How many Simchos have you actually been to, that served what you call airline meals.
Also, how bad can a Bris be? Bagels, fish, a few spreads... How low can one go, that it still won't live up to your standards?
In Israel the simchos are usually like an airline meal
but to answer
@lover of truth;
Think of it this way.
You have a child, Mazal Tov. But B"H, its not your first and hopefully wont be your last. The average frum family can easily have between 6-8 kids. Lets go with 7.
7 x Shalom Zachor/Bris or Kiddush
3.5 x Upsherin (Chalaka)
7 x Bar Mitzvas/Bas Mitzvas (yes a bas mitzva is much cheaper, but some make them bigger)
7 x Chasunas
A cheap Shalom Zachor will be 200-400 dollars while you can easily go all out with beer, whisky, nuts, fruit platters etc. and get it to $1000.
Bris, the same. You can buy bagels with cream cheese and set it up yourself with a coffee corner for $200-$300 or get a fleishig caterer for $2000.
Kiddush, $500 or $2000? Does everyone need to eat a fleishig cholent an hour before they go home and eat... a fleishig cholent?
Bar Mitzva/Bat Mitzva. OY. Do you do a small event with a bar and self serve and a $50 bottle of Johnny Walker or fully catered. That's a difference of $5-10,000 easily.
And then the Chasuna. עיין this whole thread.
Once you realize that its 6-8 kids, then that $300 here or there is not $300 but $2,000.
The $1,500 is not $1,500 but $10,000.
$5,000 is $35,000.
And the $10-20,000 difference in a chasuna ends up at $150,000!
Altogether it can amass to $250,000-$300,000 easily.