The world’s most expensive weddings
Have you been thinking that maybe your wedding budget is getting a little out of hand? Is your fiancé watching you purchase a second (or third) reception dress? Well, your budget is just a drop in the ocean when compared to the world’s most expensive weddings.
From the most opulent and lavish to guest performances by the likes of JLo and Justin Bieber, these aren’t just weddings, they’re festivals!
Although some of these couples might be familiar faces, others are the lesser known sons and daughters of (let’s face it, mostly oil) tycoons.
None of these weddings happened on local soil, but we can still be curious about just how do you spend this eye-watering amount of money?
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Most expensive weddings include Kim Kardashian on the guest list (and as a bride!) Source: Bollywood Shaadis.
The Royal Family
It’s no surprise that each of the lavish Royal Family weddings came in at great expense. While rumoured that a lot of this money is taken by hiring the top security that the world can offer to keep the newly appointed royals safe, there is also an air of opulence when it comes to aristocratic events.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana
Coming in at number one was the doomed relationship of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, who wed in 1981. A staggering $48 million (adjusted for inflation), this wedding was the largest of its kind when over 750 million people tuned in to watch Diana become Princess of Wales.
It’s Diana’s, let’s say icon of the 80s dress, that remains one of the most famous wedding gowns in the world. Designed by the then-husband-and-wife team of David and Elizabeth Emanuel, the voluminous style exemplified the romantic, elaborate fashions of the decade.
Although the pair didn’t make it, their two sons have also upped the game when it comes to budget blowout weddings.
Prince Harry and Megan Markle
Although he’s referred to as ‘Prince’ here, the rather complicated relationship of Harry and his royal title is something there isn’t enough time in the world to tackle, so let’s start with what was at the time a royal wedding.
The couple, who wed in 2018, said that the majority of the cost was for security. The rest? Well, it wasn’t like they cut corners to cover those costs – the wedding at Windsor Castle, Meghan’s custom Givenchy gown, flowers, and the ceremony being globally broadcast? The Suits tar and her royal suitor’s extravagant celebration wasn’t cheap, coming in at $45 million.
Prince William and Princess Kate
Positively cheap compared to his father and brother, Prince William’s 2011 vows to Kate Middleton cost $34 million. Another royal affair that cost a truck-load in security detailing, the rest of the cost went towards the wedding at iconic venue Westminster Abbey, not one but two receptions, a wedding cake with 900 sugar flowers and Kate’s Alexander McQueen dress at an eye-watering $400,000.
With guest lists like theirs, can we blame them?
An absolute emblem of the 80s – Princess Diana’s wedding dress. Source: BBC.
Celebrity weddings
Although not with quite the class and traditional ‘high society’ vibes as literal royalty, celebrity weddings definitely don’t come cheap. And none more so than Kim Kardashian’s third wedding to controversial rapper Kanye West.
Kim and Kanye
It was a European affair that saw reality TV royalty wed her rapper beau Kanye West for $10 million in 2011. The celebrity spectacle started in Paris and continued in Florence, Italy. With couture outfits, a rented Versailles palace for pre-wedding events, and a massive guest list, it was peak Hollywood-meets-high fashion.
Liza Minnelli and David Gest
Although coming in at a positively affordable (compared to the rest of the list) $3.5 million this wedding had to make the list because the 2002 celebration had the most star-studded line up, with Michael Jackson serving as best man and Elizabeth Taylor as maid of honour. The 800-strong guest list was a who’s who of the A Listers of the time.
Angelababy and Huang Xiaoming
These two Chinese megastar actors through a bash that came in at a staggering $31 million. The 2000 guests were given ‘goodie bags’ (I guess a levelled up bomboniere?) which included brand new phones for everyone.
The bride’s dress was custom Christian Dior and was finished with 100 roses made from Chantilly lace, and the cake? A very subtle 10-foot-tall, in the shape of a carousel. Although the marriage didn’t make it, this wedding is one for the books.
A totally normal 10-foot-tall cake complete with a carousel, because why not? Source: Forbes.
The heirs and heiresses
Vanisha Mittal and Amit Bhatia
It’s a wedding fit for Marie Antoinette herself, as Indian heiress Vanisha Mittal wed her philanthropist beau Amit Bhatia in 2004. The lavish wedding took place at Louis’ Palace of Versailles, and was treated to the vocals of none other than Kylie Minogue. The guests were invited via a 20-page silver invitation (who knows what was said on that!). And the wine alone cost well over $1 million. This $70-78 million affair was touted as the most expensive of the time, but has since been trumped.
Khadija Uzhakhova and Said Gutseriev
In 2016, the son of a Russian oil tycoon Said Gutseriev wed his dentistry student bride Khadija Uzhakhova in a truly indescribable $1 billion wedding. Still shrouded in secrecy, what we do know about the 600-strong guest list wedding is that the bride’s Elie Saab gown weighed in at a cool 11kg (how many Pilates classes do you have to attend to wear that for a day?) and included entertainment from Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias and Sting – a lineup fit for a 2002 wedding.
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant
It was the wedding that made headlines around in the world in 2024. The son of Indian billionaire Nita Ambani, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding was a 7-month long celebration (!), that included an engagement ceremony, a week-long engagement party, an 800-person Mediterranean cruise, a sangeet and a three-day wedding festival – and who has the time!? It came in at a staggering $600 million.
The couple famously brought Rhianna out of her 8-year long hiatus to perform alongside Justin Bieber and Katy Perry, and the guest list included the Kardashians, Bill Gates, John Cena, David Beckham and Adele.
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