Quick Links
Around the world, celebrities, royals, and political figures alike are known to have exclusive and ridiculously priced weddings. The occasions appear to be a small percentage of the rich population’s one day to portray how wealthy they truly are. From the cake and decorations to the dress and venue, it seems as if money is carelessly being shelled out.
If you thought your wedding was exorbitant, take a look at this list to find out who had the most over-the-top and expensive weddings of all time.
10. Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes - $3 Million
Dropping millions of dollars on a wedding didn’t mean a thing for these two wealthy actors. The wedding took place in 2006 in a beautiful 15th-century Italian castle. Katie sported not one, but two Giorgio Armani wedding dresses decorated with Swarovski crystals. The entire wedding party also wore the designer’s expensive clothing for the couple’s Italian nuptials.
The guest list included Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith, and also fellow Scientologists Leah Remini and John Travolta. Five years later, Cruise’s and Holmes’ marriage ended in divorce—guess money really can’t buy happiness.
9. Salma Hayek & Francois Henri Pinault - $3.5 Million
Married on Valentine’s Day in 2009, this couple’s relationship is still going strong after more than ten years of marriage. The talented actress and one of the richest men in France had a long guest list that included Anna Wintour, Charlize Theron, singer Bono, Penelope Cruz, and many more.
This wedding proved to be as star-studded as they come. Married in Venice at the La Fenice Theater (the location alone most likely was what made the wedding so pricey), Salma walked down the aisle in an exquisite Balenciaga gown behind the pair’s 19-month old daughter, who was the flower girl.
8. George Clooney & Amal Alamuddin - $4.6 Million
The $4.6 million wedding of the wildly popular actor and the human rights attorney was held in Italy in 2014. Amal’s custom-made Oscar de la Renta gown may have cost a few hundred thousand dollars, but the bulk of the outrageous cost of their wedding was spent on renting out rooms for the A-list guests.
These included John Krasinski, Matt Damon, and Cindy Crawford, just to name a few. The five-star hotel that you can only reach by boat was also where the wedding (officiated by the former mayor of Rome) and reception were held.
7. Chelsea Clinton & Marc Mezvinsky - $5 Million
The former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s daughter and a former U.S. Representative’s son wed in a more private and celebrity-lacking ceremony at a $12 million New York historical estate.
The bride’s Vera Wang dress wowed the 400 friends and family who were in attendance. Each of the couple’s guests received a bottle of wine, various snacks, and a personal note from the bride and groom.
6. Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel - $6.5 Million
When this bride and groom wed in 2012, it had millions of teenage girls fuming. The couple decided to tie the knot in Italy (a popular celebrity wedding location) at the Borgo Egnazia, a centuries-old 63-room castle converted into a hotel.
Only a mere 150 guests attended the event, but the guest list did include hip-hop artist Timbaland, actor and comedian Andy Samberg, and other exclusive celebrities. The cost of tight security, fireworks, and a pink Giambattista Valli wedding gown greatly contributed to the multi-million dollar wedding budget.
5. Wayne Rooney & Coleen McLoughlin - $8 Million
Although the groom would have much rather tied the knot at a quick Vegas wedding, his bride had other costly plans. The Manchester United soccer player and his wife wed at an Italian church in front of only 65 guests, which included family, friends, and half of Rooney’s teammates.
Coleen wore three dresses designed by New York design house Marchesa for her big day. One gown was for the wedding ceremony, one for the religious ceremony, and the final dress for the reception. Each guest was gifted an extravagant set of rosary beads.
4. Michael Jordan & Yvette Prieto - $10 Million
When one of the greatest basketball players of all time married model Yvette Prieto, there was no chance it was going to be cheap. The ceremony was held at a church in Florida near Jordan’s mansion, and the guest list was filled with current and retired NBA players. Yvette’s silk strapless gown was designed by J’Aton Couture and featured Swarovski crystals throughout the dress.
The evening’s “light entertainment” included performances by Robin Thicke and Usher. It seems like celebrity wedding planner Sharon Sacks did everything she could to go above and beyond for the couple’s wedding.
3. Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries - $10 Million
Kim Kardashian’s second marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries ended in divorce after a mere 72 days, but they sure didn’t scrimp on their wedding. Reportedly spending around $10 million total, the black-and-white themed wedding included a high profile guest list including Robin Thicke, Demi Lovato, and Ryan Seacrest, to name only a few.
Kim had not only one custom made Vera Wang dress, but three in total: one for the ceremony and the other two for the reception afterward. The couple didn’t pay a cent for their wedding since they sold video and photo rights of it that covered the cost of everything.
2. Prince William & Kate Middleton - $34 Million
A royal wedding is bound to have a hefty price tag, but we didn’t imagine it to be THIS high. The couple married at Westminster Abbey in front of nearly 2000 guests, not to mention the millions of people watching from their televisions at home and the tens of thousands outside the building hoping to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds.
The ceremony, attended by celebrities like Sir Elton John and Guy Ritchie, featured a $434,000 Alexander McQueen gown and $800,000 worth of flowers. Nothing but the best for the future King of England and his bride.
1. Prince Harry & Meghan Markle - $55 Million
Sitting comfortably at number one is 6th in line to the British throne, Prince Harry, and Canadian Actress Meghan Markle. This wedding cost substantially more than Prince Harry’s older brother’s wedding, who is 2nd in line to the throne. Also viewed by millions of people, the wedding took place at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Although security was the majority of the reason for the wedding’s costly bill, the $430,000 dress and $700,000 worth of food and drinks didn’t help the steep price. The wedding venue and luxury transportation were free of charge for both Harry and Meghan.