Entertainment is always a big expense item for exclusive weddings. Jennifer Lopez was reportedly paid $1 million to sing a few songs at one affair. Other top tier entertainers and bands also hire themselves out to wedding ceremonies.
Some families, however, do not want big-name entertainers because they do not want to distract from the bride and groom, planners say.
Many couples will have different types of entertainment for different stages of the wedding, from a jazz band for the cocktail party, a string quartet for the dinner and a rock-and-roll band for the reception party, says Jennifer Lowrance, executive director of Briscoe Manor (www.briscoemanor.com) in Richmond, Tex., near Houston.
The wedding ring is often an heirloom. Jewelry and accessories for each ensemble, including different shoes for each dress, for the bride and for the mothers of the bride and groom, are among the other items that quickly drive up total costs.
A million-dollar wedding for a sports franchise owner was one of Montero's events. It was for only 84 people but included ten events over six days and involved transporting people from four different airports.
"For another exclusive affair we covered their pool with a dance floor and held the event overlooking a lake," Montero says.
Wedding ceremonies pump thousands of dollars into the economy, including vast amounts spent by guests who come early and spend money on accommodations, travel and touring, wedding planners say.
"The high-end wedding market will always be there," Marino says. "It dropped a little in the height of the recession, but I think that was because it did not seem politically correct to spend so much on a wedding."