The Cost of Having a Wedding In Your Home. Or Someone Else's Home, for That Matter

Over at the Daily Tribune, Washington, DC wedding planner Aryan Kanter writes about the wedding she coordinated for a couple in their home, a romantic, black-tie, nighttime reception for 140 guests. The average cost of a wedding in Washington DC is $39,000. This one? Much, much more – the flowers themselves were $38,000. I can hear the gasps from here. Granted, this seems to be a very high-end wedding, and here in Los Angeles, I can help you shave at least 15k off this, easily, laughably easily, even, but pay attention to all the stuff you’ll need:

Tent: Total expense: $14,120
40-by-60-foot tent plus a tent connecting to the house: $4,400
Sidewalls: $300
Plastic subfloor with short-pile carpet: $4,250
28-by-28-foot dance floor: $2,350
Two heaters: $500
Tent permit: $1,500
Maintenance technician: $420
Overtime labor for Sunday tent removal: $400
Flowers: $38,000
Personnel: $8,700
Including chef, waiters, coat check, bartenders
Equipment: $8,500
Including tables, china, glassware, linens
Lighting: $6,000
High-end trailer with two restrooms: $1,800
Power generator: $900

Oh, and by the way? This DOESN’T include the cost of food. I’m facing this right now with a wedding where rentals and staffing are going to be the most expensive part of the wedding, ’cause they have to bring everything in, and then take it out when the wedding is over.

There’s also a couple of great little tools in that article, an average wedding cost estimator, so you can see what the average cost of a wedding is in your area (Burbank – $35k), and even better from there, a wedding budget calculator based on your zip code, all courtesy of master wedding guru Sharon Naylor. Enjoy!

See you at the end of the aisle,

Liz Coopersmith
Silver Charm Events
www.silvercharmevents.com