The Top 15 Most Expensive Celebrity Weddings Ever

Updated on August 13, 2022 12:13 PM by Ava Sara

In terms of your wedding day, everything is up for grabs if you're a celebrity. Lily Allen and David Harbour come to mind as exceptions to this trend who prefer to keep things low-key while other A-listers go all out. Typically, this entails extravagant costs for security to fend off paparazzi, destination weddings, bridal dresses costing six figures, and a host of other costly extras. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event after all—for some, at least.

The average price of a wedding in the US has recently increased dramatically to $38,000, surpassing some people's annual income. Take a look at some of the most costly weddings ever, and maybe you'll get some ideas for your own special day.

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra

In 2018, the wedding of Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra cost between $584,000 and $800,000.2018 saw various wedding celebrations for Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, including three conventional Indian ceremonies and a conventional Christian wedding.

The pre-wedding festivities themselves are expected to cost $61,000. According to the Times of India, their actual wedding location, the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, costs $60,000 per night. According to E! News, the total cost of the wedding was close to $800,000. It is estimated to be worth roughly $584,000 by Brides and Refinery29.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon had two vow renewal ceremonies during the course of their five-year union. One of those moments was a spectacular Disneyland celebration. Following the park's closure, the idyllic wedding reportedly cost $180,000. 2014 saw the couple's divorce petition.

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston

The stunning Malibu wedding, complete with a gospel choir, four bands, fireworks, and reportedly 50,000 flowers, was estimated to cost $1 million, according to an article. The couple may have tried to keep the intimate details of their ceremony a secret. Later, in 2005, they broke up.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner

2009 saw Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's 500-person fantasy wedding, which cost at least $1 million. According to the New York Times, Ivanka Trump wed her fiancé, a real estate mogul, in a custom Vera Wang gown that was modeled by Grace Kelly's well-known bridal gown.

That alone cost $50,000, but according to Brides Magazine, other expenses included a 13-layer Sylvia Weinstock cake, event planning by Preston Bailey, and diamond-studded characteristic Ivanka Trump earrings, a necklace, and a hairpiece. The unknown is the precise amount spent on their wedding, but estimates place it at least $1 million.

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West

Kimye wed at the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy, which can be rented for at least €300,000 (or more than $368,000 at the current exchange rate). The pair exchanged vows in private following a week of festivities in Paris with friends and family and a performance by Andrea Bocelli.

Kim spent over $110,000 on food, $136,000 on flowers, and $500,000 on her Givenchy Haute Couture dress to create the fairytale wedding of her dreams. Without factoring in their time in Paris, E! Online estimates that their wedding cost $2.8 million.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

In 2006, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes exchanged vows for an estimated $3 million. Katie wore a $50,000 ivory wedding gown by Giorgio Armani embellished with Valenciennes lace for the conventional Scientology ceremony, while Tom wore a specially made blue suit by the same designer.

The wedding ceremony and reception were held at the Odescalchi Castle in Italy, where guests ate risotto, sea bass, and artichokes and drank champagne and approximately 300 bottles of red Barbaresco wine, for a combined cost of probably close to $18,000. Even the bride and groom, who spent an estimated $3 million on their wedding, partied until 3:30 in the morning as the night came to a close with an extravagant firework display. Five years later, the couple decided to call it quits, and separated.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie

In 2000, Madonna and Guy Ritchie spent $2.1 million on their wedding. Although the couple divorced in 2008, the wedding will live on in history. The pop star reportedly paid $80,000 on her Stella McCartney gown and further funds were used to reserve an entire Scottish castle for their wedding ceremony and reception.

According to the Mirror, the event was expected to cost the couple £1.5 million, or $2.1 million.

Amal Alamuddin Clooney and George Clooney

2014 saw George Clooney tie the knot with barrister Amal Alamuddin in a lavish $4.6 million ceremony. While Amal dazzled in a custom Oscar de la Renta wedding gown with French lace, hand embroidery, pearls, and diamanté accents, George looked dapper in a Giorgio Armani suit. The newlyweds and their close to 100 guests celebrated nonstop for three days in Venice while lodging in suites at the $3 million Cipriani hotel.

According to E! News, they exchanged vows in a religious ceremony and reception that cost a total of $600,000, including $300,000 for tables and setup, $250,000 for flowers by Munaretto, $30,000 for a five-course meal, and $160,000 for the best champagne, vodka, and tequila they brought.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel

In 2012, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel exchanged vows in an expensive private Italian ceremony. Justin sang while dressed in his favorite Tom Ford suit, while Jessica walked down the aisle in a Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown. For a week-long celebration at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia, the couple invited 100 friends, which undoubtedly contributed to the increase in their bill. In addition to planned events leading up to the wedding and fireworks, the rumored $6.5 million party apparently included other elements.

Prince William and Kate Middleton

In 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton exchanged $34 million in marriage vows. According to ABC News, it was estimated that the couple spent $33 million on security alone. About $800,000 was spent on their two receptions. They also went all out, spending an additional $80,000 on a classic white buttercream wedding cake and a chocolate cookie groom's cake.

Fortunately, they were able to exchange vows for free in Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace served as the site of their reception at no additional cost.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

The estimated $45.8 million price tag for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding in 2018 Similar to Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal wedding, security cost the most, estimated at $43 million for snipers, undercover cops, military equipment, and security drones. Other extravagant expenses included spending $686,000 on lunch and dinner banquets as well as $71,600 on a lemon elderflower cake made by pastry chef Claire Ptak.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana

In 1981, Prince Charles and Princess Diana got married. Today, the cost of their "wedding of the century" would be $110 million. This royal wedding would have cost roughly $110 million now due to inflation.

Similar to Kate and William, they spent the majority of their budget on security for the festivities, but a sizeable portion of it was also allocated to her dress, which had a 25-foot train and was adorned with 10,000 pearls, and the 225-pound, 5-foot-tall cake.

David and Victoria Beckham

The $800,000 wedding of David and Victoria Beckham in 1999 would cost more than $1 million now. In front of 250 guests, the power couple got married at Luttrellstown Castle in Dublin. The starting price for the wedding package at the castle is $135 per person, making the minimum projected venue cost $33,750. The cost of a night in the castle is also $7,500.

Posh Spice lived well to her moniker; her 20-foot-long Vera Wang gown reportedly cost $100,000.In July, they commemorated their 21st wedding anniversary.

Sir Elton John and David Furnish

In 2014, Sir Elton John and David Furnish exchanged vows in a $1.5 million ceremony. There were 600 attendees at the celebrity-studded celebration, including members of the Beckham family, Donatella Versace, Claudia Schiffer, and Sharon Stone. In heated tents at the couple's Windsor mansion, they partied all night long. They saved money on the location, but the night's caviar and pink champagne set them back an incredible $130,000. Both of them wore custom outfits.

Elton posted Instagram after Instagram after Instagram all night long, providing followers with an inside peek at their opulent wedding and reception. According to Forbes, the couple spent between $1.5 million and $2 million on their wedding.

Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky

Elizabeth Taylor spent $1.5 million on her eighth marriage to Larry Fortensky, making no financial concessions. In the Santa Ynez Valley of California, Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch hosted Elizabeth Taylor's eighth and final nuptials. According to People, Jackson paid the majority of the $1.5 million cost.

The woman married Larry Fortensky, a construction worker 20 years her junior, in a $25,000 yellow gown. The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation was founded using the $1 million proceeds from the sale of Taylor's wedding images to People magazine, according to the New York Daily News.1996, five years later, saw their divorce.

Conclusion

It should come as no surprise that weddings are expensive endeavors. Couples frequently overspend significantly on their special day because of the intense pressure to plan every last detail to perfection. This is especially true when it comes to weddings of famous people. Celebrities lavishly spent money on the ideal dress, venue, flowers, decorations, and whatever else that could be imagined to wow the millions of viewers because they had no actual financial concerns and were the center of attention.