AI has no idea what your wedding will cost

Photo by Catherine Mead

A bride found her dream venue. Filoli Estate - a gorgeous, in-demand garden venue in Northern California with a $75K site fee and a strict list of required vendors. Before signing anything, she did what most engaged couples do now: she asked AI to run the numbers.

The estimate came back a little high - but close enough. So she went looking for ways to shave $50K off the low end to make her dream venue work within her budget. There was just one problem. The AI's numbers weren't just a little off. Its high-end estimate came in at least $300,000 under what this wedding would actually cost once the venue's real minimums, required vendors, and logistics were figured in.

And this wasn’t an oversight on her part. This uncovers a structural blind spot in how AI estimates wedding costs: national averages standing in for local reality, sample quotes being mistaken for all-in minimums, and no understanding of the logistical demands of specific properties and how that translates to extra expense. Tenting, power, transportation, satellite kitchens, load-in restrictions... none of it shows up unless someone specifically instructs AI to consider it. But if they already knew to ask these things, would they have needed to ask AI in the first place?

This isn't a story about AI being "wrong." It's a story about why it's wrong, and what that means for anyone using AI to build their wedding budget before they start planning, or who signs a contract with a venue that will be more than they wanted to spend.

If you need help trying to determine what your wedding will cost, we can help. Reach out for a budget clarity consultation; its the perfect antidote for AI budget hallucinations. To read the full article check out my Substack and please subscribe (it’s free!) to get these insights delivered directly to your inbox.