Within the whirlwind world of weddings lies an exclusive upper echelon: ultra-high-net-worth weddings hosted by couples who invest in luxury experiences.
2025 wedding trends included smaller, more personal weddings, with both guest counts and venue sizes down. Authentic accounts of individual couples’ love stories replaced traditional wedding customs.
As a result of these trends, the location, decor, and style of weddings evolved. They often took place at home or locations unique to the couple, and jetting off for destination weddings saw a drop.
Liquor was essential, with open bars prioritized. Ready-made cocktails eliminated wait times, keeping the dance floor busy.
Traditions such as welcome bags and photo booths declined, replaced by film photography and late-night takeaway boxes so guests could enjoy customized food later.
Meanwhile, social media contributed to a wave of trend-chasing, content-first weddings. However, in the hidden UHNW wedding scene, seven-figure spending shifted in unexpected ways.
Specifically, this group of couples rejected the trend wedding, embracing luxury experiences in clear contrast to the online luxury aesthetic on social media.
Opting Out of the Viral Wedding Aesthetic
Lauren Grech, founder of LLG Events, says UHNW couples are rejecting viral aesthetics, opting for access to new experiences, destinations, and designs.
These couples are opting for celebrity performers, such as Rihanna at the Ambani pre-wedding or Maroon 5 at the Brockaway-LaGrone wedding.
They often select exclusive destinations, such as Jumbie Bay in Antigua, where Grech organized a multi-day estate wedding. The 2025 authenticity trend appears here, emphasizing intention and pace.
Contrary to the Antigua wedding, a New York 1950s jazz wedding with a highly specific and unusual theme featured a crooner elevated above the room, layering the experience visually, sonically, and literally.
The Split Between “Online Luxury” and Authentic Luxury
Spending reveals a split between “online luxury” and reality. At Madelaine Brockway and Jacob LaGrone’s wedding, the bachelorette party at one of Utah’s priciest hotels cost $89 million overall.
“These couples also rent diamonds from exclusive companies for their weddings.” Grech says. She arranges private fittings, a detail often unknown to online luxury spaces.
Insight From Industry Professionals
In Grech’s professional opinion, luxury for UHNWs is determined by privacy, intention, pacing, and exclusive experience, qualities that outweigh visibility or trend-following, which are typically valued in mainstream weddings. LLG Events focuses on delivering custom experiences that set clients apart from the broader industry.
Grech planned a wedding featuring a complete recreation of The Plaza Hotel lobby, with bellhops greeting guests in custom outfits. This is extravagance and exclusivity beyond the reach of the average social media user.
Wedding Trends for UHNWs in 2026
Vogue reports that weddings in 2026 will feature extravagant food displays that serve as both decor and nourishment. Custom food experiences turn eating into a journey, showcasing abundance and connection.
Display walls are a prominent feature at 2026 weddings, which are now even more individual and holistic, straying from tradition. Guest experience drives food choices from main event to after-party.