As wedding costs surge — up 8.5% this year with averages hitting $34,200 — brides are adopting influencer tactics to secure sponsorships covering dresses, invitations, bachelorette parties and even gowns. A 29-year-old marketing professional in Chicago with just 2,000 followers went viral on TikTok trying on dresses, eventually landing free invitations from The Knot, a gown from Rivini in New York City (designer Rita Vinieris), and discounts on candles for her June 2027 wedding at a Chicago mansion. Her following grew to nearly 16,000.

Other brides report similar deals: Bombay Sapphire funded bachelorette boat rides, Gap paid for engagement party dresses, and Liquid IV supplied bridesmaid goody bags. Zola paid a Indianapolis bride with 3,000 followers $350 for a wedding website post, while a local nail salon and waxing parlor paid $600 per post. Influencer Kayla Simone, 27, in Los Angeles with 158,000 followers, secured Minted and Catbird sponsorships and charges $3,000–$30,000 per collaboration.

The Knot CMO Kristen Maxwell Cooper calls engaged couples "giant billboards," noting the platform pays up to $150,000 for collaborations. Brides must meet deliverables — mostly social posts with disclosures — but draw lines at inauthentic partnerships, such as GLP-1 drug promotions.