THE ORIGINAL BUDGET: $3,000
The Couple: Sharon Boone (freelance writer) and Darren Wright (life coach and career adviser)
Wedding Date: October 16, 2009
Location: The W Hotel, Hoboken; and Amanda’s Restaurant, Hoboken
The Goal:
A tiny cocktail party with a Rat Pack–y feel.
The Dress
S: I bought my dress from Dolly Couture, a site that specializes in fifties-inspired styles. I customized the design online—short with a drop waist—and gave my measurements. They sent a sample of the fabric. It was $520. Darren got a very nice charcoal suit at a department store in England for the equivalent of $300.
Some of What They Paid: $820
The Venue
The most important aspect was a view of New York. At the last minute, our guest list doubled, from 12 to 24, because my extended family decided to come. We had the WOW suite at the W. The usual rate is $2,500 per night; I asked for a discount and got it for $1,000. The hotel provided glasses, napkins, and extra chairs; I brought in loads of tea lights.
Some of What They Paid: $1,000
The Food & Liquor
I supplied the wine and Champagne; I’d been collecting bottles all year. My parents bought crackers in bulk at Costco, and I went to Garden of Eden for fruit and cheese. After drinks, everyone went to Amanda’s for dinner. We got a cozy private room and had a great menu for $40 per person, and they let us bring our own cake. Ours cost $75; the bakery (Giorgio’s in Hoboken) delivered it to the restaurant.
Some of What They Paid: $1,115
The Flowers
Flowers were not a big deal to us. I had a bouquet, Darren had a boutonniere, and we got corsages for our moms. We kept it local and got everything at Beethoven’s Veranda in Hoboken for $350.
Some of What They Paid: $350
The Photographer
Our photographer was Kat Bryant. She was just starting out doing weddings, so she gave us a great rate: $500. But we didn’t have her stick around for the reception.
Some of What They Paid: $500
Where Else They Saved
Forgoing the officiant was our biggest saver; they charge at least $400. They all said, “But we get to know you!” I thought, I’m paying you to become my friend? So we had a friend get ordained online. We hosted on a Friday. And we had no paper—programs, etc.—or D.J.; I just filled up my iPod.
THE ACTUAL COST
$5,000
THE ORIGINAL BUDGET: $15,000
The Couple: Stefanie Seamens (musical-theater actress) and Daniel Lee Robbins (musical-theater actor and catering captain)
Wedding Date: August 10, 2009
Location: The Foundry, Long Island City
The Goal
Our theme was gourmet picnic; we wanted a casual, comfy, down-home vibe and a giant, kick-ass party.
The Dress
S: I’m from Portland, Oregon, where there’s no sales tax, so I got my dress there: a mermaid style with an antique feel and layers of lace, by Rivini. My original budget was $1,000, but I ended up spending $5,000.
D: I bought my suit at Daffy’s; it was $140. I had set a budget of $1,000.
Some of What They Paid: $5,140
The Venue
D: The Foundry was a great setting because you can make the space into whatever you want (around $4,500, including use of the terrace). The picnic theme ended up saving us a lot; our rental costs were $1,200. Stef’s mom made the table linens, and we had about 300 votives and tons of globe lights that we got on clearance at Target.
Some of What They Paid: $5,700
The Food & Liquor
D: We didn’t want a sit-down dinner. We had comfort food—mac and cheese, ribs—out and available all night. Since I work for a catering company, our food cost only $25 per person. The staff donated their time, so that was a huge savings. We had beer and wine, plus a drink like an Arnold Palmer ($184 for a keg and four cases of beer; $600 for three cases of wine, vodka, and some Champagne).
Some of What They Paid: $2,784
The Flowers
S: Flowers weren’t as important to us. I think we spent about $1,200, and that included labor. We had bouquets for the four bridesmaids and me, boutonnieres for the five groomsmen and Dan, and simple centerpieces in Mason jars, which we bought to go with the picnic theme. ).
Some of What They Paid: $1,200
The Photographer
S: Aaron Almendral was very reasonable—$1,000. He works without an assistant, which meant big savings.
Some of What They Paid: $1,000
Where Else They Saved
S: I did my own hair and makeup; after years of shows, I know how. We saved by having our wedding on a Monday; our friends could attend, since most theaters are dark then. Stationery was another big savings. A family friend has a printing company and gave us all the materials—save-the-dates, invitations, thank-you cards, and programs.
THE ACTUAL COST: $22,000
THE ORIGINAL BUDGET: $20,000
The Couple: Anne Fritz (founder and editor of beauty and travel website The Jet Set Girls) and Leopold Linval (bartender at Jake’s Steakhouse)
Wedding Date: November 7, 2009
Location: 101 River Views
The Goal
A swanky Champagne-and-cocktail party with great music.
The Dress
A: My dress was $300. It was Carmen Marc Valvo, and I got it at Bloomingdale’s. It wasn’t a “wedding dress,” but it was white and long, had a train, and seemed to fit the vibe. I later spent $600 on alterations. The shoes were silver Jimmy Choos ($400). I knew I wanted nice shoes because I’ll wear them again.
Some of What They Paid: $1,300
The Venue
101 River Views is a cool penthouse space with great vistas ($4,500), and it fit our vision perfectly. Since the space was furnished with white leather chairs and other lounge pieces, we were able to save on décor. We rented a few highboys, a dining table for our older guests, and chairs for the ceremony.
Some of What They Paid: $4,500
The Food & Liquor
I wanted to have lots of Champagne and passed hors d’oeuvre. Unfortunately, there simply wasn’t enough food, but we couldn’t argue because we’d signed a contract ($7,500 including rentals, tax, and tip). Aside from that, the cocktail theme went over well. We had a full bar, and we were able to use connections for discounts. Plus, Leo’s restaurant gave us wine.
Some of What They Paid: $7,500
The Flowers
A friend went to the flower district; the bridesmaids and I all had white-rose bouquets, which were around $80. The rest of the flowers were used: They were recycled from an event our caterer had worked earlier that week.
Some of What They Paid: $80
The Photographer
I wanted a photo booth but thought it would be too expensive. I saw the live-photo-booth concept when I was in New Orleans—photographers provide a background and take photos of the guests. I tracked down the company, Bring Into Being, here in the city, and they were fantastic. The cost was $3,500 and included a CD of images.
Some of What They Paid: $3,500
Where Else They Saved
November and March are shoulder seasons, so we knew we could get everything a little cheaper. March can still be iffy on the weather, so we went with early November.
THE ACTUAL COST: $22,000
THE ORIGINAL BUDGET: $75,000
The Couple: Lauren Kukafka (assistant art director at Fitness magazine) and William Steinberg (talent marketer at Premiere Global Sports)
Wedding Date: October 18, 2009
Location: Pier Sixty and the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers
The Goal
We didn’t have a theme; I just wanted the whole event to be really beautiful and cohesive.
The Dress
L: My dress was by Christos; I ended up getting it at Kleinfeld at a trunk sale, so I paid about $3,500. I got the veil there, too, and the shoes were a splurge. They were Swarovski-crystal-encrusted Stuart Weitzmans, and cost $500.
Some of What They Paid: $4,000
The Venue
The Lighthouse had a sense of place, plus beautiful windows overlooking the water. We got the Twilight Package, which meant we were able to have the venue for the entire day. The Lighthouse cost $210 per person, plus a 22 percent service charge, $1,250 for the ceremony, and $500 for valet parking. There is no site fee.
Some of What They Paid: $41,461
The Invites
I’m a graphic designer, so I designed a lot of the paper myself. It was important to me that all the little things coordinated and had a similar look. I worked with a company called Elum, which does letterpress design, to personalize our invitations. Total cost for invitations, table and response cards, and program covers was around $3,500.
Some of What They Paid: $3,500
The Flowers
Chelsea Piers has a list of preferred vendors; we settled on Superior Florist because their style wasn’t too over the top. One thing I was fixated on was hanging candles from the ceiling; since it’s black, I wanted it to look like twinkling lights. The florist did the candles and the chuppa. Our flower budget was $6,000, but we spent closer to $8,000.
Some of What They Paid: $8,000
The Photographer
We went with Mantas Wright Photography; they are a husband-and-wife team, and I liked their personalities a lot. They charged about $4,500 for eight hours, plus our engagement shoot. We also booked a videographer, Rockmelon. We paid about $3,000 for that.
Some of What They Paid: $7,500
Where Else They Saved
We got married on a Sunday, so we saved there, partially because there was a lower minimum amount of guests, at 150. The guaranteed amount of guests on a Saturday is a lot higher (200 plus), which would have brought up the cost.
THE ACTUAL COST: $77,000