A breakdown of Jennifer Gates’ wedding costs for her reported $2 million extravaganza: expert
One expert estimates that the couple's food and beverage tab was over $250,000, while security came in about $75,000
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Jennifer Gates married her fiancé Nayel Nassar last Saturday in a splendidly curated ceremony and party that took place on her sprawling 124-acre horse farm in North Salem the Gateses purchased for Jennifer in 2018 after she graduated from Stanford.
The lavish gathering was certainly over-the-top in its display of custom decor and bespoke finishes, with reports ahead of the elite-worthy shindig estimating that the Gates family spared no expense in order to treat and deliver their medical school daughter the wedding of her dreams.
Despite checking off one large box related to site and destination for their nuptials — seeing as Jennifer owns the horse property where she and Nassar exchanged their "I do's" — much work was still needed to be done in order to erect large structures where guests would mix and mingle. Not to mention, some reports even suggested that the portable bathrooms brought in for guests were to the highest standards.
Fox Business spoke to one leading wedding expert who weighed in on the estimated cost of the extravaganza, noting that it appeared to be one for the books.
Nayel Nassar is seen in Tribeca just hours before is wedding to Jennifer Gates walking the dog he shares with the daughter of Bill Gates. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images / Getty Images)
"Jennifer Gates’ wedding is so extravagant and lavish that every single detail, from the positioning of the lights outside to the filler flowers in the bouquet, must have been meticulously decided on," Jen Glantz, founder of Bridesmaid for Hire and The First Years of Marriage, told Fox Business.
"You see weddings like hers as backdrops in romantic comedies or in other people’s dreams. Really!" Glantz continued. "So many people want a picture-perfect day like Jennifer Gates’ wedding date and the reason why they can’t have it is because Gates’ wedding cost 66 times more than the average wedding. If the average wedding is around $30,000, I’d estimate her wedding was $2 million, if not more."
Glantz has attended hundreds of weddings as a hired bridesmaid for strangers over the past seven years, including those in the $50,000 cost range and weddings that have crossed the $500,000 threshold.
The wedding expert combed through snapshots of Gates’ momentous occasion and explained the story that is painted shows people "a glimpse at not only how gorgeous everything was, from her custom Vera Wang dress to the thousands of flowers that lined the property, but it allows you to see just how much money went into every aspect of this wedding."
Equestrian Nayal Nassar tied the knot with Jennifer Gates on Oct. 16 (Photo by Alexis Anice/ALeA / Getty Images)
"Flowers alone could have easily cost $75,000 to $100,000 if you think about how they were used as decor, they line the aisle, for coquets and more," Glantz pressed. "Not only are they sourcing the world’s best florals but also paying a skilled team of florists to put the whole design together."
While Glantz acknowledges that the newlyweds saved a ton of coin on the venue since they own the joint, the planning guru is adamant that "a lot of cost was added onto making the house a wedding venue that was rain-proof and dance-floor ready."
MELINDA, BILL GATES WALK JENNIFER GATES DOWN THE AISLE IN LAVISH WEEKEND WEDDING FESTIVITIES
As far as safety goes, Glantz estimated that security for the event – including at the event and to close down the roads on the day of – "must have cost over $75,000."
Furthermore, the food and beverage cost for the Gates’ 300-person party "probably put the tab over $250,000 including food, open bar, serving staff," Glantz said.
Jennifer Gates and Nayel Nassar's wedding in upstate New York reportedly ran a bill above $2 million. (Photo by Samuel de Roman / Getty Images)
Still, regardless of what figure was printed on the total bill, Gates and Nassar pulled off a wedding rivaling those had by the world’s most dignified – and it showed in the final façade.
"It’s safe to say most categories of their budget were over six figures, including the custom tux and dress and the extravagant tents," she added. "If you look extra close at their wedding photos, you see how no detail was spared or done inexpensively. Even the porta-potties look fit for royalty and probably cost over $20,000."