Celebrities and Royals have a long tradition of throwing extremely lavish and expensive weddings. We have come to expect these extravagant displays of wealth and glamour, watching keenly for the designs, themes, dress styles and everything else that goes with a marriage celebration. Here are some of the costliest weddings seen in recent times:
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Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes
Whilst no longer a couple, at the time they married in 2006, the nuptials cost the couple a whopping $2.2 million. Katie Holmes is most well-known for her roles in Dawson’s Creek and Batman Begins, while Tom Cruise needs little introduction as the actor from Mission Impossible and Top Gun.
The ceremony took place at Odescalchi Castle near Rome in Italy and included a 5-tier white chocolate cake. The couple spent $900,000 on flying their guests to the wedding, putting them up in top accommodation and spending $180,000 on 300 bottles of wine. Guests included David Beckham, Will Smith and Jennifer Lopez.
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Arun Nayar & Elizabeth Hurley
Costing $2.6 million in 2007, Liz Hurley is a British model and film star while the groom is a senior member of Tyco. The wedding lasted 8 days, taking place at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire and then the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, India. Hundreds of thousands were spent on private jets between the two locations and accommodation, including a $10,000 per night bridal suite in India.
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Paul McCartney & Heather Mills
Married in 2002, when adjusted for inflation, this wedding cost $3.6 million. Mills is a former model and animal rights activist, while Sir Paul requires little introduction. The wedding was styled with an Indian theme taking place at St Salvadors’ Church in Ireland and including dancers, a vegetarian feast, over $100,000 worth of flowers and the same spent on fireworks. The partying took place in a castle as a cost of almost $50,000. While you might not be able to have a wedding on this kind of scale, you can have a wedding fit for royalty at a much better price with Wedding Venues Northamptonshire at https://www.kelmarsh.com/weddings-at-kelmarsh-hall
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David Gest & Liza Minelli
$4.2 million was the final bill for this couples’ nuptial celebrations. Liza Minelli was a star of Broadway and Judy Garland’s daughter, while the late David Gest was a music producer. They married in 2002 and the best man was none other than Michael Jackson, with the maid of honour being Elizabeth Taylor. The entertainment included a 60-piece orchestra and performances by Tony Bennett and Steve Wonder. They spent over half a million on flowers alone.
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Prince William & Kate Middleton
This very regal affair cost in the region of $34 million, mostly on security. The bride is a commoner and Prince William, the oldest son of Prince Charles and second in line to the throne. Almost one million was spent on flowers and $80,000 on the wedding cake for a wedding that featured celebrity and royal guests, as well as a TV audience of many hundreds of millions across the world.
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Prince Charles & Lady Diana Spencer
When adjusted for inflation, this 1981 wedding cost a staggering $110 million. Lady Diana was a beautiful pre-school teacher who married into the royal family to the oldest son of the Queen. The ceremony took place at St Paul’s Cathedral with a TV audience of 750 million people! The bride donned a dress with a 25-foot train, there were 27 wedding cakes and a main cake of 5 feet that took 14 weeks to create.