A luxury event planner says the Kardashians probably aren't spending as much money as you think on their lavish parties

 A luxury event planner says the Kardashians probably aren't spending as much money as you think on their lavish parties

• The Kardashian family throws lavish parties multiple times a year.
• But a celebrity event planner told Insider the Kardashians may not spend that much on the events.
• Because of their fame, the famous family likely gets free services in exchange for publicity. 

Kris Jenner threw an elaborate Easter party for the extended Kardashian-Jenner family at her home on Sunday.

To those unfamiliar with the famous family, the event would seem ostensibly lavish.

Each guest's place at the table was marked with a giant chocolate Easter egg embossed with their name. A giant charcuterie board took up almost a whole table. There were gift bags filled with dozens of presents for the kids in attendance. Kylie Jenner even gave her daughter and nieces personalized gumball machines in honor of the holiday.

But for the Kardashians, the event was fairly standard. They throw over-the-top parties throughout the year, whether it be for holidays or family members' birthday parties.

It's natural to assume their events would cost tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. Indeed, Kim Kardashian's 40th birthday could have cost $2 million.

But according to Sonal J. Shah, a luxury event planner, the Kardashians probably aren't paying for much of the glitz we see at their parties. Their celebrity status allows them to trade with vendors rather than pay for their parties with money, Shah said.

It benefits vendors to be seen servicing A-list celebrity events, so public relations representatives often work out exchanges with vendors to swap publicity for a service, as Shah told Insider. 

For instance, the Kardashians' famous party planner, Mindy Weiss, posted an Instagram video compilation from Kris Jenners' Easter celebration that showed off the details of the party, including the chocolate eggs and flower arrangements.

Weiss tagged multiple vendors who put the event together, letting the public know who made the eye-catching party a reality.

So whether the famous family paid them or not, the vendors will benefit financially from the publicity of being selected to put a Kardashian event together. 

It might sound odd to the non-famous population, but the Kardashians frequently influence people's purchasing habits, making it a worthwhile deal for many vendors to agree to an exchange, according to Shah.

"Kim Kardashian had her 40th at the Brando and now the Brando is on the map," Shah said of the private island where the reality star held her birthday party in 2020. "A lot of celebrities go there now. A lot of normal people started going there."

Shah estimated that stars of the same level of fame as the Kardashians could get between 50 to 100% of the costs associated with an event comped.

Vendors that have high overhead costs, like decorators or caterers, are more likely to be paid traditionally. But others, such as DJs or photographers, can easily be compensated with an exchange in the celebrity world, according to Shah.

Shah went on to say the trade practice is fairly common, but the Kardashians' massive popularity likely enables them to make deals with vendors many stars can't.

"Other celebrities don't have that kind of power," she said.