Some of the most lavish events we get to see are weddings. From the royal weddings to tycoons, they are constantly attended by celebrities and take luxury to the next level. Below are the top ten most expensive celebrity weddings of all time.
10. CHRISTINA AGUILERA AND JORDAN BRATMAN – $2M.
What do you expect when a pop star and a music producer get married? This 2005 wedding was held in the Napa Valley’s Staglin vineyard, a stunning architectural masterpiece with vines as far as the eye can see. The pair also had a rehearsal dinner on the Friday prior to the wedding at Napa Valley’s Auberge Du Soleil resort, one of our favorite spots in the Valley. Christina pulled up to the lavish 130 guest wedding in a Rolls Royce phantom and they were married in a tent in the nearby forest. Guests were also asked to not bring gifts, but instead to donate to Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief funds.
9. ELIZABETH HURLEY AND AND ARUN NAYAR – $2.5M.
This star and VP of Tyco celebrated their marriage at Suderly Castle in Gloucestershire and then moved to Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur. Married in 2007, this couple had a double ceremony and celebrated their marriage for eight days. This lavish wedding included costs of $300,000 for private jets, over $100,000 for accommodations, and a $10,000 a night romantic bridal suite in India.
8. PAUL MCCARTNEY AND HEATHER MILLS – $3M.
When the most successful songwriter in history gets married you have to expect the best. McCartney married Mills, a PETA activist and former model, in an Indian-themed wedding at St. Salvador’s church in Monaghan, Ireland. This 2002 ceremony had a vegetarian feast, Indian dancers, $145,000 worth of flowers, and $150,000 fireworks. Heather wore a fitted wedding gown in ecru lace that she designed with Eavis & Brown of London and walked down the aisle to the song Heather, which McCartney had written for her. Some of the guests in attendance were Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Ringo Starr, Twiggy, and Steve Buscemi.
7. ELIZABETH TAYLOR AND LARRY FORTENSKY – $4M.
This marriage was notorious for having Michael Jackson as the father of the bride, when this iconic movie star married Fortensky, a construction worker. This 1991 marriage occurred at Neverland Ranch and guests such a Liza Minnelli, Eddie Murphy, and Nancy Reagan were in attendance.
6. LIZA MINNELLI AND DAVID GEST – $4.2M.
This wedding was a production worthy of Broadway. When star Liza Minnelli married music producer, David Gest, Michael Jackson was the best man and Elizabeth Taylor was the maid of honors. The couple spent over $800,000 on flowers and cake alone. This wedding also featured a sixty piece orchestra, Tony Bennett, and Stevia Wonder.
5. CHELSEA CLINTON AND MARC MEVINSKY – $5M.
Can you expect anything less than the ultimate in luxury when a Clinton gets married? This 2010 wedding was held at Astor Courts in Rhinebeck and incorporated both the bride and groom’s faiths. They spend over $600,000 on air-conditioned tents alone, since it was a summer wedding, and they even had an $11,000 cake. The lavish cake was a four-foot, nine-tier masterpiece of vanilla sponge cake, layered with dark chocolate mousse. The bride’s dress was also designed by Vera Wang and was a strapless silk organza gown with a draped tulle bodice and an embellished belt.
4. WAYNE ROONEY AND COLEEN MCLOUGHLIN – $8M.
Rooney and McLoughlin had been dating since they were sixteen and went to see Austin Powers 2 together. Wayne gave Coleen the wedding of her dream in 2008. Before the wedding, the couple flew 65 guests to Genoa to celebrate on a $120 million dollar yacht with a masked ball. Guests were treat to several days on the yacht and in a nearby five star luxury hotel. The ceremony took place in a 17th century villa and the reception was in a medieval abbey overlooking Portofino, Italy.
3. PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON – $34M.
A royal wedding redefines luxury, and some are calling this one the wedding of the century. This 2011 wedding had over 1900 guests, with over 1000 of them being family, and was televised to million around the world. The couple was very involved in planning their own wedding, from the music, down to the flowers, and even the cake. Kate’s wedding ring is made from a piece of Welsh gold, which is tradition in the royal family, and was held by the prince all day and her dress was designed by Sarah Burton. Kate arrived to the ceremony at the Westminster Abbey in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI and the couple left together in a royal carriage. The couple also hosted a private dinner and their reception at Buckingham Palace. Much of the cost was security, but they also spent $800,000 in flowers and $80,000 on a wedding cake.
2. VANISHA MITTAL AND AMIT BHATIA – $66M.
When the gorgeous daughter of billionaire steel-magnate Lakshmi Mittal and the owner of Swordfish Investments get married, you can’t expect anything less than over the top, glistening, luxury — even the invitations arrived in silver boxes. Guests were also treated to plane tickets and rooms at a five-star Paris hotel for the duration of the celebrations. The festivities were spread out over five days at 6th-century chateau and Versailles and a temporary wooden castle. Kylie Minogue also performed, and guests were given complementary Mouton Rothschild and gift bags full of designer jewels.
1. PRINCE CHARLES AND DIANA SPENCER – $110M.
This was the original royal fairytale wedding. The 1981 wedding had 3,500 people in the congregation at St Paul’s Cathedral, over 2 million more lining the streets outside, and 750 million more watching on TV. Diana’s ring was a £30,000 ring consisting of 14 solitaire diamonds elegantly surrounding a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire set in 18-karat white gold. Her dress was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel and was made of silk taffeta, decorated with lace, hand embroidery, sequins, and 10,000 pearls. The reception took place at Buckingham Palace, and was a dinner for 120. The couple had 27 cakes which took over 14 weeks to prepare.
Which of these is your favorite wedding? Let us know below in the comments.