Kim Kardashian Wedding: Couple Earns Millions From Photos and Other Deals
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries’ lavish wedding ceremony in Montecito, California on Saturday earned the newlyweds several “cool millions” – capitalizing on the media frenzy surrounding the event.
The wedding, attended by 450 guests, reportedly cost an estimated $500,000, which was greatly offset by numerous freebies and the profit made from the photo rights of the event.
Kim was paid $1.5 million by People Magazine for exclusive photo rights of the nuptials. The couple was also paid $300,000 by the magazine for the confirmation and photo rights of their engagement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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OK! Magazine also reportedly paid the reality starlet $100,000 for the exclusive rights of her bridal shower.
Kardashian and Humphries are expected to rake in around $12 million to $15 million with a four-hour, two-part TV special called “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event,” which will air on E! News in October, the New York Post reported.
Los Angeles celebrity event planner Tony Schubert has also said the couple would have received huge discounts or “comped” merchandise in return for the publicity.
"It benefits the vendors, their goods and services [to be] shown to millions of people," he said.
Among the Kardashian deals and gifts was a $20,000 Vera Wang bridal gown, which she reportedly did not pay for. Kim had a total of three gown changes – all designed by Wang.
Julia Dam, assistant managing editor of People Magazine, told ABC’s “Good Morning America,” that Kim had a separate dress for the reception and another for later in the evening.
"For the reception Kim then changed into sort of a mermaid dress with organza leaves, petals on the skirt," Dam said. "And then later on she changed, yet again, into a V-neck dress with a circle skirt and they were all by Vera Wang."
Kim's 20-carat Lorraine Schwartz diamond engagement ring, valued at an estimated $2 million, cost Humphries a fraction of that.
According to ABC, the couple’s decadent ten-layer cake, inspired by Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, was a $15,000 gift from LA bakery Hansen’s Cakes.
Other freebies reportedly included the luxury Lehr & Black invitations, which cost over $10,000 and were comped in exchange for publicity. The Hollywood Reporter also wrote that Kim was paid $50,000 by Las Vegas nightclub, Tao, to host her bachelorette party there.
"She's certainly not the first (celebrity) to capitalize on her wedding and photos and the press to get everything paid for and more," marketing expert Ryan Schinman, chief of Platinum Rye Entertainment, told AP.
Schubert has said that Kim Kardashian is seen as a “tastemaker” by many brides-to-be who are eager to be associated with her.
Schinman also told AP, "It's the first [wedding] that feels a little commercial. But from what everyone sees, she's very much in love as long as her fiancé doesn't mind one of the most special moments in their lives being followed and shared with the rest of the world."
E! will air “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event” on October 9 and 10.
