By Michael Koziol
- Four helicopters and a cavalcade of sports cars
- Wedding delayed until father's release from jail
- The must-see pre-wedding video
- Behind the scenes
- Salim and Aysha: video reviewed
Wedding planning is exhausting work. The Herald discovered this the hard way when trying to estimate the cost of the now-famous wedding enjoyed by Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer at the weekend.
Of course, we can never know the real price tag attached to the lavish proceedings, which included four helicopters, a fighter jet flyover, sports cars worth about $50 million and a sea plane.
But the market value of these items can give us some insight into just how much Cr Mehajer and bride Aysha splashed on the ceremony.
First, to the helicopters. The four birds were chartered from a company called Sydney Helicopters. While owner Mark Howard declined to say exactly how much Cr Mehajer had handed over, he did confirm that the helicopters in question are chartered at a rate of $2000 an hour.
Salim Mehajer arrived in a park by helicopter.Credit: Channel Nine News
The flight records of VH-ENC, which was photographed as part of the cavalcade of choppers, show it was active between 8.47am and 10.52am on Saturday. Mr Howard said there was a delay collecting Cr Mehajer from Mascot because the company wanted to ensure it had council permission to land at Phillips Park in Auburn.
If we call it two hours at $2000 an hour, that's $16,000 for the set of four choppers. A substantial bill, to be sure, but you can't put a price on a stylish arrival.
Investigations into the world of fighter jets reveal the cost is about $100 a minute, from takeoff to landing. Combat Dragon, the group that provided Cr Mehajer's jet, also refused to confirm details of the charter but said their shortest adventure flight costs $2400 for 20 minutes.
A flyover is typically dearer than a regular adventure flight because of the extra processes and approvals involved, the company said.
A motorcade accompanied the wedding procession through the streets of Auburn.Credit: Channel Nine News
The venue itself, the palatial Le Montage in Lilyfield has just undergone a "multimillion-dollar refurbishment". As boasted on its call-waiting line: "You and your guests can make a grand entrance by ferry on Sydney Harbour."
A staff member said all costs were negotiated with clients based on their specific needs, but the most basic packages on a Saturday night started at $185 a head, and could reach $500 a head. George Scoulou of Iconic Films, who filmed the wedding, said there were close to 500 guests at the reception. You can do the sums.
The reception at Le Montage, in Lilyfield, was filmed by George Scoulou.
Mr Scoulou, for his part, typically charges upwards of $6500 for a day's work. At this wedding, though, he longed to be on the other side of the camera. "It was a little bit of excess, of course," he said. "I wish I was a guest myself."
Then, inevitably, there were the processions of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and stretch limos that so irked the good burghers of Frances Street, Lidcombe.
Costs can vary but Weddingbuzz offers Lamborghinis for about $1000 for three hours, with stretch limos costing about $1200 for the same period.
Among the other costs involved in Saturday's affair were the private security squad headed by former footballer John Hopoate, a reported sea plane and an extravagant pre-wedding video whose crew included a cinematographer, assistant, sound engineer and narrator.
Granted, we do not know whether "mates' rates" were involved in any of these purchases.
Cr Mehajer might have even supplied some of his own gear - in 2012 he owned a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, a fact that came to public attention after he hit two pedestrians and was charged with negligent driving. He was acquitted on appeal.
What we can say, without too much doubt, is that "AUSTRALIAS BEST WEDDING" (as the groom billed it on social media) did not come cheap.
Phil Usher, co-founder of Weddingbuzz, guessed the Mehajer extravaganza would probably have cost at least $200,000 - which, from our cursory research, seems to be an underestimation.
According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data, the average spend on an Australian wedding is about $40,000. But couples wanting to get hitched on the cheap could manage it for under $20,000, Mr Usher said, including photography, catering and "a decent venue".