Sneak peek: inside Russia's $1.3 billion wedding

The bride struggles to walk in her haute couture Elie Saab gown, which weighed 11kgs. Image: svadby_miira_lux via Instagram 

Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Gutseriev spared no expense when it came to son Said Gutseriev’s wedding to 20-year-old student bride Khadija Uzhakhova. Mikhail forked out a whopping $AUD 1.3 billion ($USD 1 billion), about a sixth of his overall wealth, to ensure his son’s big day was, well, VERY big.

The opulent wedding, which was held in Moscow on Saturday March 26, included walls and arches brimming with fresh flowers, a luxury banquet, a fireworks display, a nine-tier wedding cake, a fleet of Rolls Royces and performances by world-class entertainers including Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias and Sting.

Surprisingly, the wedding’s 600+ guests weren’t stopped from sharing photos of the billion-dollar event with many sharing intimate pictures and videos of the reception on social media,

The bride, a Dentistry student at Moscow University, wore an extravagant Elie Saab haute couture wedding gown which was so heavy she needed assistance walking. The 11kg dress was shipped from Paris for the event and featured stunning sparkling crystal embellishment from top to bottom. Reportedly, it cost Gutseriev Snr. a mere $AUD 33,000 (£18,000).

Khadija wore a matching purse to compliment the beading and lace on her dress, as well as a diamond tiara, watch, earrings and necklace to complete her regal bridal look.

Mikhail, who is worth $AUD 8.12 billion  ($USD 6.2 billion) according to Forbes, flew celebrity entertainers to perform at the wedding reception for his son and new daughter-in-law, and according to the Daily Mail, Jennifer Lopez alone was paid a cool $5 million for her performance.

The lavish event was held at Safisa, which is a luxury restaurant in Moscow known for it’s opulent architecture and design features including incredible frescoes on the ceiling, marble floors and enormous crystal chandeliers.

The wedding venue Safisa, styled for another event. Image: Safisa via Facebook

In one of the videos the bride can be seen posing for photographs as singer Sting croons in the background, while in another, Jennifer Lopez can be seen crouching down on stage and encouraging guests to sing along with her. Enrique Iglesias performed later in the evening, a little under dressed in comparison to his fellow celebrity performers, wearing a pair of jeans and a baseball cap.

Sting and groom Said have a little heart to heart as Sting clutches a bouquet of freshly cut flowers. Image: _weddingworld via Instagram