The excitement of getting engaged can be quickly diminished when you start diving into the financial toll of a wedding. When people ask our staff at Barnwood Events how much they can expect to spend on a wedding in Madison, we always say it totally depends on your vision, needs, and wants.
In this blog, we’ll break down some of the costs that come along with a traditional wedding. You can find a money-saving option in our next blog.
A traditional wedding in Madison takes place on a Saturday. It’s the highest-priced day since they’re in limited supply.
Venue
Barnwood Events charges $6,800 for a Saturday rental in 2025, and charges a $600 fee for ceremonies. This is a pretty typical venue rental fee on a Saturday for similar venues in Madison.
Running total: $7,400
Food
A plated meal from a full-service caterer runs about $30 per person. Barnwood Events uses outside caterers, but some venues may require you to use their in-house catere.
Let’s add about $15 per person for appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages.
You can go pretty fancy with your desserts, but we’ll say $5 per person for something like cupcakes or a slice of cake for this estimate.
We’ll add another $5 per person for a late-night snack – you know your guests will want that slice of pizza after a few hours of dancing.
Running total: $12,900
Bar
Barnwood Events has bar packages that allow guests to enjoy hosted beverages for the length of the evening. For 6 hours, guests can enjoy a fully hosted premium bar package for $40 per person.
Running total: $16,900
Entertainment
A DJ is key to keeping the night moving, emceeing your events, and ensuring your ceremony is amplified. For a DJ to run ceremony AV, reception music, emceeing – and for fun, let’s add in a photobooth – an average would be about $2,500.
Running total: $19,400
Florals and Decor
You’ll need about 12 tables for 100 guests, and Barnwood Events offers linens at $17 a piece through Event Essentials.
Barnwood Events has a lot of decor for couples to use for free, but you may want to add in some floral centerpieces. Of course, you’ll need bouquets and boutonnieres for your wedding party and special guests. For personal flowers, ceremony floral arrangements, and reception flowers, we would estimate around $4,000.
Running total: $23,604
Photo and Video
After investing so much into your big day, you’ll want to be sure to capture it. For your dream photography services, we recommend budgeting at least $5,000. Adding videography to preserve the sights and sounds of your celebration can be an additional $5,000. Some companies offer combined photography and videography packages at a lower rate, providing excellent value for capturing your big day beautifully.
Running total: $33,604
There are a lot of ways to save – or splurge – on your wedding. No two weddings are the same, so there is no real way to say what a “typical” wedding is, this is just an example in the Madison area. In our next blog, we’ll show you some ways couples save money on their wedding and reduce that total bill.
If you’re beginning the planning process and looking for a venue, schedule a tour with Barnwood Events!