When Annie Banks and Bryan MacKenzie tied the knot in the 1991 rom-com “Father of the Bride,” her dad, played by Steve Martin, famously flipped at the price of $250 per head for the wedding. Even though they had it at her parents home, they went all out, and the wedding potentially cost over $140-thousand. While that’s a lot of money, experts say it’s nothing compared to what that same wedding would cost in real life now.
According to wedding planner Laura Ritchie, that event for 250 guests could easily cost $15-hundred to $2-thousand per person, for a total of around $500-thousand. Crazy, right? But Ritchie says that’s actually “on the low end.” Here’s what she says that half a million dollars would cover for the “Father of the Bride” wedding today.
- Stationery: $10-thousand. For everything from save-the-dates to invitations and wedding day menus.
- Church Ceremony - $3-thousand. This covers fees for the church, musicians, gold wedding bands and the post-ceremony rice toss.
- Fashion: $10-thousand. For the bridal gown ($6-thousand), the sneakers the bride wears in the movie, mother of the bride’s dress, suit for the bride’s little brother and the father of the bride’s Armani tux (now $3,995).
- Flowers: $40-thousand. That house is full of flowers and they don’t come cheap.
- Home Improvements: $5-thousand. This pays for the moving truck to haul furniture off for the reception, tulips added to the front yard and updated painting and electrical work.
- Food, Beverage, and Cake: $90-thousand. A seated dinner for a black-tie event is pricey, especially with all that champagne they have in the movie.The bubbly would be about $4-thousand and the wedding cake would cost about $26-hundred.
- Tabletop Rentals: $20-thousand. This covers the crystal champagne flutes, tables, chairs, linens and such.
- Tent: $50-thousand. It’s big enough for a dance floor for 250 guests and a band, plus lighting and generators.
- Lighting: $7-thousand, valet parking: $18-hundred, other details: $10-thousand, photographer: $25-thousand, and the wedding planner: $45-thousand to $75-thousand.
Source: Brides