On this list, we explore both and everything in between. From singing divas to iconic actors to literal royals, it’s time to take a closer look at 25 of the most lavish weddings of all time and just what made them so expensive. RELATED: 27 Celebrity Couples With Huge Age Gaps. Regardless of how much Céline Dion and René Angélil’s 1994 wedding cost—it’s been reported around $500,000—this one is certifiably lavish for Dion’s wedding look alone. The singer wore a gown with a 20-foot train along with a crystal-embellished headpiece that weighed seven pounds. The couple married at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montréal, and the ceremony was even broadcast on Canadian TV.
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas celebrated their love during a multi-day celebration in Jodhpur, Mumbai, and New Delhi, India in 2018 that reportedly cost $800,000. They were married in both a western ceremony and a Hindu ceremony and had multiple receptions and other events. One of the biggest expenses was booking an entire hotel, which reportedly cost over $400,000 alone. Mariah Carey’s 1993 wedding to music executive Tommy Mottola is said to have been inspired by Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ 1981 wedding, which explains Carey’s massive Vera Wang dress with a 27-foot train, which is estimated to have cost $25,000. Guests included Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand, and Bruce Springsteen. The total cost of the wedding was $500,000 at the time, which close to $1 million today.
Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt are two of the most famous exes on the planet, but back in 2000 they were happily in love and spending $1 million on their wedding. They were married at a Malibu estate that was filled with 50,000 flowers and a ton of special candles imported from Thailand. Their budget also went toward a fireworks display and security, including restricting the air space over the venue. Plus, guests had to sign confidentiality agreements.
Soccer player David Beckham and pop star-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham spent $800,000 on their 1999 wedding, which would be over $1 million today. It was held at an Irish castle, so naturally, the pair sat on matching thrones. What else matched? Their outfits. They both wore white for the ceremony and changed into matching purple ensembles for the reception, along with their baby son Brooklyn. Their wedding cake was topped with a nearly nude sculpture of the couple, and they cut into the dessert with a sword.
Eddie Murphy and Nicole Mitchell got married at a price tag of $1.5 million in 1993—so even more money today. The couple wed at the Plaza Hotel in New York City and had 500 guests in attendance. They did spread the wealth after the wedding was over, donating all of the flowers to a local hospital.
Elizabeth Taylor was famously married eight times, but her last wedding was also noteworthy for how expensive it was. The iconic actor married construction worker Larry Fortensky in 1991 at her friend Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Jackson reportedly paid for most of the $1.5 million wedding, which included 100 security guards and plenty of Dom Perignon champagne. While the marriage ended, there was a most lasting effect: Taylor used the proceeds from selling her wedding pictures to start the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Elton John and David Funish’s 2014 wedding has been estimated to cost between $1.5 million and $2 million. And even at that massive price, they saved money by holding the reception at their mansion. They’re said to have spent around $2,500 per guest—on things like vintage pink champagne and caviar—with over 600 friends and family members in attendance.
Like many celeb couples, Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren opted for a destination wedding. The former couple wed at a resort in Barbados with an event that reportedly cost $1.5 million. They rented out the entire hotel and even booked all of the helicopters from the one charter business on the island so that paparazzi could not use them. Celebrity guests included Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan, and Hootie & the Blowfish performed at the 2004 affair.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones got married at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in 2000. The wedding reportedly cost somewhere between $1.5 million and $2 million, with $250,000 going to Zeta-Jones’ Christian Lacroix dress. But, the couple is said to have made a lot of the money back—$1.4 million of it—via selling their wedding photos exclusively to a magazine. Because the event had to remain secretive, guests had to show invites with holograms on them, and private photography wasn’t allowed. RELATED: See 15 Celebrity Couples on Their First Red Carpet Together. Christina Aguilera married music executive Jordan Bratman in 2005 in a wedding that cost $2 million. The event included a winter wonderland-themed reception tent decorated with trees and silk tablecloths, a five-tier cake, and an afterparty in the wine cave on the estate where the ceremony was held. Getting married in a castle is a common theme for lavish celeb weddings. Madonna and Guy Ritchie got married in a castle in the Scottish Highlands in 2000. Stella McCartney designed the pop star’s $80,000 dress, and guests included Gwyneth Paltrow and Sting. Even at $2.1 million for the wedding, it was still a whole lot cheaper than their divorce. Actor Elizabeth Hurley married businessman Arun Nayar in 2007, and they had two weddings. First, the pair got married in a castle in the English Cotswolds. As with many of these celeb weddings, Elton John was in attendance. Then, they got married again in a Hindu ceremony in Jodhpur, India, where they also held a week of celebrations. The events are said to have cost them about $2.5 million. When Kate Holmes and Tom Cruise got married in 2006, they spent around $3 million. (Guess it’ll really cost you to wed in a 15th century castle in Italy.) Holmes wore two Armani gowns, and celebrity guests included Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, David and Victoria Beckham, and Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. Opera singer Andrea Bocelli performed and there was also a fireworks display.
Paul McCartney’s 2002 wedding to second wife Heather Mills cost $3 million. After a church ceremony, their 300 guests partied at a reception held in an Irish castle. Afterward, there was a fireworks display that residents of the town were able to enjoy, too. When Liza Minnelli and her fourth husband David Gest split up after a year of marriage in 2003, they were also out $3.5 million for their nuptials. Their wedding was held in New York City, the best man was Michael Jackson, and there were reported to have been anywhere from 800 to 1,500 guests. Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole performed for the celebrity attendees, which included Elizabeth Taylor and Elton John. For more celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Actors Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello reportedly spent between $3 million to $4 million on their 2015 Palm Beach wedding. Among the details: Vergara’s Zuhair Murad dress was covered in over six pounds of pearls and 11 pounds of sequins; the venue was draped in orchids and roses; Pitbull performed; and guests were provided with IVs if they were dehydrated the next day. When George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin got married in 2014, they invited their guests to Venice, Italy for a wedding weekend that is reported to have cost around $4.6 million. A large amount of the expense—an estimated $3 million—went to putting up their guests in fancy hotels. Particularly lavish details include Alamuddin’s Alexander McQueen dress, which reportedly cost $380,000, and the fact that they wedding party and guests had to take boats through Venice to arrive at the venue. Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake held their estimated $6.5 million wedding in 2012. They welcomed their 100 guests to a luxury Italian resort for a week, which would definitely be costly on its own, not to mention all of the events, activities, transportation, and food they’d need to provide. On top of that, Biel and the bridal party all wore designs by Giambattista Valli, while Timberlake and the groomsmen wore Tom Ford. You know this 2013 wedding was expensive because it set a record: biggest wedding tent ever. Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto’s tent was 40,000 square feet—larger than the mansion where they lived lived. The couple reportedly had 500 people at their ceremony and 1,500 more at the reception. Entertainment was provided by MC Lyte, Usher, Robin Thicke, and more. All in all, the huge wedding was said to have cost $10 million.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries’ marriage is mostly remembered for how short it was: only 72 days. But, prior to the split, it was known for being a lavish spectacle that aired on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. For this reason, it’s been reported that while the 2011 wedding was worth $10 million, Kardashian and Humphries got a lot of what they used for free as it was a part of the TV show. Kardashian wore three custom Vera Wang gowns at the black-and-white themed wedding, which was attended by celeb guests, including Serena Williams, Lindsay Lohan, and Ciara. Kardashian’s 2014 wedding with Kanye West was more secretive but sounds even more lavish. The wedding has been estimated to cost between $2.8 million and $12 million. The large price range can be attributed to the fact that while the wedding itself took place in Florence, Italy, the wedding event as a whole kicked off in Paris. Plus, details of the wedding involve everything from Kardashian’s $500,000 Givenchy dress and a performance by Andrea Bocelli to West supposedly requesting a $478,000 marble table for the reception and a glam squad being hired to touch-up guests. The weddings that top this list might not come as a surprise—they belong to the royals. First up, we have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who married in 2011. Their wedding reportedly cost $34 million, with $32 million of the budget being for security as crowds descended on Westminster Abbey for the event. Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen dress cost a reported $434,000, the couple had trees put inside the Abbey, and they drove off in Prince Charles’ vintage Aston Martin. Many celebrities were in attendance, including Victoria and David Beckham and (naturally) Elton John.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex take the No. 2 spot. Their 2018 wedding cost $45 million with over $40 million going to security. Over $1 million also went to things like barriers, waste disposal, screens, and a PA system for the crowd watching outside in Windsor. Meghan Markle’s Givenchy dress cost over $200,000, and the couple reportedly spent $680,000 on food for the star-studded event, which included the wedding ceremony, a luncheon, and an afterparty that they drove to in an electric Jaguar. The No. 1 most lavish celebrity wedding is one of the most significant weddings of all time. On July 29, 1981, around 750 million people tuned in to watch Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer get married. There were also 3,500 guests in attendance. Some of the lavish details include Diana’s 25-foot-long dress reportedly costing over $100,000, 27 wedding cakes, and monarchs from around the world being in attendance. In today’s currency, the wedding would have cost $110 million. RELATED: 12 Beloved, Long-Term Celebrity Couples, Then and Now.
