Celebrities have been having lavish weddings since, well, there were celebrities. But the last decade has seen some truly over-the-top weddings — despite the recession — spurred on, in part, by social media publicity.
When Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra’s recent wedding celebrations (plural), which were estimated to cost between $500,000-$800,000 total, seem low-budget in comparison, you know some of these other mammoth marriage celebrations are sky-high.
Here are some of the most expensive nuptials of famous and fabulously wealthy folks from the last 10 years. We start off with a few “unknown” (but expensive) wedding price tags and move our way on up, according to cost estimates in the press.
Victoria Swarovski And Werner Mürz
Cost: Unknown but well over a $1 million
It’s hard to find a total estimated wedding cost for Swarovski crystal heiress and singer Victoria Swarovski’s wedding to fellow Austrian Werner Murz. But since her 102-pound, lacy, crystal-embellished (of course!) wedding dress is said to have cost $1 million alone, it’s a sure bet that this was one pricey wedding.
The wedding ceremony was held at the Cathedral of San Giusto in Trieste, Italy, and the reception was at the waterfront Maxi’s Restaurant Portopiccolo a half-hour drive north. There was a gigantic cake, huge sprays of baby’s breath everywhere and a fireworks display.
Michael Phelps And Nicole Johnson
Cost: Unknown
This pair actually had three weddings: An intimate backyard ceremony in Arizona where they made it legal in June 2016, a Mexican beach wedding in October 2016, and a lavish, art-deco-inspired New Year’s Eve bash back in Phoenix.
For the latter two occasions, Nicole had two gorgeous and distinct dresses designed for her by Julie Vino. The New Year’s Eve reception at the Waldorf Astoria Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix was black-and-gold-themed with a matching six-tier, square cake sporting their monogram.
Serena Williams And Alexis Ohanian
Cost: $1 million or more
When tennis champ Serena Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in New Orleans, their ceremony was set up in a nontraditional fashion. Guests were arranged on lounges along the aisle, which resembled a runway.
The bride had multiple outfit changes and wore some bedazzled Nikes. Also making an appearance? The couple’s infant daughter.
At the end of the night, Ohanian surprised Williams with the unveiling of an illuminated carousel (a $25,000 rental), on which all the guests took a spin.
Ivanka Trump And Jared Kushner
Cost: $1 million
While Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner saved on their 2009 wedding venue costs by getting married at the Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey, they racked up a number of other bills.
Ivanka’s classic and conservative Vera Wang dress had a cost estimate of around $50,000. The Sylvia Weinstock wedding cake had an estimated cost of upwards of $70,000.
Add in costs like Tiffany & Co. wedding invitations, custom favors, lush and “airy” flowers, and a full orchestra, and the nuptials must have left a sizable event bill.
Kate Moss And Jamie Hince
Cost: $1.25 million
When British supermodel Kate Moss married rock guitarist Jamie Hince in 2011, she had a large, designer-dressed wedding party. The couple celebrated over several days, serving Cristal in crystal and enjoying a delicate six-tier cake, and bringing in performers like Snoop Dogg and Iggy Pop. (The estimated 1 million-pound wedding converts to about $1.25 million in U.S. dollars.) The pair split in 2015.
Elton John And David Furnish
Cost: $1.5 million
Elton John originally entered into a civil partnership with his longtime love, David Furnish, in 2005. But when Britain legalized same-sex marriages in 2014, the pair tied the knot with $240,000 diamond wedding bands at a second wedding celebration.
There were 600 guests, gigantic red rose floral arrangements and an estimated $130,000 spent on food, $120,000 on vintage pink champagne and $10,000 on caviar. At least the couple saved on the venue costs by having the reception at their own estate.
Nicole Richie And Joel Madden
Cost: $2 million
Nicole Richie once told Larry King that she wanted elephants at her wedding. And she did indeed have one live elephant at her nuptials to rocker Joel Madden in 2010. She also reportedly wore a $20,000 Marchesa dress (plus two other outfits) for the event at the Beverly Hills home of her father, Lionel Richie. They also had an elaborate meal and a post-reception dance party.
Salma Hayek And François-Henri Pinault
Cost: $3.5 million
When actress Salma Hayek married wealthy French businessman François-Henri Pinault in 2009, they spared no expense on their Italian nuptials. The wedding took place at Venice’s opera house Teatro La Fenice, Bono performed, the food was by celebrity chef Jose Andres and the bride wore Balenciaga. Their wedding weekend also included a masked ball.
The April wedding was actually the couple’s second as they were legally married in a civil ceremony on Valentine’s Day 2009 in Paris. Most recently, in August 2018, Pinault surprised his wife with a vow renewal ceremony while vacationing in Bora Bora.
George Clooney And Amal Alamuddin
Cost: $4.6 million
Actor George Clooney married up with his 2014 nuptials to British lawyer and human rights activist Amal Alamuddin. The pair’s multi-day wedding celebrations in Venice cost around $4.6 million, according to estimates.
Much of the budget went toward putting up their guests in luxury accommodations. But there were also designer clothes to cover, flowers, food, copious amounts of champagne and liquor, gondola drivers and renting out the Aman hotel venue for about $250,000.
Chelsea Clinton And Marc Mezvinsky
Cost: $5 million
The former president’s only child went all out for her wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in 2010 at the Astor Courts estate in New York.
Chelsea Clinton wore a $20,000 Vera Wang dress for the ceremony and another Vera for the reception. The couple had an $11,000, five-tier, gluten-free wedding cake, catering from the St. Regis and 400 guests in attendance.
Add in costs like $500,000 in flowers, $200,000 in security, and all the accompanying costs of an outdoor, air-conditioned tented reception, and you get a very large bill.
Folarin Alakija And Nazanin Jafarian Ghaissarifar
Cost: $6 million or more
The son of a Nigerian oil billionaire marries an Iranian model and the two get a million white flowers for their wedding. Folorunso Alakija wed Nazanin Jafarian Ghaissarifar in a $6.3 million extravaganza in 2017. The cake was 12 feet tall and the reception menu included foie gras, guinea fowl and crispy duck egg. Robin Thicke performed at the reception and there were fireworks, natch.
Wayne And Coleen Rooney
Cost: $5-8 million
When British professional soccer player Wayne Rooney married his wife, Coleen, on the Italian Riviera, the wedding cost somewhere around $5 million or $8 million, depending on your estimate sources.
The bride’s Marchesa dress with a 25-foot train is said to have cost over $100,000 alone. The British boy band Westlife performed at the reception. Many of the wedding expenses went to covering the travel costs of friends and family going to Italy for the wedding celebration.
Apparently, a magazine helped foot the bill so it could get exclusive photo rights.
Justin Timberlake And Jessica Biel
Cost: $6.5 million
When Justin Timberlake married Jessica Biel in 2012, they had one heck of a celebration. Biel’s nontraditional, pink Giambattista Valli ballgown cost around $100,000 alone. The pair’s destination wedding was held at a castle in Italy, so presumably, the pair may have covered some of their guests’ accommodation costs.
Kim Kardashian And Kanye West
Cost: $2.8 million to $6.5 million
Kim Kardashian married Kanye West in 2014 in Florence — and since Kimye doesn’t do anything small, the wedding certainly wowed. Kim’s Givenchy dress matched daughter North West’s flower girl dress. Andrea Bocelli sang at the wedding ceremony, and that can’t be a cheap hire.
The renting of Forte di Belvedere would’ve cost $400,000 or so. Don’t forget the food, drinks and flowers — including the famous flower wall that appeared in Kimye’s highly re-shared Instagrammed wedding photo.
The wedding celebrations also included time in Paris, like the 600-person rehearsal dinner at Versailles with fireworks and a performance by Lana Del Rey.
Sean Parker And Alexandra Lenas
Cost: $10 million
Napster creator and early Facebook investor Sean Parker isn’t hurting for money these days. So when he wed Alexandra Lenas, he didn’t mind dropping a reported $10 million on a storybook forest wedding.
The Big Sur nuptials were inspired by the couple’s love of “old-growth forests” and “Lord of the Rings.” The venue site preparation itself cost $4.5 million. Sting sang and guests drank $500 bottles of Napa wine.
Kim Kardashian And Chris Humphries
Cost: $10 million
Before she married Kanye West, Kim Kardashian was briefly married in 2011 to basketball player Chris Humphries. It was one of the shortest celebrity marriages and one of the more costly weddings in recent years.
Kardashian’s three Vera Wang dresses, massive amounts of jewelry, and splurges on the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception all contributed to the cost.
Michael Jordan And Yvette Prieto
Cost: $10 million
For Michael Jordan’s second marriage, to model Yvette Prieto in 2013, the pair reportedly spent $10 million. The couple’s Palm Beach wedding reception venue was filled with candles and flowers and the bride wore couture. Usher and Robin Thicke were among the performers along with music by an 18-piece band. Plus, there was a gigantic white rum cake. Yum.
Petra Ecclestone And James Stunt
Cost: $20 million
When British heiress Petra Ecclestone married entrepreneur James Stunt in 2011, their nuptials reportedly cost around $20 million. Her Vera Wang gown cost $1.3 million and their reception included performances by the Black Eyed Peas and David Guetta. The pair split in 2017.
Angela Yeung And Huang Xiaoming
Cost: $31 million
The “Kim Kardashian of China,” singer/actress/model Angela Yeung (aka Angelababy) married fellow actor Huang Xiaoming in 2015 for an estimated total wedding cost of $31 million.
The bride’s ring was $1.5 million and the pair had an engagement photo shoot in front of the Eiffel Tower. Angelababy’s main wedding dress was by Christian Dior and took five months to make. The pair’s 2,000 guests took home luxe wedding favor bags that supposedly included cell phones.
Prince William And Kate Middleton
Cost: $34 million ($32 million of which went to security)
When British crown prince William married his college sweetheart, Kate Middleton, in 2011, the pair spent $32 million of their $34 million wedding budget on security costs. There was also the storybook Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen wedding dress that Kate wore, plus a second, more “casual” gown with a fuzzy bolero for the evening reception. Then there were the royal flowers, food, drinks, entertainment — all your standard wedding costs times 10.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle
Cost: $45 million
Like his brother’s wedding, much of the cost of Prince Harry‘s 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle went toward extensive security measures for the royal couple.
But there were a few other expenses, too, like the gigantic floral arches decorating St. George Chapel in Windsor, food and drinks for the reception at Frogmore House, and the bride’s designer Givenchy wedding dress (plus a second reception dress) and bridal party outfits.
At least the bride’s tiara and jewelry didn’t cost anything, as they were on loan from the royal collection.
