Why Your Wedding Doesn’t Look Like Instagram

You’re scrolling. You see the photos: lush hanging florals, long tables under twinkle lights, custom signage, espresso martinis with branded stir sticks, and a live band playing Harry Styles while everyone looks effortlessly editorial. It’s giving chic, glam, unattainably gorgeous.

And then you glance at your wedding budget spreadsheet and suddenly feel like you’re planning a very fancy dinner party—not a Vogue-worthy affair.

Let’s talk about it.

Because the truth is, there’s a massive aesthetic gap between what’s shown online and what most couples are actually planning—and that gap is mostly made of money (plus a bit of production value, vendor relationships, and time).

And no, your wedding isn’t “less than” just because it doesn’t look like it could be featured in Vogue Weddings.

Let’s break down what’s really going on.

💸 First, the Numbers

Many couples today are working with wedding budgets in the $45K–$55K range, depending on location, guest count, and priorities. The weddings you’re seeing all over social? $100K–$150K+ is often the norm—and sometimes that doesn’t even include multi-day destination celebrations or content creators getting gifted perks.

So what’s the difference? Let’s dig into it.

✨ Where the Aesthetic Gap Actually Shows Up

Here’s how the two tiers tend to diverge:

🎟️ Guest Count

$45–55K wedding: ~80–120 guests
$100K+ wedding: ~150–200+ guestsMore guests = more food, drinks, rentals, floral arrangements, staff, etc. Scaling gets expensive real fast.

🍽️ Catering + Bar

$45–55K: Buffet or plated dinner with open bar or curated drink menu
$100K+: Multiple courses, cocktail hour with chef stations, signature drinks, espresso martini bar, late-night snacks

🌸 Florals + Decor

$45–55K: Ceremony florals, bouquets, repurposed installations, tasteful table arrangements
$100K+: Ceiling installs, arches, massive arrangements, statement moments everywhere

📍 Venue

$45–55K: Unique and charming venues—think boutique hotels or creative industrial spaces.
$100K+: High-end estates, private villas, luxury venues with included amenities and strict exclusivity

📸 Photography + Video

$45–55K: Incredible coverage from talented teams, usually day-of or partial-day
$100K+: Full weekend coverage, multiple shooters, content creators for Reels/TikToks, fine-art edits

🎶 Entertainment

$45–55K: A solid DJ or solo musician, maybe a jazz trio during cocktail hour
$100K+: Full live band, multiple musicians, surprise performances, silent disco setups

🪑 Rentals + Linens

$45–55K: Standard tables and chairs, a few upgrades (like nicer linens or charger plates)
$100K+: Custom lounges, ghost chairs, velvet linens, dramatic lighting installations

🧠 Planning

$45–55K: Wedding Management or Partial planning with budget mindfulness and intentionality (ahem 👋)
$100K+: Full design/planning teams with assistants, concierge vendor sourcing, in-house production (we do that too!)

🥂 The Extras

$45–55K: You focus on the main event
$100K+: Welcome dinners, outfit changes, afterparties, farewell brunches, chauffeured guest shuttles

❤️ The Reality Check (Without the Shame Spiral)

A bigger budget doesn’t automatically mean a better wedding. It just means more stuff. And more isn’t always better—it’s just more. What actually makes a wedding incredible is the thoughtfulness, the energy in the room, the intention behind the details, and the way it feels for you and your people.

You can create a meaningful, stylish, personal celebration on a $45K–$55K budget when you lead with your values, priorities, and a planning partner who knows how to maximize impact without fluff.