Lights, camera, action! What’s a party without the glitz and glamour? For music, lighting, audio-visual elements and photographers, Arthur K, the lead event planner and owner of Fusion Events in Toronto, says you’ll be spending anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.Getty Images/iStockphoto
Justin Bieber's father Jeremy, 41, celebrated his engagement to 28-year-old Chelsey Rebelo in Toronto last weekend with an event that anyone would be Sorry to miss.
The topsy-turvy party was attended by superheroes, opera singers, acrobats and fire jugglers. There was a live graffiti artist and even a Bengal tiger. Not to mention the Biebs himself.
So what does it take to party like a Bieber? We asked a few industry experts how much it would cost you.
Location
Everyone knows it's all about location, location, location. Mr. Bieber's bash was held during the art show Nyotaimori Celebrating Life Love and Art at the Bridle Path mansion of philanthropists Dr. Rita Kilislian and Andy Curnew.
If you're thinking of having your next party at a mansion, Alex Kolodkin, founder and CEO of Set Scouter, a Toronto-based company that rents luxury properties out for films and corporate events, says a beautiful house will cost you between $5,000 and $7,000 a day. But a mansion? You're looking at a minimum of $10,000 a day.
Catering
A great party needs great food. That's going to cost you, according to Arthur K, the lead event planner and owner of Fusion Events in Toronto, who says you could easily spend $80,000 to $100,000 on food, staff, and every fork, knife, spoon and napkin you need to keep your guests happy.
Invitations
K says "invitations set the tone for what the party is going to be like." So they'd better look good. A nice-looking invitation starts at $10 to $12 each, but if you think first impressions are everything, you might want to dish out $20 to $25.
Production
Lights, camera, action! What's a party without the glitz and glamour? For music, lighting, audio-visual elements and photographers, K says you'll be spending anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.
Superheroes
Who wouldn't love to see Batman, Wonder Woman and Iron Man RSVP to their own private event? According to Fairyland Theatre in the GTA, having just three costumed superheroes mingle with the crowd would cost you between $290 and $320 an hour.
Wildlife
The tiger at Jeremy Bieber's party is rumoured to have been from the Bowmanville Zoo, but they aren't talking. For a rough idea of the cost, Featuring Animals, a Maitland, Florida company, has a number of domestic and exotic animals available for private events. If you want to host a tiger, owner Mitchel Kalmanson says it will cost you between $3,500 and $5,000 (U.S.). Unlike at Mr. Bieber's party, the animal stays in a cage. The company also has access to elephants for $5,500 to $7,500 a day.
Dream Car
Although you may not be able to get the same 1966 Batmobile that Mr. Bieber had at his party, you can still impress your friends with an exotic car. The Brampton, Ont., car-rental agency Toronto Dream Cars advertises a Lamborghini Gallardo on its website for between $799 and $1,199 (Canadian) a day.
Event Management
You can't be expected to put this whole thing together yourself. The event-management company you call for every check mark and wrinkle in your plan could cost you $10,000 to $20,000. That's just the price you have to pay to sip Champagne while someone else runs the show.
Total
You'd really have to Love Yourself to throw a bash like this. K estimates that Jeremy Bieber's glamorous engagement party cost a whopping $250,000 after all was said and done.