Why the Hell are weddings so Expensive?

If there’s one question we hear more than “Do we really need this many staff members?” (answer: yes, you absolutely do ❤️) it’s this:

“Wait… why are weddings so expensive?” And honestly? Fair question.

So when I sat down with Dawn Mauberret of Dawn Mauberret Events (fellow planner, former catering Catering Maestro, and stunning designer) we decided to pull back the curtain a bit and have the conversation that our couples deserve. No Sugar coating here. We understand that our couples want authenticity so we decided to get down to the real, practical, behind-the-scenes truth about wedding costs, where your money goes, and how to plan something beautiful without feeling like you accidentally financed a small yacht.

Because here’s the thing: you’re not being scammed. You’re just finally seeing what it costs to build a one-day restaurant, bar, design studio, and production company from scratch.

And yeah… that adds up.

On Episode three of 10 years of Weddings | A Miniseries we have a full conversation about what it takes to actually plan a wedding in New York and how much hiring a team of professionals actually costs. Listen to the full conversation on Episode 3 “Name you rPrice” on iHeartRadio.

In this Episode we talk through what a wedding really is at its core: An Experience. But really it’s like throwing your friends a whole pop up Restaurant extravaganza complete with a show and a post party. If you invited ten friends out in New York for cocktails, a nice dinner, and a little dancing, you could easily spend a few hundred dollars per person without blinking. Now multiply that by 100 guests and stretch it across six hours with open bar, multi-course meal, professional staff, rentals, entertainment, and design. Suddenly that per-person venue cost doesn’t feel outrageous — it feels… kind of logical. Weddings aren’t priced differently because they’re weddings; they’re priced based on time, labor, and the dozens of small businesses working their tails off behind the scenes to make it seamless. Florists hauling buckets at 6am. Caterers prepping for days. Coordinators building timelines like air traffic control. It’s a lot of humans doing very real work.

Breaking Down Wedding Costs: A Real-Life Example

Now Let’s walk through a typical wedding scenario to understand this better:

Pre-wedding celebrations: Inviting 10 friends for an extravagant pregame at a nice bar, with shared appetizers and 1-2 cocktails each, costs around $100 per person.

Dinner and drinks: A sit-down dinner with multiple courses, wine, and a live band can easily reach $200+ per guest.

Post-dinner festivities: Cover charges, additional drinks, and late-night snacks add another $90 or so per person. Total spending for an evening of food, drinks, entertainment, and fun can total around $425 per guest over a 6-hour event.

At the end of the day… When you multiply that by 100 or more guests, it’s clear why a wedding venue charging $400 per person is quite reasonable, you’re essentially paying for a full experience akin to a high-end night out.

Important takeaway: If you contrast this with the average cost of dining out or entertainment in New York City, wedding prices are not extravagant, in fact they’re on par with the level of experience that you are looking for. 

Does a Raw Space help with cost?

Dawn and I kept coming back to this comparison that makes everything click. Planning a wedding can be compared to building a house. Sure, you can rent a raw space that looks “cheap” at first glance (an empty loft, a blank warehouse, a pretty field) but then you’re suddenly responsible for literally everything. Floors, lighting, power, kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, staff, setup, breakdown. It’s not just a party; it’s infrastructure. By the time you’ve brought in rentals, catering teams, generators, and a small army of humans to make it functional, that “budget” venue quietly becomes… well not budget at all. My advice is to not let your budget costs be more than 10-15% of your overall budget.

How to understand What to Prioritize

The part we care about most, though, isn’t just explaining the numbers, it’s helping couples feel empowered by them. Because once you understand where the money goes, you can actually make smart choices. You get to say, “Okay, food and guest experience are everything to us, let’s invest there,” or “We want an epic dance party, so we’re splurging on the band and keeping florals minimal.” Fewer guests? Instantly lower costs across the board. A venue with built-in charm? Less décor needed. Clear priorities? Way less stress. It stops being about doing everything and starts being about doing the right things for you. Which, if you know Campbell Events… this is what has been driving this brand since 2015.

At the end of the day, a wedding is a luxury experience. It’s not a requirement or a test you have to pass, its a celebration of your love story, and that should feel exciting, not overwhelming. So consider this your gentle permission slip (from both me and Dawn): ask questions, understand the math, choose vendors you trust, and build a day that feels like yours.

Spend smart, stay grounded, and remember the goal isn’t “most expensive.” It’s “most intentional.”