Ridiculous vendors

bizzy592 · May 2015

Just heard back from a photographer - $11k for 8 hours. Clearly, we're going in another direction.

What are the most absurd wedding industry inflations you've seen?

STARMOON44 · May 2015

11k for 8 hours of time? Or 11k including 8 hours day of, editing, processing, 2 shooters, maybe an engagement shoot?

11k doesn't sound crazy to me. I wouldn't do it myself but I know plenty of people who do.

larrygaga · May 2015

60 dollars for a formal updo.

130 for a bridal formal updo.

HA ha nah

NowIAmSyp · May 2015

$12,000 on a wedding dress. Granted, it was one of the most gorgeous gowns I've EVER SEEN... but still, no.

falsara · May 2015

Any dress by Pnina Tornai.

bizzy592 · May 2015

STARMOON44 said:
11k for 8 hours of time? Or 11k including 8 hours day of, editing, processing, 2 shooters, maybe an engagement shoot?

11k doesn't sound crazy to me. I wouldn't do it myself but I know plenty of people who do.

The latter. I do live in a fairly expensive area, but others I'd spoken to capped out around 7k.

NavyBlue143 · May 2015

A chair rental place wanted to charge me double the price of each chair for set up and takedown. Like, for instance, a $5 chair would have cost me 25 because it was 10 for setup and 10 for taking it down. Lol no I'll do it myself.

julieanne912 · May 2015

So far my biggest "wtf" has been $1,200 for a DJ for 5 hours (the first hour of which is the ceremony, so it's really just setting up a mic and 2 speakers outside), whose "studio" (probably his house based on the address) is 5 minutes down the street from the venue. In other areas, I've had great luck w/ vendors giving me a good deal if they're local to the area of the venue, but not this guy. And yes, I understand $1,200 is probably not that bad for a DJ but I think it's nuts.

And, I got a great photographer (actually 2) for $1,650 for 8 hours and a free engagement session. So yeah, $11k sounds a bit nuts to me. The most expensive one I ran across was $4,000-$5,000, and he is AMAZING (did my friend's wedding). But yeah, no matter how amazing the pics, 5k is 1/3 of my entire budget.

lyndausvi · May 2015

Honestly, it's rare I get surprised at prices. There are Lamborghini's and Kia's. Ritz and Super 8's. And yes, when it comes to weddings there are $11K photographers and $400 photographers.

Granted I've worked million dollar weddings before. Sure I do not get $11K photographers, but hey if I was a vendor I would much rather do a few $11K weddings then a shit ton of cheap ones.

smalfrie19 · May 2015

hahahah i SPENT 11K on my entire wedding...

i didnt price any ridiculous vendors thankfully.

lovemyrunner · May 2015

$200 for a tux for the 3 year old ring bearer. Yeah, no.

larrygaga · May 2015

I also want to say that I KNOW venues buy really ugly chairs, pretty chair covers and charge for the pretty chair covers on purpose.

huskypuppy14 · May 2015

julieanne912 said:
So far my biggest "wtf" has been $1,200 for a DJ for 5 hours (the first hour of which is the ceremony, so it's really just setting up a mic and 2 speakers outside), whose "studio" (probably his house based on the address) is 5 minutes down the street from the venue. In other areas, I've had great luck w/ vendors giving me a good deal if they're local to the area of the venue, but not this guy. And yes, I understand $1,200 is probably not that bad for a DJ but I think it's nuts.
And, I got a great photographer (actually 2) for $1,650 for 8 hours and a free engagement session. So yeah, $11k sounds a bit nuts to me. The most expensive one I ran across was $4,000-$5,000, and he is AMAZING (did my friend's wedding). But yeah, no matter how amazing the pics, 5k is 1/3 of my entire budget.

1200 for a wedding DJ is pretty standard in my area (it's what we paid). The cheapest I found was maybe 900. I did get a quote for over 3000, and I was like nope. For 4000 I could get a band, so why would I pay 3000 for a DJ.

My bridal hairstyle was 150.00.

The craziest thing I remember was 75 dollars for a children's meal. Seventy five dollars for chicken fingers and mac and cheese. No absolutely not.

tj&cw · May 2015

Just had a meeting with a day of coordinator.....just to keep everything on time she sent me a quote for 1500.00.

I almost passed out!

falsara · May 2015

tj&cw said:
Just had a meeting with a day of coordinator.....just to keep everything on time she sent me a quote for 1500.00.

I almost passed out!

That's ridiculous, I can get a DOC for a wedding with 200 people for 650. And she'll set up, clean up and run everything in between.

JCbride2015 · May 2015

$899 for a decorative enamel hair comb. lol!

sunshineontherun · May 2015

Saw a place that had price included for an open bar with the meal package. But if you had guests under 21, you were charged an additional $30 pp under 21 for soda and juice.

So the things people mix with the alcohol in the open bar.

Fran1985 · May 2015

falsara said:

tj&cw said:
Just had a meeting with a day of coordinator.....just to keep everything on time she sent me a quote for 1500.00.

I almost passed out!

That's ridiculous, I can get a DOC for a wedding with 200 people for 650. And she'll set up, clean up and run everything in between.

Its all about where you are- the lowest quote I got for a DOC was 1300. Like lynda I am not fully surprised by prices because I know there are crazy expensive places, but I was surprised by who charged those prices. I contacted a small locally owned place that didn't have prices listed and she asked me to pick out what I liked and she would give me a custom menu quote. She came back with 22k for food (no rentals included, of course) and I thought it was just such a waste of both or our times! Just tell me you start at 15k or some ball park so I can be on my way.

louxnoelle · May 2015

I know that the prices are the norm, and they just cost what they cost, but I can't get over the price tags of the belts and sashes that you can buy to bling out a dress. They're so pretty. And I want to just comprise a wedding dress by wrapping myself in them head-to-toe. But they're also so much money for such little strips of fabric.

photokitty · May 2015

louxnoelle said:
I know that the prices are the norm, and they just cost what they cost, but I can't get over the price tags of the belts and sashes that you can buy to bling out a dress. They're so pretty. And I want to just comprise a wedding dress by wrapping myself in them head-to-toe. But they're also so much money for such little strips of fabric.

This! The accessories are what blew me away the most.

Vendors I expect there to be a solid range and as long as it is commiserate with your quality then I don't care - doesn't mean I'll pay for it, but I respect them valuing their work as worth paying extra.

Napkins, runners, table clothes, chairs, chair sashes, ceiling drapes, up lighting - that stuff baffles me as well. So accessories for me and for my table, I think are the most inflated for a wedding.

climbingsingle · May 2015

Yeah, the accessories really shocked me. I think I paid like $600 for a certain belt I wanted for my dress. The rest of the products my bridal salon had to offer were crazy expensive too, so I bought elsewhere.

thisismynickname2 · May 2015

Generally speaking, wedding dresses are my absurd upcharge. You can get a couture designer evening gown for a couple grand, but that same couple grand gets you a budget quality wedding dress. That doesn't make much sense to me.

Oh, and flowers. $150 for a bridal bouquet? No, thank you.

sarahufl · May 2015

The belts shocked me as well- I found one I really liked and it was like 300 bucks. When you pay 500 for a dress, that just seems a bit steep.

I ended up with a $75 one from David's Bridal that I loved.

badbnagdway · May 2015

sarahufl said:
The belts shocked me as well- I found one I really liked and it was like 300 bucks. When you pay 500 for a dress, that just seems a bit steep.

I ended up with a $75 one from David's Bridal that I loved.

Yes -- like others have said -- "wedding" accessories are super inflated. But I did have luck shopping around for things that are similar. I didn't wear a belt, but I did wear a headband and bling-tastic earrings I got at Dillards. I think combined they weren't more than $80, but similar headbands and earrings on BHLDN are $200+.

As others noted -- inflated prices are really relative. I would definitely gasp at $11k for photography -- in my area you can get two shooters for 7 hours who are both talented for $2k - $3k. Prices go up from there with different add ons and I've seen price tags of $5k or so for folks who have a lot of acclaim (but frankly I didn't think their photos were better). $11k would be many times over the market rate here.

We went to a wedding this spring at a venue that is on the higher end of venue prices for my area, I think a Saturday rental would be $4.5k. The outdoor space is lovely but the indoor portion is completely insufficient for more than about 50 people (with more than 50 people not everyone can be in the same room, with more than 100 some people were inside in two rooms, and the remaining people were out on a patio). After seeing that venue for myself I thought it was completely outrageous to charge that much for what you actually get. But I've also seen spaces (such as a vineyard with a very large covered pavilion not too far from town) that I totally get paying $4.5k for (if that's in your budget).

dolewhipper · May 2015

This doesn't really surprise me.

I paid 1100 for my DOC team (two sisters) and it was the best money I spent. Now, did I go with a 11k photographer? No, but at the same time my photographer has been doing parties for my family for years so he gave a discount.

hellosweetie1015 · May 2015

Um. The biggest racket, for me and my budget, is DEFINITELY flowers.

I called and priced bouquets EARLY on in my planning. I don't like cut flowers, but I hadn't lurked enough yet and thought they were a requirement for a Good Wedding, so I figured I could at least get a quote to get me started. I wanted in-season blooms. I'm not picky. Pinks, a little white, greenery, if possible. My bouquet, three bridesmaids, groom's boutonniere, one groomsman boutonniere, a FOB boutonniere, two mother's corsages.

The most reasonable florist I found quoted me something like $150 for my bouquet. $90 for the three bridesmaids. Just the four bouquets were $420. 14% of my budget, to things that would look pretty for 45 minutes and then they'd die. I don't even remember what the quote was for the rest, because I was already going "No, thank you, I will pass" in my head.

Fucking no. I could carry a pot of flowers for $15, and then I'd have a pot of flowers I could have forever.

erinkelsey3 · May 2015

sarahufl said:
The belts shocked me as well- I found one I really liked and it was like 300 bucks. When you pay 500 for a dress, that just seems a bit steep.

I ended up with a $75 one from David's Bridal that I loved.

Yeppp at one point I tried on a belt that was $100 more than the dress I had on... just... what even?

banana468 · May 2015

larrygaga said:
I also want to say that I KNOW venues buy really ugly chairs, pretty chair covers and charge for the pretty chair covers on purpose.

I can understand the need for the fee - but I can't understand being a banquet facility that purposely bought ugly chairs.

badbnagdway · May 2015

hellosweetie1015 said:
Um. The biggest racket, for me and my budget, is DEFINITELY flowers.

I called and priced bouquets EARLY on in my planning. I don't like cut flowers, but I hadn't lurked enough yet and thought they were a requirement for a Good Wedding, so I figured I could at least get a quote to get me started. I wanted in-season blooms. I'm not picky. Pinks, a little white, greenery, if possible. My bouquet, three bridesmaids, groom's boutonniere, one groomsman boutonniere, a FOB boutonniere, two mother's corsages.

The most reasonable florist I found quoted me something like $150 for my bouquet. $90 for the three bridesmaids. Just the four bouquets were $420. 14% of my budget, to things that would look pretty for 45 minutes and then they'd die. I don't even remember what the quote was for the rest, because I was already going "No, thank you, I will pass" in my head.

Fucking no. I could carry a pot of flowers for $15, and then I'd have a pot of flowers I could have forever.

Whole Foods. The local one quoted me $75 for my bouquet, $50 for the bms, $14 for calla bouts. Somehow I think they still managed to undercharge me though because my mom picked them up and the final bill was $360 for my bouquet, two bms, 13 bouts, 2 altar piece arrangements, and 4 arrangements in vases.

luckya23 · May 2015

louxnoelle said:
I know that the prices are the norm, and they just cost what they cost, but I can't get over the price tags of the belts and sashes that you can buy to bling out a dress. They're so pretty. And I want to just comprise a wedding dress by wrapping myself in them head-to-toe. But they're also so much money for such little strips of fabric.

The consultant pulled a belt for me to try that was $2800 - yes, double the price of my dress!!!

lyndausvi · May 2015

banana468 said:

larrygaga said:
I also want to say that I KNOW venues buy really ugly chairs, pretty chair covers and charge for the pretty chair covers on purpose.
I can understand the need for the fee - but I can't understand being a banquet facility that purposely bought ugly chairs.

Chairs are used for many different reasons. They can be used for a class room setup in the morning for a conference. Then used for a wedding later that day. Venues buy multi-use chairs that can life up to the wear and tear of their various uses.

Plus decor is subjective. It would be impossible to pick a chair that every bride would think is pretty.

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