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Wedding. Illustration Photo.

EXCLUSIVE: Have you ever watched a family, financially comfortable but not well to do, suddenly descend into debt because they had to marry off a child? Have you ever wondered why wedding ‘Takanos’ exist in almost every Jewish community except for Crown Heights? Have you ever wondered why it should cost a sum that many in our community count as a yearly salary just to marry off one child? Well, you are not alone.

Vendors Unite to Make Weddings Affordable

Wedding. Illustration Photo.

EXCLUSIVE: Have you ever watched a family, financially comfortable but not well to do, suddenly descend into debt because they had to marry off a child? Have you ever wondered why wedding ‘Takanos’ exist in almost every Jewish community except for Crown Heights? Have you ever wondered why it should cost a sum that many in our community count as a yearly salary just to marry off one child? Well, you are not alone.

Several concerned Baalei Batim did too. And they decided to take action. They contacted several popular vendors who reside in CH, and asked them if they’d be willing to give the same service that they offer their other customers at a reduced fee for the sake of this important cause, to serve the needs of our community.

No, this is not a charity—this is a wedding package for the clever machatanim who want a Baal Habatish wedding without drying up all their resources. This package includes everything one would need for their wedding: hall, catering, photography, video, music, and flowers. After contacting several vendors and ironing out the fine details, and with the help of the coordinator, Nechama Hackner they created The Ultimate Wedding Package.

The following vendors are participating:

Hall: Oholei Torah, Razag Catering: Turk Caterers, Bension Kohen Music: Yossi Cohen Music, Avremi G. Photography: Photography by Levi, Rosenthal Studios Video: Precious Moments Studios by Zalman Tevel Flowers: Art of Flowers.

The wedding can have 250-300 guests for the dinner plus additional people for Simchas Chassan V’kallah

News about the package spread quickly, and Nechama already has several weddings scheduled.

Nechama told Crownheights.info how amazed the people were about how beautiful the wedding was. The parents of the newlyweds were in tears when they thanked her, saying their last wedding cost them $30,000.00, and this time around it cost them nearly half as much!

Bentzion Turk, a Crown Heights caterer who is participating in the package, pointed out that unfortunately, it happens often enough that a Bochur or girl who is prepared to get engaged will find reasons to say no or push it off because of financial concerns.

“Getting married is not like leasing a car or buying a house,” says Bentzion, “it cannot be pushed off.”

Another vendor told Crownheights.info that often, the chosson and kallah think that since this is the most important event of their life that they feel pressured to make it extravagant. Yet they may not realize that the amount of money spent on those 6 hours can easily equal a year’s salary.

Yes, there’s more to it. There are discounts for invitations, gowns, sheitels and lots more which are optional.

If you would like to learn more about The Ultimate Wedding Package, you may contact Nechama Hackner at (718) 773-1234 or email theultimateweddingpkg@gmail.com.

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69 Comments

  • chosson and kallah

    having pushed my wedding off due to financial difficulty and not sitting down to actualy plan it, this article made me smile. I intend on calling this week.

  • A well wisher

    Nechama, in this zchus may you be zoche to make your own simchas very very soon!

  • do it right

    weddings are cheap comparing it to tuition. send two children to a lubavitcher school for ten month cost you what a wedding cost.want to help anash stop this tuiton mageufa. which no other chasidisha kehila has.

  • brilliant!

    hats of to you Nechama! Well presented. Let the first takers be yours immediately now! Can we start this trend for Lechaim’s?

  • To #9

    The difference is that tuition is totally based on someone in a Moisad deciding on a personal basis (including the ‘ability’ of the parents to plead “poverty”)while wedding expenses tend to be more evenly charged.

  • Number 9 is right on the mark!

    Has anyone or can anyone find out what the trick is? Why is it that other kehilois, Chassidishe and Litvishe, have so much more affordable tuition costs?

  • mazal tov

    just curious-can you use some of the vendors but not all?
    does it must be the complete package to get the great deal?

  • All for choice!

    Go to Devorah Benjamin! She offers the same thing with MORE CHOICES! (And she’s a tzadeikes!)

  • A guarantee

    This is a great idea whos time has come but guaranteed the peolple will still kevetch about the price or service just human nature.

  • amazing

    have been waiting for this. Thank you Mrs. Hackner. ULY Crown Street also do a Bar mitzvah Package which includes everything except the invitations. Great deal too!

  • gggg

    How can you possibly make a wedding at half of 30.000? The minimum that Razag charges for the hall and catering is already half??

  • paying Tuition

    Number 11, etc.: Tuition in other kehillos.
    In most Chassidishe kehillos, most, if not all, of the mosdos are under ONE financial umbrella. The yeshiva, girls school, shul, mikveh? all subsidize one another. Fundraising is done to support all. And members are ‘taxed’ according to ability if they don’t volunteer their donations.
    Here, each one is another mosad, we have Chabad houses out of
    CH we support, we have factions fighting each other for donors.

  • Rivkah

    Wow I wish this existed when I got married, they didn’t want to help me because I wanted to get married in Olei Torah and not some smaller not so nice hall that they suggested so it is 6 years later and I am still trying to pay off one of the caterers that is in this amazing package deal. Yasher Koach Nechama, at least I know Kallahs won’t be going through what I went through to get married.

  • this is not a new idea

    Devorah Benjamin has been doing this for years. what is the difference? I just made a wedding with the total cost of the wedding was about $20,000 with Devorah Benjamin. you have choices with her too.

  • Now its time for Yeshivot

    Great job

    but that’s only part of the problem.

    A Chasuna is only once in a life time.

    Mesivta’s like Toronto charge $20,000 for every year, thats more then a Chasunah, maybe there is a way we can stop this insanity.

  • how about

    dwvotah bengimen price is about 18k. i am wondering if we can see the real figures. how about all the other cost such as kapota shatul gawns,wedding gift jewlary etc etc

  • Avrohom

    The parents of the Chosson pay: $7,500.
    + The parents of the Kallah pay: $7,500.
    = The whole wedding meal costs: $15,000.

  • Tzvi

    PACKAGE DEAL?! So I do not have to deal with every vendor by myself adding me expensive services and products? Oh! Wow!

  • Meir

    A Chosson and Kallah who get married at a price that makes their parents happy will leave happy memories by their parents of their Chasunah.

  • Finally!!!

    About time our community started to offer a realistic option for making Simchas. Kol hakovod to all involved

  • Wooly

    0 headache + $15,ooo per whole Seudas Chasunah = $7,500 per side. Who is next in Crown Heights getting married with this deal – I must see it!

  • Calculator

    Supporting the couple for the first year + the whole wedding ceremony = costs more than a years salary!

    This package deal is ultimate in seriously starting to help me marry of my big family!

  • A Fan

    Mrs. Hackner,

    We always knew that you will make it big, really big, but here not really for yourself but for the whole community.

    But why not for yourself? Parents are going to be fighting over your package! It is going to be with Hashem’s help a big hit! And we will all be happy that your dividends be gigantic!

  • -tis true high quality vendors

    These vendors have a real high reputation in Crown Heights for years already.

  • chasi

    to hear of people doing this is such a big chizuk. what menschen, what chasidim these people are, and what a kiddush HaShem.
    non frum guests who come will see happy family and be able to attend a lovely simcha. may it bring geula shleima and only ruach tov.

  • Nechama Tarlow

    to Brilliant: Yes why can’t we also be reasonable about L’Chaim’s. I recall, over 30 years ago when the Rebbe spoke about simplifying the “Vort”…. that it should not be a full seudah, and should take place immediately after the engagement (i.e. answer/brocha from the Rebbe); family and friends get together in the home with cake and mashke and say ‘L’Chaim’
    I attended one of those back then. How long did that last? What did these L’Chaim’s morph into after Gimmel Tammuz! Its about time we stopped stressing ourselves out over Simchas and wasting Jewish money that should be going into Chinuch. The happiness and future of the Chosson and Kallah have little to do with the fanciness of the wedding or the size and quality of the stone on the Kallahs finger. I’m thrilled that this issue seems to be on its way to resolution. Thank you, Nechama Hackner for making a real beginning to reverse the trend. Personally, I would like to see a lot more trimming of the “necessities” for a respectable wedding… and tzedoka money going to where it is really needed. I would be glad to take part in the organizational process to make all this a reality… so that families can have nachas without financial stress… and our children can see what Chassidishe priorities truly are.

  • Thank you!

    Its says in the article that this package is for 250-300 people. I wish I could reduce my guest list to that number. We are practically related to everyone in Crown Heights and Lubavitch. Does the package apply to a higher number of guests?
    Thank you Nechama for this opportunity and helping our community celebrate Simchas with less financial worry. I also agree with those that mentioned the costs of a L’chaim. My out of town friends son got engaged and with tickets to fly to NY plus a Lchaim…it costed close to $4,000.00. I agree with #34…lets go back to the old days where a VORT (L’chaim) was held in a relatives home and it was cake and Mashke and everyone was happy.
    May all of Klal Yisroel be celebrating many Simchas bkorov mamash!

  • mottel

    to #13 Devorah Benjamin does wonderful things for people who can’t afford it. She shouldn’t have to work for a “normal income” family just because vendors are charging so much. This is a different idea – a fixed-price package for EVERYONE to bring down costs for “middle class” baalei batim. To be honest $15k is good value. Kol Hakavod to all involved. BTW this should come from the Rabonim & Community Leaders – and yes in other areas too e.g. tuition. Maybe look at other communities (chas vshalom…people will say) and learn from them how they cope.

  • Rochel

    Nechama!!

    May Hashem bless you with many many simchas of your own, as a result of what you are doing for so many who are struggling with trying to make a simcha’! The amount of headache and heartache you will be saving by this new venture is truly amazing!! The costs have escalated to all highs, and continue doing so . . . so thanks to people like you, the idea of making a wedding may take on a whole new outlook;
    Thank you from so many of us out here and may you be successful in all your endeavors

  • Parents

    Thank you Mrs Hackner;
    Maybe now the cost of a wedding will take on the true meaning of the word, simcha, as opposed to constant worry and sleepness nights marring the actual joy of the whole affair, which is the case with so many families;
    Thank you, and you should be very successful be”h;

  • Dovid

    As number 12 asked. . . Can we do ‘part package’, such as using a different band, and then using everything else that the package offers?
    Could you please let us know??

  • TO # 7

    ITS VERY SIMPLE REGARDING TUITION. IF EVERY PERSON WHO GIVES TZEDAKAH GAVE IT TO THEIR LOCAL MOISAD WE WOULDNT HAVE TO PAY ANY TUITION.

    IN ALL OTHER COMMUNITIES THE SCHOOLS COME FIRST! AND THAT IS WHERE THEY GIVE THEIR TZEDAKAH IN CROWN HEIGHTS IT COMES LAST

  • whats the exact deal?

    what’s the exact deal?
    at Rose Castle in Willi there’s a ‘Takonos’ package, all inclusive,(music, singer, badchan, photographer, silk flowers for pics, cold smorg with three hot dishes, 4 course dinner) for 320 people for 14gs!

  • moshe der g

    thank you mrs hackner for the great effort and mayyou beblessed with health nachas and wealth ..

    now to answer some peoples comments

    tuition

    wthe chasidishe schools charge less because “their community” supports their schools .do you knwo how much money they raised in their dinner at the armory last week … they raise most of it from within…

    “our community” supports who ???? and we give way more tzedakh per capita …

    people addressing the lechayim issue should also consider the bar mitzvah issue
    we have about 200 children a year between the schools that get bar mitzvahed a year at an average of 10,000 per bar mitzvah (yes some do it for way less and others do it for way more) that is over 2 million dollars a year being spent onthis .. and for what !!! have you ever met a person that said “ i am excited i have a bar nitzvah to go to”???

    that is 2 million dollars less a year we have to spend. (or like most we need to borrow)

    but of course it wont stop

    because our dear yeshivas make loads of money on renting out the halls for lechayims and bar mitzvahs

    case closed good luck

  • TO #21:

    I agree with you that tuition is out of control but for most families in our community a chasunah is not once in a lifetime. For many families chasunas are every year or every other year for a decade or two, bh.

  • C H

    May it be Hashem’s will that this be a big hit and every night there should be such a Chasuna in Crown Heights!

  • #47

    You are mis-informed Devorah puts packages together for anyone in the community not JUST for those who cannot afford it.

  • Have a Hometown Chassunah for even Less

    This sounds like a great deal.

    Another thought for those not from Crown Heights is instead of having hundreds and hundreds of people showing up, have the wedding in the hometown of either the Chosson or the Kallah.

    I had my chassunah where my kallah was from. Everyone in the city showed up. We had about 70-80 guests. It was small, personal, and it was great exposure for a chassidic wedding at the chabad house. And it cost ballpark $5,000. Fancy weddings are nice, but doing something smaller means that my wife and I have no post-wedding expenses we are still paying off.

  • one in the know

    the teachers in chassidishe schools (at least in the girls school) are young (16,17,18 max!) girls without even any seminary experience. most of their husbands are in kollel collecting unemployment, section 8 etc. you can not compare the quality in terms of chinuch.

  • Low cost tuition in Cincinnati, Ohio

    The tuition in Cincinnati Ohio Cheder Menachem is $3500 first child, $3000 for 2nd, $3000 3rd, $2500 4th and the rest are free. consider moving to Cincinnati Ohio, a nice growing Chabad community.

  • GREAT job!

    WOW! Amazing!!! What Devora does is different. Though you can hire her as a party planner…. her typical for the cheap chassunas is tzeddaka. While I agree that what she does is special I think it needs to be done in a more aidel way to have people feel more comfortable taking. ie – when collecting from friends – why the need to mention names? The limit put for guests is @ 100 ppl per side – most Lubavitchers just inviting their immediate family will top that. Can the chosson & kallah have friends invited? The caterers are owed so much by devora that although they can’t say no – their way of dealing with it is by giving old food – yes I experienced it – & it wasn’t pleasant for the baal simcha who had no clue that the food would be so terrible because they were getting thru DB. (& yes it was one of the big caterers who typically does a great job!) This package from Nechama seems amazing – but what if you need to have more then 300 guests for 2 large families? Any way around that?
    Thank you for a service long waited for!!!

  • Great Idea

    I think there should be a takanah that all weddings in C.H.
    have to be under Nechama’s package. Rich or poor all weddings should be the same. This might help with shidduchim
    also, because then people won’t look down on others for not
    being willing to make a fancy wedding. As far as Devora Benjamin, maybe she can pool her resources with Nechama, and
    lets have one plan for everybody.