list of 10 expensive weddings
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Very few couples are able to say “money is no object” when planning their wedding. For the ultra-wealthy, however, extravagant weddings are often a sign of status and prestige. Here are 10 weddings that took extravagance to new heights.
Khadija Uzhakhova and Said Gutseriev
- Date: March 26, 2016
- Location: Safisa, a banqueting venue in Moscow
- Cost*: $1 billion
- Fun Fact: Jennifer Lopez, who sang at the reception, has reportedly charged more than $1 million per hour to perform at private events.
Said Gutseriev’s father, oil and media mogul Mikhail Gutseriev, foot the bill for what may be the most expensive wedding in modern history. The bride, 20-year-old dentistry student Khadija Uzhakhova, wore a gown that was created by designer Elie Saab and reportedly cost $1 million. Featuring custom beading and a lengthy train, the dress weighed approximately 28 pounds (13 kg), and Uzhakhova needed assistance walking in it. The Moscow wedding venue was decorated floor to ceiling with flowers, guests were transported around town in a fleet of luxury vehicles, and the nine-tier wedding cake was taller than the couple’s guests. The entertainment was also top-shelf, headlined by singers Jennifer Lopez, Sting, and Enrique Iglesias. Before leaving, the 600 guests were given jeweled boxes to remember this unforgettable wedding.
*Throughout the list, most costs are estimates based on best available information.
Diana Spencer and Prince Charles
- Date: July 29, 1981
- Location: St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
- Cost: $48 million ($166 million when adjusted for inflation)
- Fun Fact: A small golden horseshoe was sewn into the wedding dress for good luck.
A royal wedding is always an extravagant affair, and that was no exception when Prince Charles (later Charles III) married the future Princess Diana. Pre-wedding festivities included a gala ball at Buckingham Palace, and the night before the wedding a massive fireworks display was staged in London. The ceremony was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral and was attended by 3,500 people, while some 750 million watched on television. Diana’s silk taffeta gown, designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, was fit for a fairy tale. It contained 10,000 pearls and had a train that was 25 feet (8 meters) long. The dress took three months to make and is believed to have cost nearly $115,000 (about $380,000 today). The wedding reception, which was limited to 120 guests, featured a lavish menu that included 27 ornate cakes. The couple divorced in 1996.
Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal
- Date: December 12, 2018
- Location: Antilia house, Mumbai
- Cost: $100 million
- Fun Fact: Reportedly more than 1,000 luxury cars, including Jaguars and Porsches, were made available to guests.
Isha Ambani, the daughter of wealthy industrialist Mukesh Ambani, kicked off her nuptials to financier Anand Piramal, the son of billionaire Ajay Piramal, with an engagement party on Lake Como, Italy. There the couple and their guests were serenaded by singer John Legend. Beyoncé later performed at a pre-wedding event held in Udaipur City Palace, India. As a thank you to the city, the Ambani family provided food to feed more than 5,000 residents for four days. The wedding itself was a lavish affair that included opulent invitations, which arrived in floral keepsake boxes and played the Gayatri Mantra when opened. Ambani’s bridal outfit reportedly cost $12 million. There were also enough flowers to decorate the Ambani’s 27-story residence, Antilia, in Mumbai, where the wedding took place, and the street leading to it.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
- Date: May 19, 2018
- Location: St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, England
- Cost: $45 million
- Fun fact: The lemon-and-elderflower cake featured 500 eggs and 44 pounds each of butter, flour, and sugar
The British royals account for 3 of the 10 weddings on this list, because pretty much everything royals do is on a grand scale. Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, an American actress, was watched by an estimated 1.9 billion people worldwide. The extraordinary cost of the wedding included Markle’s Givenchy gown, a minimalist design that nevertheless had a price tag of $265,000. Guests—including George Clooney, Serena Williams, and Oprah Winfrey—were entertained by two choirs, an orchestra, and Luke Bond on the chapel organ. A luncheon hosted by Elizabeth II followed the ceremony, and it featured a performance by Elton John. Prince Charles then held an evening reception for some 200 guests. Security reportedly was the largest expense, costing some $40 million.
Vanisha Mittal and Amit Bhatia
- Date: June 22, 2004
- Location: Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Maincy, France
- Cost: $60 million
- Fun Fact: The wine bill alone was reportedly $1.5 million.
Amit Bhatia wed Vanisha Mittal, the daughter of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, in a weeklong celebration that took place in various locations around Paris, including the Palace of Versailles and the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, where the wedding ceremony was performed. The estimated 1,000 guests received their invitations in silver cases, were flown to Paris first class, and ensconced in the city’s fanciest hotels. Entertainment included a performance by Australian singer Kylie Minogue and fireworks over the Eiffel Tower.
Kate Middleton and Prince William
- Date: April 29, 2011
- Location: Westminster Abbey, London
- Cost: $33 million
- Fun Fact: In addition to the traditional fruitcake, Prince William requested a chocolate biscuit cake, a favorite of his since childhood.
When Prince William, heir to the British throne, wed “commoner” Kate Middleton in Westminster Abbey, London, it was a global affair watched by more than 2 billion people. The exorbitant price tag included Middleton’s $434,000 gown, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The floor-length ivory dress featured a lace-applique bodice and had a 9-foot (2.7-meter) train. It was estimated that $800,000 was spend on flowers, and eight trees were placed in the abbey. A reception for about 600 guests—who enjoyed wine, champagne, canapés, and an eight-tiered fruitcake—was hosted by Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. That was followed a few hours later by a dinner dance hosted by Prince Charles for 300 guests. Again, tight security added greatly to the cost.
Angelababy and Huang Xiaoming
- Date: October 8, 2015
- Location: Shanghai Exhibition Center
- Cost: $31 million
- Fun Fact: The wedding venue, which has an area of 200,000 square feet (18,580 square meters), displayed a hologram of a castle.
Some five months after a private ceremony, singer/actress Angela Yeung, known professionally as Angelababy, and actor Huang Xiaoming staged an opulent wedding that was live streamed. The bride’s Christian Dior dress featured almost 100 roses handcrafted from Chantilly lace and seven layers of skirts made from 170 feet (52 meters) of tulle. The train was 10 feet (3 meters) long. Angelababy’s wedding ring cost an estimated $1.5 million and boasted a five-carat pear-shaped diamond. Some 2,000 guests attended the ceremony, and they later enjoyed a 10-foot- (3-meter-) tall wedding cake with a carousel middle. The guests were also gifted cell phones and other high-end items. The couple divorced in 2022.
Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano and Prince Felipe of Spain
- Date: May 22, 2004
- Location: Almudena Cathedral, Madrid
- Cost: $24 million–$35 million
- Fun Fact: Some 1,000 bottles of champagne were served at the reception.
Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano was a broadcast journalist working on a story about an oil disaster when she met Spain’s royal heir, Prince Felipe (later Felipe VI), in 2002. They wed two years later in a posh televised ceremony attended by more than 1,200 guests, including other royal luminaries such as Britain’s Prince Charles and Prince Albert (later Albert II) of Monaco. Ortiz wore a Manuel Pertegaz-designed dress that cost $8 million, and she arrived for the ceremony at Almudena Cathedral, Madrid, in a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV.
Priya Sachdev and Vikram Chatwal
- Date: February 19, 2006
- Location: New Delhi
- Cost: $20 million
- Fun Fact: Guests received a 20-page pamphlet on proper Indian attire and were asked to avoid wearing black or white clothing
Most weddings last a few hours. The nuptials between Priya Sachdev, a model and actress, and Chatwal, an actor and the son of a hotel and restaurant magnate, took place over 10 days and three cities. An estimated 600 guests were flown to India from 26 countries on chartered jets. Several parties were held, including a masked ball dubbed “Fantasia.” More than 110,000 pounds (50,000 kg) of flowers were brought in from Bangkok, Calcutta, and the Netherlands for the festivities, and some 3,000 candles were used. The actual ceremony was held on February 19, 2006, a date chosen in consultation with astrologers, among others. However, Sachdev and Chatwal divorced in 2011.
Petra Ecclestone and James Stunt
- Date: August 27, 2011
- Location: Castello Odescalchi, Bracciano, Italy
- Cost: $19 million
- Fun Fact: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were married at the same castle in 2006.
The three-day wedding of Petra Ecclestone, the daughter of Formula One racing magnate Bernie Ecclestone, to businessman James Stunt took place at the Castello Odescalchi, a 15th-century castle located on Italy’s Lake Bracciano. Ecclestone’s Vera Wang wedding gown cost more than $125,000, and, after exchanging vows, the couple was serenaded by Andrea Bocelli. A champagne reception followed the ceremony, and the entertainment included fireworks and performances by the Black-Eyed Peas and Eric Clapton. The couple divorced in 2017.