[gardenmud]

Based on the article, she provides the services of a sort of on-call talk therapist/emotional support that overlaps with services typically provided by a personal assistant or maid of honor, like keeping the bridesmaids organized and on track. Honestly, I get it. If you don't have a willing volunteer, there's no shame in hiring a personal assistant for the job. Where she really excels is selling it as something fun and chic, not desperate; 'extra bridesmaid to fill out the group' is a lot more palatable than 'hired help'.

[araes]

There's also a certain caste of society, where spending $5000 to not have any stress about an event, is really not that big a deal. Plus, then you're not dropping it on your "best friend" to handle the whole thing, which ends up being a weird inverse form of punishment for being friends so long.

[Sebb767]

It's not really a punishment, but more of a reciprocal deal of helping each other have an awesome wedding when the time comes.