Pabst Theater Group will help you ‘elope’
The shows can’t go on at the Pabst Theater Group.
But weddings can.
In addition to concerts being canceled and postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, couples planning to get married this summer have had to scrap their plans.
So the Pabst Theater Group in Milwaukee is offering up three of its four venues — the Pabst Theater, the Riverside Theater and Turner Hall Ballroom — for small wedding ceremonies of 10 people or fewer.
“It’s really unfortunate that couples are facing this. There is so much uncertainty right now,” said Sara Peronto, public relations director with the Pabst Theater Group. “This serves as an alternative for couples looking for an experience that has the elegance and ambiance of a wedding even though they have to scale it back dramatically.”
Couples who sign up for a so-called “Elopement Package” will have one of the three venues to themselves for three hours, and can select where in the buildings they want to stage their wedding.
Brides and grooms will also have access to dressing rooms, and can bring in a wedding photographer to take pictures around the buildings.
The Pabst is also offering one of its house photographers to take wedding pictures for an additional charge. Couples can add bar service to their packages and live-streaming for guests unable to attend, due to the city’s restrictions on mass gatherings.
Interested couples can sign up to receive pricing and more information at After announcing the elopement packages Monday morning, Peronto said the Pabst Theater Group had more than 100 inquiries in the first 24 hours.
The new wedding offering is the latest outsidethe-box endeavor from Pabst Theater Group after its venues shut down in mid-March. Business has come to a standstill, and shows through summer continue to be canceled and postponed.
It prompted the Pabst to launch a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for more than 200 part-time employees out of work. More than $71,000 was raised through the fund through April.
Also last month, Pabst Theater Group CEO Gary Witt co-founded the National Independent Venue Association, a coalition of more than 1,600 jeopardized music venues and promoters campaigning Congress for support, including 62 in Wisconsin alone.
And the Pabst last week launched the #ReviveLive MKE streaming concert series with Japanese Breakfast, with all proceeds benefiting the Pabst Theater Group and Japanese Breakfast’s touring crew.
On Monday, the Pabst announced the second installment of the streaming series, with acclaimed indie rock band Whitney.
Tickets for that show, streaming at 7 p.m. June 4, are $15 through May 28 at Tickets are $20 from May 28 until the day of the show.