Narrowed down venue need other expenses

Narrowed my venues to Watermill, Venetian and Chateau Briand.

Can I get a estimate on other expenses like flowers, photography and band/dj.

Flowers can be simple, just need for table and bouquets.

Photos, but not sure if getting video is necessary? What do you think?

Band/DJ I heard they are upwards of 5,000. Is this correct? I am hoping not.

My bride (DIL) will be flying in on 12/2 to decide on venue.

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

Flowers are very hard to quote - some places will charge you 1800 and some will charge you 4K for the same thing, becuase some places increase price for certain flowers and then theres high vs. low centerpieces etc

Photos tend to be expensive, and besides a band, probably your biggest investment besides the venue, but they are one of the few tangible items you have after your wedding so it is worth investing money on a good photo. I was on the fence about video at first, however I dont think Id regret spending the money but i knew Id regret not having it. Ive heard from a few former brides that said shortly after the wedding they lost a friend/family member so it was nice to have video of them to remember them buy,

DJ wont be that much. For a band, estimate between 800-1000 per band members, so usually bands are between 7-10K. You may be able to get one cheaper but bands tend to be very pricy, and remember you still need to pay for them to eat.

In terms of DJ what are you looking for, just a DJ/MC, or any add ons?

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

I am not sure what you mean by DJ/MC. If you mean a DJ who will be the MC yes. I can't believe the band is so much! A 5 piece will be close to 5000, that is half of the venue price. What do most brides get a band or DJ?

This is for my son and future DIL, they live out of state, and I am trying to get everything together when bride fly up here on 12/1, so she can make the final decisions.

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

So some people have a seperate DJ and MC and some people have one person do both (which would be more economical). I am having two people for that one who will be DJing and one who will be the MC.

Bands are very expensive, you probably will not find a 5 piece wedding band - they usually have more members in order to play a variety of different music.

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

Would you mind telling me how much your DJ was, and a telephone number.

I guess a band is out of the question, sigh...

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

Flowers vary so much depending on what you want and need. We have 18 tables so we did half high and half low and no church flowers. All together with bridal party flowers, we're paying $2300.

Photo were paying $4140 but we needed a lot included including our album, parent albums, engagement shoot and thank yous. That's for two photographers and a lighting assistant.

Video were paying $1600 I believe for 8 hours of video with one videographer, highlight reel, 30 min edited video on3 DVDs and all the raw footage. We decided to add it after s bride here lost her dad right after the weddin g and they were able to look back on the video and have all those precious memories. That sealed the deal for me.

Dj were paying $2600 for a dj, mc, and percussionist for the reception. The percussionist adds a bit of a live feel without the massive expense of a whole band.

Re: Narrowed down venue need other expenses

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Posted by frang

Would you mind telling me how much your DJ was, and a telephone number.

I guess a band is out of the question, sigh...

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You have an FM.

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

My photographer and videographer came together, so I got a deal. If you go to bridal showcases and talk to them, some of them will give you deals if you book a consultation on the spot, and if you decide to go with them they will honor the deal they made. My DJ also gave me a photobooth, and I received a deal on the setup and the photobooth as well for them (met with them at a showcase). My flowers, I cannot give a quote because I am not using flowers in my centerpieces, so my price is much lower than average.

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

@chelseaAnn, what are you using instead of flowers, that might be an idea!

Re: Narrowed down venue need other expenses

I'm having a Great Gatsby/1920s inspired wedding. I have 16 tables and two different centerpieces ( 8 & 8) I'm using tall (about 30') martini glasses with pearls and decanters. On the other 8 tables I'm using gold glitter champagne bottles with ostrich feathers and pearls.

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Re: Narrowed down venue need other expenses

The other centerpiece

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Re: Narrowed down venue need other expenses

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Posted by frang

Narrowed my venues to Watermill, Venetian and Chateau Briand.

Can I get a estimate on other expenses like flowers, photography and band/dj.

Flowers can be simple, just need for table and bouquets.

Photos, but not sure if getting video is necessary? What do you think?

Band/DJ I heard they are upwards of 5,000. Is this correct? I am hoping not.

My bride (DIL) will be flying in on 12/2 to decide on venue.

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Floral expenses can vary depending on what the bride wants. I know some people that have paid as little as $1000 to as much as $10,000. I think the average is about $2500-$3000 though. The woman I used was excellent and is very reasonable. Photo/Video could be about $4000-$5000 for both. When I was shopping around those were the average quotes I was getting for just one Album and Video within the package. DJ/MC - I got quotes between $3000-$7000. I went with Bravo Sound who came in with the lowest and it was a really great party. One of my friends is getting married next September and his band is costing him over $8000. I think bands tend to be more expensive but I'm really not sure. Quotes really do vary depending on the couples preference and expectations. All the vendors I worked with are all easy to work with and respect your budget. I'd be happy to forward their information to you.

Re: Narrowed down venue need other expenses

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Posted by ChelseaAnn

The other centerpiece

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Your centerpieces are beautiful! I had a Gatsby themed wedding! It was a lot of fun planning this kind of theme, hope you're having just as much fun.

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

Oh I absolutely am!!

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

Oh I absolutely am!!

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

Flowers- $2800 (9 maids, 18 tables)
DJ-Got really good pricing because we booked very far in advanced $1300
Photo/Video with albums-$5000

Narrowed down venue need other expenses

Thank you for all the responses. Love your centerpieces they are so pretty, and a great idea.