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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – I remember the price of my wedding: $5,000. My bride and I did everything possible to control costs. We were the first wedding of the season at the Madison Beach Inn. Since parts of the resort weren’t open, we got a discount. We kept the guest list very small. There was no cash bar; bottles of wine were on the tables for guests to serve themselves.
The average cost of a wedding today in Wisconsin is $25,000.
If a young couple, or their families, can afford it – God bless them. But for a young couple to start their lives in debt is irresponsible, and sabotages their relationship. Imagine if paying for the wedding crowds out date nights once the knot is tied. Surely there are some couples who get divorced before the wedding bill is paid off.
I support wedding barns, where hosts get to rent the venue at a reasonable price and provide their own liquor. A new state law that requires wedding barns to be licensed is being challenged in court. I hope the barn owners win.
The state law creates a “no sale alcohol permit.” Wedding barns would be limited to hosting no more than six events a year. The new law is scheduled to take effect in 2026.
Wedding barns have long been a target of the Wisconsin Tavern League, which see them as cutting in on their business. They call for a level playing field; bars and banquet halls are highly regulated. But I’m skeptical. I don’t think a couple’s wedding budget suddenly quadruples just because a wedding barn is no longer an option. I suspect that low-budget weddings are more likely to to moved to a relative’s backyard or a church basement instead. I think it’s the trend towards destination weddings – in places like Barbados or Disney World – that have made for fewer banquet hall weddings.
Getting married is already unimaginably expensive. Taking away low-cost wedding options is bad public policy.
Chris Conley
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