Burning Question: How Much Did Kanye’s Engagement-palooza Cost Him?


How much did Kanye West spend for his over-the-top betrothal to Kim Kardashian, all expenses considered?

First let's get one thing straight: Celebrities don't pay market rates for most aspects of their day-to-day luxuries — catered food, designer clothes, five-star hotels, private travel. That's what managers, studios, publicists, corporate sponsors, producers and promoters are for, silly.

And stars certainly don't pay full price when they want to get engaged, either. Jewelers usually give deep discounts to famous people.

Paying the sticker price for stadiums and solitaries and private jets? That's just for schlubs like us.

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But just for fun, let's take a look at those MSRPs, just in case you, too, would like to spend one night as your own personal Yeezus.

To rent AT&T Park, the intimate stadium where West proposed to Kardashian, we're looking at $200,000 — not including food and champers and extras such as access to the venue's romantic scoreboard.

And let's remember, shall we, that Kanye's whispered proposal of "PLEEEASE MARRY MEEE!!!" was projected on that very board; per the park, that kind of perk will set you back, oh, $2,500 or so.

As for the private jet that whisked the family Kardashian up to San Francisco for the big event, such transport varies widely in cost. But average rates range from just under $1,700 to more than $8,600 ... per hour. If any random Kardashian kept the plane waiting for any reason — say, leaking some new tidbit about Lamar Odom's inconvenient habits, or puzzling over new ways to add leopard prints to their Sears kollection — that would be another four figures for every hour of delay.

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And then there was the orchestra, which was reportedly of the 50-piece variety. We're probably looking at — at least — $450 per musician, perhaps double for the conductor. And that's likely the low end. Our own "omg! Insider" team estimates that the full orchestra cost $50,000 — again, assuming that West didn't call in a few favors and command a discount worthy of Yeezus.

Finally: The ring. The Jewelry Information Center tells me that the 15-carat Lorraine Schwartz-designed bauble that West presented to Kardashian is worth at least $2.5 million.

So, all told, for just shy of $3 million, you could plight your troth like Kanye, too.

But once again, don't be shocked if West paid much less for at least some of these elements. After all, he's currently on tour (in the Bay Area tonight, natch), and if there's one thing that a musician has easier access to on a tour, it's transport, musicians, venues ... and plenty of connections in the live entertainment business.