(10k) I feel out of touch

Budget-friendly wedding, but my photographer costs more than my venues. Is that normal?

We’re getting married in a big city with a high cost of living, and somehow we’ve lucked out with several major wedding costs.

So far, our ceremony venue, reception venue, food, alcohol, DJ, photographer, and cake put us right around $7,400 total.

We are not adding a band because we’re using family heirlooms, and I’ve already booked the honeymoon, hair, and makeup, but I haven’t included those in the wedding total yet.

Here’s where I’m struggling: our photographer costs more than our ceremony and reception venues combined. Is that unrealistic, or is that just how wedding photography pricing works now?

I was feeling really proud of putting together a budget-friendly wedding, especially in a HCOL city, but we still haven’t tackled personal florals or venue decorations. Since our venues and food are so affordable, I’m now second-guessing every other purchase. I’m even nervous about buying a dress I love because it could cost more than the actual wedding venue.

How do you decide what “makes sense” when your budget is technically low overall, but certain individual items feel expensive compared to the venue? Should I include things like honeymoon, hair, and makeup in the wedding budget, or keep those separate?

I’d love some perspective from anyone who planned a budget-conscious wedding where a few categories were still higher-ticket items.