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Category Archives: Wedding cost

How to get a divorce in Georgia

What should you do if you got married in Georgia, but now the story you shared is over and you’re going to take separate paths in life? In this blog post we will talk about the documents required and the tasks that you can just pass on to Ori.

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Wedding in Georgia cost: All-inclusive wedding packages

In this article, we’ll help you understand the cost of a wedding in Georgia and explain what factors influence the price of each component.

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Your Wedding Budget in 2021

We imagine how confusing it might be to navigate all the incoming info once you start planning your wedding. Our goal is to take care of the most challenging tasks while the couples enjoy the best bits of the process. So, here’s an overview of the main things to consider when deciding on the budget with updated rates for wedding services in Georgia in 2021. We hope it helps you make a positive decision on having your wedding in Georgia with Ori!

The story of Ori started with organizing intimate wedding ceremonies just for two (and this is where the name comes from, since ორი (ori) translates as “two” from Georgian). We got more experienced with time, and added larger events to our portfolio. However, due to the COVID-19 related restrictions, we are once again focused on small events with a limited number of guests now.

Meanwhile, we are very happy that the situation in the world is a little bit more stable than before with Georgian borders open to tourists from several countries, and that we can immerse ourselves much more into doing what we love.

(с) Ioseb Mamniashvili
Wedding Trends 2021

There are several trends in the wedding industry in 2021, that manifested themselves in our experience too. 

The live stream of a wedding that we can organize in any part of Georgia is becoming more and more popular. With high resolution video, several shooting angles, drone and smooth work of professional videographers the final result creates the effect of being present. It allows friends and family to witness the emotions of the person they love, share the unique moments of the ceremony, even from afar. We talked about live stream in more detail in our recent post.

The second trend is about focusing more on the visual and aesthetic side of the event. Even though every wedding is a beautiful occasion and every single time we anticipate the moment of seeing the bride and groom all dressed up and classy, this year we notice that even for a small wedding, the bride and groom opt for outstanding looks, that we would usually see more often at a bigger event. A professional make-up artist and hair stylist are a must in preparing for the big day, and the whole process is captured on photo and video. 

So, let’s break the wedding budget into the main bits and talk through the options in each category. Once again, we’re only giving some guidelines here this time, so please keep in mind that our customer service specialists and coordinators will be glad to tell you about various options in much more detail to help you make the best choice for your ceremony. We’re looking forward to your call, email or a request through the form online 🙂

Civil Marriage Registration

The formalities may not be fun, but they are still extremely important. Gladly, the official marriage registration procedure in Georgia is one of the easiest, and is recognized in many countries all over the world. The set of documents required by most European countries (like Germany, France, Russia, Ukraine, Poland) costs around $400. It includes application, translation and notary certification of the passports of bride and groom, translation and apostile of the marriage certificate for your country, providing witnesses or translating passports of the witnesses of the couple, transfer of the couple to the ceremony location and shipping the documents to their city once they’re ready, organization fee and tax. This package includes registration in the common main hall of the House of Justice. 

For a number of countries which haven’t signed the Hague Apostile Convention, an additional consulate legalization procedure is required, and therefore should be added to the budget. Its cost depends on the country, and can be $120 in Qatar or $115 in Canada.

The cost of the marriage registration also depends on the Ceremony hall where the wedding will be hosted, as well as the day. For example, rental rate of the private hall in the House of Justice on a weekday starts from $40 ($65 at the weekend), while the rental rate of the Ceremonies Palace on Mtatsminda mountain starts from $130.  

It’s worth mentioning that the registry halls in Georgia were closed for a long time due to the pandemic, and only the common hall of the House of Justice was available. We’re very happy that the situation is finally changing, and now we strongly recommend opting for a registry hall, because it makes the procedure much easier and relaxed.

(c) W-art

You might also require additional documents if you have a common underaged child, or if you were married earlier. The translation cost for the birth or divorce certificate starts from $20 per page and depends on the language. For example, translating from Hebrew or Arabic is more expensive — $33 per page.

(c) Maria Gvedashvili
Make Up and Hair

The rate for the make-up artist and hair stylist services depends on the location of your wedding. For example, the cost of this service in a beauty salon in Tbilisi starts from $110. You could also invite the MUAH artist onsite in your hotel in Tbilisi, the cost in this case starts from $140. 

In our portfolio we also have world-class professional MUAH artists. Creating a bridal look with them in a salon will cost $350, the service onsite for a photoshoot is $400.

When planning a wedding outside Tbilisi, you should keep in mind the transportation expenses with which the cost of a MUAH will be $240, and an onsite service of a world-class professional — $500. The onsite service in the region includes extra expenses on transportation, meals, and compensation for time, since a MUAH specialist could fit 3-4 brides on a regular working day in a salon, and going onsite means only one bride will get the service. 

If you’re going to Georgia in advance to meet the team and check out different venues for the wedding, which is always a great idea, then we also highly recommend adding a trial make-up and hair in your schedule. The cost of it in Tbilisi will be a little over a half of a standard price with a specialist of your choice.

Wedding Bouquet and a Boutonniere

The price of a wedding bouquet and a boutonniere in Georgia depends on the size of the bouquet and the type of flowers chosen. The average cost is around $70-150.

Photographer

There are many talented photographers in Georgia, and their rates compare well to their colleagues abroad. We recommend only the photographers we’ve tested out and with a broad portfolio. You’ll have the opportunity to talk through all the details of the photoshoot in advance and make sure your dreams and wishes will be fulfilled. In the end you’ll get amazing shots without extra expenses.

A 3-hour photoshoot in Tbilisi costs 250 $, 8 hours — 450 $.

If your event is in Kazbegi, Borjomi, or Signaghi, the duration of the photoshoot is automatically increased to a minimum of 8 hours, with a basic cost of 520 $, which includes transportation and meals for a photographer. 

The rate of a premium photographer, who is distinguished by a broader portfolio and creative approach is $660 in Tbilisi and $700 in the regions for an 8-hour shift. 

We’re also collaborating with the best photographers from all over the world. If you’re looking for not just technically good, but creative shots of your wedding, we’re happy to recommend the best professionals. These are distinguished by a personal approach and going for the most interesting and flattering angles. A world-class photographer’s rate starts from $900 in Tbilisi, and $1000 in the regions.

Videographer

There are professional videographers in our team who can make a video of your wedding day and edit a 3-5 min video clip to caption all the good memories.

The rate for a short clip in Tbilisi is $420 (including meals for a videographer) and $470 in the regions (including meals and transportation).

You could also go for an additional 30-40 min film to capture the dear memories for all the guests. The package with a short clip and a film costs $500 in Tbilisi, and from $600 in the regions.

The cost of a full package (short clip + film) with a premium class videographer starts from $850.

(c) W-art
(с) Aloe vera photography
Wedding Cake

The cost of the cake again depends on the location. If your venue is outside Tbilisi, then a good share of the cost falls on transportation in a special refrigerator vehicle. Using it is the only way to guarantee the cake will arrive safe and sound. The cost of a cake for 15 people is around $70 + delivery ($20 in Tbilisi and $120 in the regions). A cake for 50 costs $190 + delivery.

Wedding Dinner

An average cost for a festive dinner for two with wine is $80-90.

If you are planning a big family event in a hotel or a restaurant, the terms are specific for each venue but we will be glad to tell you all about it in detail while preparing the quote for your upcoming wedding.

Décor for a Wedding Ceremony

The décor chosen wisely creates a very special atmosphere and bright accents in the wedding photographs. An arch decorated with flowers for a ceremony costs from $360 in Tbilisi, from $520 in the regions and from $650 in Batumi. The cost includes transportation of the flowers and construction shapes (you’ll have several to choose from), assembling and disassembling, the fee of the flower specialists, their transfer and meals.

(c) W-art

The premium package with a more sophisticated and richer décor of the ceremony zone costs $660-840. 

If you’ve chosen the sunset time for your ceremony, why not consider decorating with flowers, lights and plenty of long candles. This package can cost $990-1440 (also depends on the location).

Transportation

The rate for a standard transfer for the couple in Tbilisi around the city starts from $80, the rent of a stylish retro car cost from $420, and from $170 for an executive class car. It includes an 8-hour rent, fuel and driver ($420 for the whole day, hourly rate is lower).

For a wedding with a lot of guests you’ll have to take care of transportation for them. A minivan with 18 pax capacity costs $120, a bus for 45-52 from $255, including fuel. 

The couple’s transfer options for an event outside Tbilisi, in one of the regions, is alike: standard transfer is from $120, a retro car from $500, and $255 for an executive car.

We can also organize comfortable transfer for your guests outside Tbilisi.

(c) W-art
Concierge Service

Another thing that we can’t recommend enough is concierge service for your guests which includes communication before the wedding, research of all the necessary information for planning their time in Georgia, sharing local tips and recommendations for travelling in Georgia, making appointments with MUAH specialists. The minimum rate is $100, and the final cost depends on the number of guests.

Our goal in this blog post was to go through all the basic options you’ll most probably have to consider for your wedding day. There’ll definitely be further questions to discuss in more detail, so we’ll be glad to hear all your ideas and prepare the best possible set of options accordingly to make your vision of the special day come true. We truly believe that a beautiful ceremony can be affordable to couples with all kinds of budget. We care a lot about the quality of the services, no matter the scale of the event, and it’s lovely to see our now married couples mentioning that in the reviews.

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Wedding dinner in a Georgian style

Why Georgian-style dinner is so special? What is Georgian sufra style serving? We share the experience of our wedding planners.

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How is the price for a wedding with Ori formed?

In the question of pricing, we give priority to quality. The Ori team strives to work exclusively with responsible and professional specialists who love and value their work as much as we do. We cannot afford to work with vendors who perform their work not well enough, as we not only care about the comfort and happiness of our guests but also value the reputation of the agency.

Ori team are professionals with extensive experience in wedding planning. We know the nuances of the venues and will help you find the perfect location for any specific request. We take responsibility, control the work of vendors, all settlements, and communication with them. We form prices for our packages taking into account all these factors. Frankly, our prices are not the lowest on the market, although not the highest. Our prices are a guarantee of professional support, experience, competencies, and quality.

At the same time, we know that such an important event as a wedding often becomes a significant expense for our couples. Therefore, Ori prefers those vendors who are ready to offer not only quality but also a price that is comfortable for our couples. We always strive to help our couples optimize their budget and avoid unnecessary expenses. A wedding estimate, however, usually includes certain significant expenditures that cannot be optimized. What are we talking about, and what is the price of a wedding with Ori consist of? Here is the list of the six most essential components and principles.

(c) Anna Khomutova
Wedding date and location: region, season, venue

The price of a wedding on a summer weekday in Tbilisi differs from the price of a wedding on a winter weekend in Borjomi. Summer and the beginning of autumn are considered the touristic season in Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kakheti. Therefore, at this time, some vendors work at higher prices – in comparison, for example, with winter ones. Winter, in turn, is considered a popular period for trips to Gudauri and Kazbegi, as the ski season opens at this time. And regardless of the period, a wedding in the regions always costs more. The estimate includes transportation for the team and some other costs, which we will talk about later.

Each venue (hotel or restaurant) offers its booking conditions for dinner, ceremony, or accommodation. For example, in some places, the restaurant rent cost includes food and drinks, while in others, it includes only the rent itself. Each location decides on the rental conditions itself: this is not Ori’s decision, but each venue management policy. Some venues (for example, the famous Kvareli Lake Resort) have a special price for weekend events. We always inform couples about such subtleties in advance and help to make the most optimal decision when choosing a location.

(c) Anna Utesheva
Package of documents

For couples traveling to Georgia for quick and convenient marriage registration, an official registration procedure will be a significant wedding expenditure. This service includes a translation of passports into Georgian, notarization of these documents, and translation. Then we put an Apostille on a marriage certificate for your country. But for some countries (such as Lebanon, Qatar, Canada), a more complicated procedure of consular legalization is needed. Its time and cost differ from the standard step with an Apostille. We will also ask you to provide additional documents if you have a minor child together or if you were previously married. In this case, the translation of a birth certificate and divorce certificate will become a mandatory part of your budget.

Transportation and meals for the team

Care about the comfortable working conditions for our partners is very important for us. In the budget of each wedding, especially when it comes to a large-scale celebration for 50+ guests, we always put transportation costs for the team, as well as meals for those partners who spend the whole working day on the site. For some vendors, we compensate only for the fuel, and for some, we prepare an additional transport (for example, for a DJ and coordinators). If you invite a well-known international photographer or videographer, then usually you will also need to cover the cost of the flight. We do not calculate these expenses as a separate service, but we include them in the final budget. In some cases, if the wedding takes place outside of Tbilisi and lasts for 2-3 days, we will also add accommodation for the wedding planner at the venue.

Compensation for work on-site in the regions

When going to a wedding in the regions, MUAH artists and musicians include in their check compensation for the time spent on the road. A makeup artist, for example, can have several brides in one day in the beauty salon, and, being on-site at a wedding in Kazbegi, for instance, he or she devotes the entire day to one bride only. Also, for a wedding in the regions, you can only order a photographer for at least 8 hours: the cost includes compensation for the time spent on the trip. For this reason, the price of a wedding in the region will certainly be higher than the cost of a wedding in Tbilisi.

Technical equipment

Floristics and wedding decor prices consist of several important components. Firstly, the price includes all materials, decor elements, frames, flowers, and plants. Secondly, the price includes the work of florists (usually 2-3 people), and sometimes, in the case of complicated designs, installers. Thirdly, the cost of packages includes transportation expenditures and the dismantling of constructions and some decorative elements.

If you invite a cover band or musicians to your wedding, we always calculate the price based on the number of guests, the scale of the show program, and the band’s rider. For a wedding for 60+ people, music bands usually request additional equipment, amplifiers, and speakers. More powerful equipment will also be needed if you are planning an outside wedding dinner. If you invite famous musicians the rider will be included into the final check for their work.

We deliver the wedding cake in a refrigerator, where it is specially fixed and is always at the right temperature. Only such special conditions can guarantee that your cake will be delivered to the venue safe and sound.

We include the dismantling, transportation, use of specialized equipment, and rental of refrigerator cars in the final prices of decoration, musicians, and wedding cake.

(c) W-art
(c) Igor Novikov
Additional but important: taxes & commission for our services

All individual entrepreneurs of Georgia are exempt from Personal Income Tax. However, some of the vendors who we work with are not registered entrepreneurs in Georgia (for example, international photographers, musicians, and cover bands). Therefore, we always add PIT in the amount of 25% to the cost of their work.

Georgia has a VAT exemption program for tourism projects. What does it mean? A tourist project is any trip that includes accommodation, transfer, and dinner. Often our small cozy weddings also receive the status of a tourist project, so we are happy to exclude VAT from the estimate. How does it work? For your wedding not to be subject to VAT, the budget must include at least two of the three services listed above. If the budget includes a makeup artist, a wedding bouquet, and dinner (only one of the three required items, or none of them at all), then in addition to the cost of services and wedding planning, VAT will be added in the amount of 18%.

And one last thing: we add 9% to each wedding budget as a commission for our services.

We tried to be honest and detailed about how the price of your wedding with Ori will be formed. Compensation, transportation costs, providing comfortable working conditions for our partners, the necessary technical equipment are important and integral components of your most unforgettable wedding day. Do not forget that we are always happy to tell in more detail about all the stages of preparation for your wedding.

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