5 Million Dollar Baby

When you are in the business of weddings and you read about some of the more lavish celebrity celebrations, it can be a little fantastic to imagine oneself as a vendor for such an elaborate affair.

A few weeks ago it was Carrie Underwood's wedding at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Lake Oconee. With an estimated $500,000 price tag, the florals alone could have easily cost $50,000. She used a Nashville, TN florist, and while the style of flowers was not my particular taste, it sure is easy to appreciate the labor involved! Oh, and People Magazine reportedly paid $2 million for the photos.

Up next, Chelsea Clinton's Big Day:
Wedding of the Decade, Wedding of the Century, whatever you want to call it, the Clintonfest happening this Saturday will not be anything less than spectacular. Uncovering the juicy details is extremely difficult, as you can imagine.
We do know that the festivities will be held at Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, New York.

Astor Courts, image from the Astor Courts Website

I'm hoping for some good pictures of the decor, or at least a good shot of the bridal bouquet!

WEDDING COSTS- WHAT'S THE BREAKDOWN?

Okay, so maybe you don't have a few million, or even a few hundred thousand, to drop on this one day. And really, when all is said and done, you are getting married for more reasons than the opportunity to wear a veil. This is the beginning of your marriage, a long term union between you and your love.

Once the excitement of the engagement settles, it's time to start planning. First and most important is to determine what your budget is. There's no magic formula for that one, and every situation is different.

But there are some good resources out there to help you decide how to break down the cost of each part of the wedding. Not all experts will tell you the same thing, and that's okay. It also depends on what's important to you. Want to really do it up in the invitation department, but not too concerned about having an eight piece band? Go ahead, it is your big day after all.

REAL SIMPLE suggests the following:

• Reception- 50%
• Attire- 10%
• Flowers and Decorations- 10%
• Music- 10%
• Photography/Videography- 10%
• Favors and Gifts- 3%
• Ceremony- 2%
• Stationary- 2%
• Wedding rings- 2%
• Transportation- 1%

Here is their PDF worksheet, it provides more details on this breakdown.

MARTHA STEWART WEDDINGS uses this simple calculation:

• Reception- 50%
• Attire- 10%
• Flowers- 10%
• Music- 10%
• Photography/Videography- 10%
• Stationary, favors, other details- 10%

Here's Martha's worksheet in detail.

Obviously both resources in this case have similar suggestions. There are others out there if you want to look around!