse catering setups.

Bonus Tip: Avoid Exclusive Catering: Make sure when you are looking at wedding venues that have exclusive catering that you get pricing on food before you book your venue or look at venues that allow you to bring in your own licensed caterer. This allows you to shop around for the best deal, and find a caterer that fits your budget. Some venues with exclusive catering will have a really reasonable venue rental fee, but a large food & beverage minimum. I’ve seen some couples pay 3-6 times more for food & beverage minimums than they did for the venue and had they known what the exclusive catering bill was going to be, they would not have selected that venue. At Maidenwood we do not have an exclusive catering agreement.

 

5. Sweet Treats: Beyond the Tiered Cake

Tip: Serve a dessert bar with sheet cake, donuts, cupcakes, Bundtinis, pies, cookies, or ice cream.

Why It Works: These options are often more affordable and offer variety for your guests. Plus, they can be beautifully displayed in The White Barn. We have a lot of couples that will do a small tiered cake to have it on display and for the couple to cut, but then will serve their guest a different option (listed above) to help save a little money and for better guest experience.

6. Bar Basics: Selective Spirits

Tip: Offer beer, wine, and a signature cocktail instead of a full open bar.

Why It Works: We can help you create a customized hosted beverage package to include options, but not require you to host everything. This significantly reduces alcohol costs while still providing a festive atmosphere. Your guest would then have options to choosing something you have hosted or purchasing a different option so it’s the best of both worlds.

7. Streamlined Squad: Smaller Wedding Party

Tip: Limit your bridal party to your closest friends and family.

Why It Works: Fewer attendants mean less expense for bouquets, gifts, food for the day of and day before, and attire. Side note, this can also help reduce the bride’s stress day of if she has less opinions to listen to and less chance of the wedding party drama taking time away from your special day.

 

8. Early to Bed, Happy to Wed: Consider an Earlier End Time

Tip: Wrap up the reception a bit earlier than you think.

Why It Works: Shorter events mean lower bar tabs and less need for late night snacks. This is also a personal thing where I would always rather have people leave with the feeling of wishing there was more than saying, this could have been over an hour ago.

 

9. Child-Free Celebration:

Tip: Politely request an adult-only celebration.

Why It Works: This reduces headcount and allows parents to fully enjoy the festivities. This also reduces the risk of kids running around during your first dance and/or speeches.

10. Meaningful Moments, Not Material Favors:

Tip: Skip traditional favors and donate to a charity or create a memorable shared experience, like a late-night bonfire.

Why It Works: Guests appreciate the thought, and you save on tangible items. Maidenwood’s outdoor fire pits are perfect for this!

 

Embrace the Maidenwood Magic

At one of the best forest wedding venues Wisconsin can offer, with its natural beauty and rustic charm, provides a stunning backdrop that requires minimal additional décor. Let the bluffs, forest, gardens, and The White Barn’s elegance speak for themselves. This will save you loads on decor expenses.

Your Dream Wedding, Within Reach

Remember, your wedding day is about celebrating your love. With a little creativity and planning, you can create a magical experience at Maidenwood, our wedding venue in Pepin WI area,  that’s both memorable and budget-friendly. We’re here to help you every step of the way!

Contact us today to learn more about how we can make your dream wedding a reality.

 

Photo Credits: Chickadee Photo / Amber Jean Photo / Lindsay Miller Photo / Sophia Huber / Wild Trail Studio