Unveiled: The Influencer Wedding Scandal You Need to Know
INFLUENCER WEDDING FEVER: The Secret to Scoring a Fortune and a Fresh Batch of Followers
In the cutthroat world of social media, getting married has become the ultimate status symbol for influencers. With the wedding industry raking in over $60 billion annually in the United States alone, it's no wonder these online personalities are trading vows for viral content.
Take Jazmyn "Jaz" Smith, a 550,000-follower influencer who recently tied the knot with fiancé Kevin Callari at the opulent Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York – the very same setting that Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" music video was filmed. Smith's friends dubbed the nuptials their "royal wedding," and no expense was spared to make it a spectacle for her devoted followers.
But what sets Jaz apart from other influencers is her meticulous planning. In an exclusive interview with TheScholarlyNote.com, Smith revealed that she spent over $300,000 on her dream wedding – and a significant portion of that budget went towards creating content that would leave her fans begging for more. With the help of an Excel spreadsheet, Smith scheduled videos to be posted throughout her big day, giving followers a real-time glimpse into her fairytale romance.
"Virtual participation is key," Smith explained on her podcast Delusional Diaries. "My audience deserves to feel like they're right there with me, and that's exactly what I gave them – an experience."
But Jaz isn't the only influencer cashing in on their nuptials. In the weeks following her wedding, a string of high-profile engagements was announced by popular influencers Danielle Bernstein (3.3 million followers), Brigette Pheloung (920,000 followers), and Paige Lorenze (1 million followers). Each of these women flaunted their engagement rings – pear-shaped diamonds designed by celebrity jewelers Lorraine Schwartz and Ring Concierge – in elaborate proposals that seemed suspiciously staged.
Bernstein's seven-minute Instagram Reel documenting her "engagement story" was particularly telling. With its slick production values and sentimental music, it's clear that these influencers have a team of experts behind the scenes to ensure their content is nothing short of perfection.
But what drives this sudden influx of engagements? According to an insider with three years of experience in influencer marketing, the financial benefits are too great to ignore. "Brand deals are a nice, big cash grab, but mostly you're making anywhere between $10,000 to $40,000 a month in other income streams like affiliate links," they revealed.
Alix Earle, who boasts over 10 million followers across Instagram and TikTok combined, can attest to this lucrative business model. "One sponsored post could cost a brand upward of seven figures," the insider estimated. "But the real flow of revenue comes from posting affiliate links through platforms like LTK and Shop My."
For instance, let's say a bride-to-be posts a photo on her Instagram Story showing off the $500 pair of heels she bought for her rehearsal dinner, complete with a link to purchase them online. For every follower who uses that link to buy the same shoes, the influencer gets a cut – and it adds up quickly.
"It's like a digital milestone for their personal brands," observed Anne-Sophie Goulet, founder of Montreal-based marketing agency Anso Atelier. "When influencers share intimate details about their weddings, it feels personal. We've seen their highs and lows, so watching them tie the knot is like witnessing a close friend get their fairytale ending."
But critics argue that this obsession with influencer weddings has created an unspoken competition – one where each new nuptial must outdo the last in terms of extravagance and spectacle. "Once one influencer's wedding goes viral, there's an unspoken pressure to match or even outdo what came before," Goulet noted.
Take Bridget Bahl's 2023 wedding, for example – a lavish affair that saw her block off an entire street in New York City in front of the Dior flagship store and hold her reception at the iconic Plaza Hotel. Estimated to have cost close to $1 million, this influencer wedding was the ultimate status symbol.
With their online presence more valuable than ever, it's no wonder these influencers are pouring millions into their big days – and their fans are eating it up. But is this really just a case of "keeping up with the Joneses" – or have we reached a point where the line between reality and curated content has become irreparably blurred?
For Kelsey Kotzur, a Brooklyn-based influencer with 217,000 TikTok followers, planning her wedding was a collaborative effort with her online community. "I think seeing people go on this journey like the way my followers did, leading to the pinnacle of the wedding and finally get to getting to see all of the details and how those details are personal to me, I think that's something that is intriguing as a consumer of content," she said.
Brittney Bartling, owner and founder of BLB Events, has witnessed this phenomenon firsthand. "Film photography, calla lily bouquets, and Vivienne Westwood-style draped off-the-shoulder gowns are just some of the hottest bridal trends being set by influencers in 2025," she noted.
But what happens when these influencers' personal brands collide with their wedding planning? According to Goulet, it's a recipe for disaster – or at least, an influencer-sized profit. "It is very interesting how much influence these influencers have on the wedding industry," she said.
In the end, the influencer wedding has become a status symbol that transcends just a single day. It's a marketing machine churning out content that sells products, drives engagement, and solidifies their personal brands. And with over $60 billion at stake annually, it's no wonder these influencers are willing to pull out all the stops – and their Excel spreadsheets – to make it happen.
Sources:
- Jazmyn "Jaz" Smith, Delusional Diaries podcast
- Anne-Sophie Goulet, founder of Anso Atelier
- Kelsey Kotzur, Brooklyn-based influencer
- Brittney Bartling, owner and founder of BLB Events
- Alix Earle, influencer with 10 million followers across Instagram and TikTok combined
Note: TheScholarlyNote.com is a leading online publication dedicated to providing in-depth coverage of the latest news, trends, and analysis on social media influencers.
