A wedding needs nothing but love. In recent years, few wealthy families set the trend to spend millions of dollars and host an unprecedented wedding. Let’s take a look at the countdown to “The Most Expensive Weddings Ever.”
Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortnesky
The bride was a British-American actress who won the Academy Awards for Best Actress for Butterfield 8. The groom was a construction worker. The couple met during their stay at Betty Ford Center, a recovery hospital in California.
Organized on October 6, 1991 at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, California, this wedding had a budget of about $ 3.8 million. Taylor’s $ 25,000 pale yellow wedding dress was a gift from Valentino, an Italian fashion designer. This high-profile event was attended by stars like Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Eddie Murphy, Nancy Regan, and many other prominent figures. In this of the most expensive weddings in history, Michael Jackson himself accompanied the bride.
Liza Minnelli and David Gest
Liza Minnelli, a famous American actress and singer, married David Gest, an American concert promoter and media personality on March 16, 2002 at the Regent Hotel in New York with 850 of her closest superstar friends.
Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor were the best man and matron of honor. The entertainment was extravagant with the presence of Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole and an orchestra of 60 musicians. The couple spent around $ 4.3 million on their wedding, which includes $ 40,000 on cake and $ 700,000 on flowers.
Chelsea Clinton and Mark Mezvinsky
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US President Bill Clinton, first met Mark Mezvinsky, an investment banker at the Renaissance Weekend retreat on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. This couple has been on an affair since 2005 and got married on July 31, 2010.
Initially, the couple did not reveal their wedding location. Later, reporters discovered that the wedding was about to take place in a small town in Rhinebeck, 100 miles north of New York City. Oprah Winfrey, an American actress and talk show host, hosted the wedding. Vera Wang, a famous American fashion designer, designed the attractive Chelsea wedding dress. Priced at $ 4.8 million, this wedding is undoubtedly one of the most expensive in history.
Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLoughlin
Wayne Rooney, an English footballer who plays for Manchester United FC, married his longtime girlfriend Coleen McLoughlin, a television host on June 12, 2008.
The couple got engaged in front of 65 special guests in Riviera, Italy. Organized in a 17th century villa in Italy, this wedding also included a masked ball event on a $ 120 million yacht. Rooney wanted to have an unnoticed wedding. It was his wife’s idea to have a great show. Rooney spent a total of $ 7.7 million creating one of the most expensive weddings in history.
Andrey Melnichenko and Aleksandra Kokotovich
Andrey Melinchenko is a Russian businessman and billionaire. She was ranked 56th on the “Forbes World Billionaires List” in 2013. Aleksandra Kokotovich is a former Serbian fashion model and pop singer.
The wedding took place on September 3, 2005 on the French Riviera in France. Pop icons Christina Aguilera and Whitney Houston entertained 600 guests, charging $ 3 million per concert. Andrey and Aleksandra spent $ 29 million on their wedding, making it one of the most luxurious in history.
Prince William and Kate Middleton
Prince William met Kate Middleton in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews and began dating in early 2002. When Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, announced that he would marry his longtime girlfriend, Kate on April 29 2011 at Westminster Abbey, the whole world was eager to see the royal wedding.
The wedding exceeded the expectations of the world. More than 300 million people watched the actual event live. The couple spent $ 800,000 on flowers and $ 80,000 on the cake. With a total spend of $ 33 million, this royal wedding is on our list of most expensive weddings.
Amit Bhatia and Vanisha Mittal
Amit Bhatia is a British-Indian businessman and philanthropist, while Vanisha is the only daughter of steel magnate Laxmi Mittal.
When their wedding was decided on November 18, 2005, 1,000 guests received a 20-page silver invitation card. The guests, who stayed in 5-star hotels, enjoyed a performance by Kylie Minogue and a grand fireworks display during the wedding. The six-day extravaganza held at the Palace of Versailles, a 16th-century chateau and a temporary wooden castle in France was priced at $ 58 million.
Prince Charles and Lady Diana
Prince Charles is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II. He married Diana Spence on July 29, 1981. More than 750 television audiences around the world watched the remarkable royal wedding.
Before organizing the wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral Church, London, the royal family hosted a pre-wedding party at a cost of $ 100,000. 3,500 guests, which included royal families and great leaders from around the world, attended the wedding. The security expense was $ 600,000. The engagement ring was a sapphire and diamond ring worth $ 60,000. A five-foot-tall cake that cost $ 40,000 was also a huge attraction. The total cost of this royal wedding reached 115 million dollars.
Sheemanto Roy and Chandini Toor & Sushanto Roy and Richa Roy
The bride and groom are the son of Indian industrialist Subrata Roy, who has a property of more than $ 5 billion. Celebrated on February 10, 2004, this double wedding was one of the most sensational in history.
The 11,000 guests at this wedding enjoyed 110 different types of dishes, including Indian, Italian, Mongolian, Lebanese and Chinese. Run by chef Hemant Oberoi and his group from the Taj hotel group, this kitchen was as remarkable as the wedding. The British Symphony Orchestra entertained guests by playing over 20 Indian songs. Bollywood icon director Rajkumar Santoshi filmed the event. This wedding extravaganza was worth $ 123 million.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, also known as Sheikh Mohammed, is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates. He married Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum in 1979.
With highly advanced arrangements, this wedding was more like a national festival than just a wedding. The sheikh ordered the construction of a large stadium with a capacity for 20,000 spectators. This wedding featured camel rides, horse racing and acrobatic display by the Dubai Air Force. He rode his horse to all the towns of Dubai and fed them all. One of the most expensive weddings in history, this wedding had a bill of $ 137 million.
