Hollywood celebs aren’t the only ones who have extravagant weddings. Professional altheletes, musicians, business men and women and Crown Princes also like to show off their dough with lavish nuptials. Here are 27 of some of the world’s most expensive weddings in history. Check out the price tags and you’re guaranteed to feel better about your own wedding expenses!
Seemanto & Chandni AND Sushanto & Richa
(Father of the Grooms is Industrialist Subrata Roy of Sahara.)
(image credit: Wedding Sutra)
(image credit: Wedding Sutra)
Cost: $128 Million, for both weddings.
Wedding Date: February 14, 2004
Location: Lucknow, Sahara India
Number of Guests: 10,000
Highlights: As part of the festivities, more than forty thousand beggars were distributed food across the country. The dinner had 110 types of dishes that included Indian, Mexican, Italian, Mongolian, Lebanese, Chinese and American. 121 musicians from the British Symphony Orchestra preformed over 20 Hindi film and patriotic songs.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum & Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum
(Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum is the Ruler of Dubai.)
(image credit: Wikipedia)
Cost: $44.5 Million, today this wedding would cost $100 Million.
Wedding Date: 1981
Location: Dubai, UAE
Number of Guests: 20,000
Highlights: His family built a stadium big enough to hold 20,000 people for the wedding, which lasted an astounding seven days. A quarter of a century later, it is still listed as the most expensive wedding in the Guinness Book of World Records. Sheikh Mohammed road his horse to every village and fed everyone. The entire city was in celebration for 30 days before the marriage. There hasn’t been an event like it since.
Charity: Sheikh Mohammed gives wherever help is needed. In 2007 he donated $10 Billion to set up an education foundation in the Middle East, saying “There is a wide knowledge gap between us and the developed world in the West and in Asia”. The foundation is meant to improve the standard of education and to stimulate more jobs.
Amit Bhatia & Vanisha Mittal
(Bhatia is the grandson of London socialites, Pasha and Kamal Saigal. Mittal is the daughter of London steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, the fourth wealthiest man in the world.)
(image credit: Forbes)
Cost: $60 Million
Wedding Date: November 18, 2006
Location: Vaux le Vicomte, a 17th-century French chateau
Number of Guests: 1,000
Highlights: This five-day event included numerous Bollywood stars and a Bollywood drama written for the couple. The top chief from Calcutta was flown in to prepare over 100 different dishes. The invitations were sent out in a 20-page silver book.
Charity: The Mittal’s established a $3 Million scholarship program with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. The money will fund 20 three-year scholarships for MBA students from emerging economies, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and South America.
Andrei Melnichenko & Aleksandra Kokotovic
(Melnichenko is best-known for his energy and banking businesses. He is the 17th wealthiest person in the world. Kokotovic is former Miss Yugoslavia.)
(image credit: Uniworld News)
Cost: Undisclosed, over $7 Million
Wedding Date: September 3, 2005
Location: Cote d’Azur, France
Highlights: Christina Aguilera and Whitney Houston were each paid $3.6 million to perform at the wedding.
David Gest & Liza Minnelli
(Gest is an established producer. Minnelli is an Academy Award winning actress, singer and the daughter of actress Judy Garland.)
(image credit: Palermo’s)
Cost: $3.5 Million
Wedding Date: March 16, 2002
Location: Regent Hotel on Wall Street, New York City, New York
Highlights: Backed by a 60-piece orchestra, Tony Bennett entertained VIPs who feasted on a 12-tier wedding cake and received personalized favors encased in satin candy boxes embossed with “Liza and David 4 Ever”. Performers Paula Abdul, Tony Bennett, Bobby Brown, the original Doobie Brothers, Gloria Gaynor, Monica, Donny Osmond, The Pointer Sisters, Paul Shaeffer, Usher, and Dionne Warwick entertained guests.
Charity: Liza has given concerts to help support a few different charities.
Paul McCartney & Heather Mills
(McCartney gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of the Beatles. Mills is an activist and former glamour model.)
(image credit: Palermo’s)
Cost: $3 Million
Wedding Date: June 11, 2002
Location: St. Salvator’s Church , Castle Leslie, Glaslough, Ireland
Number of Guests: 300
Highlights: The couple hosted an Indian themed reception with vegetarian food. The bride’s gown was of her own design, made by London’s famed Eavis & Brown and her bouquet was made of roses which were named after McCartney. After a stunning fireworks display, the couple escaped to a private island in the Seychelles for their honeymoon. (The pair divorced in 2008.)
Charity: Paul and Heather are involved in many charities including, 21st Century Leaders, Adopt-A-Minefield, Keep a Child Alive, Make Poverty History, War Child, and PETA. His latest cause is saving the Kangaroos in Australia. “There is an urgent need for action to protect kangaroos from a barbaric industry which slaughters them for meat and leather…”
Arun Nayar & Elizabeth Hurley
(Nayar is the Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of Software Solutions. Hurley is an English actress and model.)
(image credit: Palermo’s)
Cost: $2.5 Million
Wedding Date: March 3 & 9, 2007
Location: Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire, England and Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, India
Number of Guests: 300
Highlights: Hurley wore a traditional chiffon gown designed by good friend Donatella Versace. A second traditional Hindu ceremony was held in the majestic Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, India where a palace-view suite costs more than $10,000 a night.
Charity: Elizabeth supports the End Hunger Network, Macmillian Cancer Support, and Oxfam. She has also helped cricketer Imran Khan raise funds for his cancer hospital in Pakistan. Estée Lauder created a lipstick named “Elizabeth Pink” after Hurley, guaranteeing that proceeds from its sales will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Hurley has taken a very active role in breast cancer charity saying, “We are looking to develop some swimsuits for women who have had mastectomies; I’m hoping to have them ready by next year.”
Jordan Bratman & Christina Aguilera
(Bratman is a music producer. Aguilera is a famous pop singer.)
(image credit: Palermo’s)
Cost: $2 Million
Wedding Date: November 19, 2005
Location: Family Vineyard, Napa Valley, California
Number of Guests: 150
Highlights: The wedding was winter-themed with white roses, silver drapery and dangling crystals. The couple stayed in a cottage at the Auberge du Soleil resort for $3,500 a night.
Charity: Christina supports numerous charities such as Declare Yourself, Kerry Women Together, and 1736 Family Crisis Center. She also recorded a John Lennon song to raise funds for Amnesty International.
Larry Fortensky & Elizabeth Taylor
(Fortensky was a trucker prior to this marriage. Taylor is an Academy Award winning actress.)
(image credit: Palermo’s)
Cost: $2 Million
Wedding Date: October 6, 1991
Location: Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, Santa Barbara, California
Number of Guests: 150
Highlights: Liza Minnelli, Eddie Murphy and former First Lady Nancy Reagan were among the guests. All the guests had to strain to hear the nuptials because of the noise created by the paparazzi helicopters swarming overhead. This was her 8th marriage and 7th husband. She married Richard Burton two times.
Charity: Elizabeth once said that she would like to be remembered for her work in the fight against AIDS. She is a supporter of the American Foundation for AIDS Research, New Orleans AIDS Task Force, Project Angel Food, and founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes
(Cruise is an actor and Academy Award nominee. Holmes is an actress best known for her role on Dawson’s Creek.)
(image credit: Daily News)
Cost: $2 Million
Wedding Date: November 18, 2006
Location: Odescalchi Castle, Lake Bracccian, Italy
Number of Guests: 500
Highlights: The Scientology service was attended by many well known celebrities including Brooke Shields, Will Smith and David & Victoria Beckham. Famed opera singer Andre Botticelli serenaded the happy couple. Georgio Armani designed the dress and arranged the ceremony.
Charity: Tom took part in the charity telethon for victims of 9/11 called ‘America: A Tribute to Heroes’. He is also a supporter of a handful of charities and has been honored for his March 2007 action at a charity Gala by Mentor LA.
Peter Andre & Katie (Jordan) Price
(Andre is a British pop-singer, songwriter and television personality. Price is an English model and television personality.)
(image credit: The Date Report)
Cost: $1.8 Million
Wedding Date: September 25, 2005
Location: Highclere Castle, Berkshire, England
Number of Guests: 350
Highlights: They were dubbed the Most Annoying Couple of 2006 by BBC Three. For this extravagant wedding, everything was pink, from a pink horse drawn carriage to opera singing waiters.
Charity: Peter has been made an ambassador for the NSPCC children’s charity. Talking about NSPCC Peter said, “All children should have the same opportunities in life that I want for my kids, including a loving childhood and a future to look forward to. Sadly though, far too many children in the UK have their young lives torn apart by abuse and cruelty.” In 2005, Andre and Katie created an album of duets entitled A Whole New World, all proceeds went to combination of five different charities.
Elton John & David Furnish
(John is a famous pop and rock singer and composer. Furnish is a Canadian filmmaker.)
(image credit: Celeb Bistro)
Cost: $1.5 Million
Wedding Date: December 21, 2005
Location: 17th century Guildhall, Windsor, England
Number of Guests: over 600
Highlights: Pop legend Elton John wed filmmaker David Furnish in the first week that Britain legalized civil unions. The pair exchanged vows and diamond wedding bands at Windsor’s Guildhall, where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles married eight months earlier. Hundreds of onlookers and paparazzi crowded outside during the ceremony. Over 600 guests arrived at John’s Windsor country mansion for the reception, which featured two massive heated tents. Guests drank vintage pink champagne and listened to John serenade Furnish with “Your Song.”
Charity: Elton supports numerous foundations such as, Breast Cancer Research, HELP USA, Kids and RADD. He also started the Elton John AIDS Foundation and raised $5.1 million.
Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones
(Douglas is an actor and producer. Zeta-Jones is an Academy Award winning actress.)
(image credit: The Telegraph)
Cost: $1.5 Million
Wedding Date: November 18, 2000
Location: The Plaza Hotel, New York City, New York
Number of Guests: 250
Highlights: To prevent wedding crashers, the 250 guests, including Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine, were required to present their hologram-embedded invitations for entrance. Zeta-Jones wore a Christian Lacroix gown with antique Chantilly lace, accessorized with a tiara. Entertainment included Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall and Grammy winner Bonnie Tyler.
Charity: Michael and Catherine are supporters of Robin Hood, Peace One Day, Longfields Day Centre, and Global Missing Children’s Network. Catherine is also the ambassador of the UK’s National Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Michael has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 1998. He recently helped bring attention to the plight of children soldiers by hosting a documentary filmed in Sierra Leone titled, “What’s Going On?”
Eddie Murphy & Nicole Mitchell
(Murphy is an actor and comedian.)
(image credit: Famous Celebrity Weddings)
Cost: $1.5 Million
Wedding Date: March 18, 1993
Location: The Plaza Hotel, New York City, New York
Number of Guests: 500
Highlights: The Plaza’s Grand Ballroom was re-carpeted in white and filled with flowers for the ceremony. The bride wore an off-the-shoulder white gown with French lace, replete with a 12-foot-long train. Guests dined in the Palm Court before moving back to the Grand Ballroom, which had been converted to a disco. Murphy donated the wedding flowers to a local hospital after the wedding. (The pair divorced in 2006.)
Charity: Eddie started the Yeah! Foundation a combination of many different charities. Explaining why he started the foundation Eddie said, “I used to give money to so many different charities. You write this big check and don’t know where your money is going. I was like, let me start my own thing.” The foundation helps a variety of causes including helping the homeless and scholarships for schools.
Guy Ritchie & Madonna
(Ritchie is a film director and producer. Madonna is a singer, songwriter and actress.)
(image credit: Glamour)
Cost: $1.5 Million
Wedding Date: December 22, 2000
Location: Skibo Castle, Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland
Highlights: Guests included Gwyneth Paltrow, Rupert Everett, Sting and Trudie Styler. Madonna wore a strapless cream silk gown by Stella McCartney, accessorized with a 1910 diamond tiara once worn by Princess Grace of Monaco. Ritchie wore a kilt, as did baby Rocco. Madonna’s daughter Lourdes led the procession in bare feet. Guests danced the night away in a “basement” that was converted into a disco.
Charity: Madonna is a supporter of Afghanistan Relief Organization, Live Earth, Children in Need, and Millennium Promise Alliance, among others. She is a member of Raising Malawi’s Advisory Committee, and is in charge of the Raising Malawi Consol Homes Orphan Care Center.
Pierce Brosnan & Keely Shaye Smith
(Brosnan is an actor and film producer. Smith is a TV personality and journalist.)
Cost: $1.5 Million
Wedding Date: August 4, 2001
Location: Ashford Castle, outside of Cong on Lough Corrin, Ireland
Number of Guests: 120
Highlights: The reception was held at Ashford Castle, set on the island-dotted shore of Ireland’s largest lake. Guests feasted on a six-tier carrot wedding cake modeled after the cake served at the wedding of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Onassis. Rumor has it that Smith commissioned an ice sculpture of Rodin’s “The Kiss” as a gift for her husband. A fireworks display topped off the evening.
Charity: The couple donated a large portion of the proceeds from their wedding coverage to help fund a Tibetan school. They also donated $100,000 to replace playground equipment at a school near their home. Over the years they have supported more than 20 charities.
Tiger Woods & Elin Nordegren
(Woods is one of the most successful professional golfers of all time. Nordegren is a former model.)
Cost: $1.5 Million
Wedding Date: October 5, 2004
Location: The island of Barbados
Number of Guests: 120
Highlights: Woods rented the entire Sandy Lane hotel and the island’s sole helicopter charter company to ensure privacy. About 120 guests, including basketball stars Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, watched as the couple exchanged vows in a white pagoda decorated with roses. The reception featured entertainment by Hootie and the Blowfish. The evening ended with a massive fireworks display. The couple spent their first night as husband and wife on Woods’ yacht.
Charity: Tiger has started two charities: the Tiger Woods Foundation and the Tiger woods Learning Center. The Foundation has helped 3 Million kids achieve their dreams. The Center helps students by providing courses that support what they are learning in school.
Bill Gates & Melinda French
(Gates is one of the world’s wealthiest men and chairman of Microsoft. French is an executive at Microsoft.)
Cost: $1 Million
Wedding Date: January 1, 1994
Location: Hawaiian island of Lanai
Number of Guests: 130
Highlights: Gates rented out all the hotel rooms on the island and all of the privately chartered helicopters on the island to insure privacy for the 15 minute ceremony. Warren Buffet and other of America’s wealthiest personalities attended the wedding.
Charity: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest charitable foundation in the world. It is fully funded by Bill and Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett. The primary aims of the foundation are to globally enhance healthcare, reduce poverty, and in the U.S, to expand educational opportunities. The Global Health Program gives $800 million every year, almost equal to the budget of the United Nations’ World Health Organizations.
Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston
(Both Brad and Jennifer are famous actors that have been on People’s Most Beautiful People list. )
Cost: $1 Million
Wedding Date: July 29, 2000
Location: Producer Marcy Carsey’s mansion, Malibu, California
Number of Guests: 200
Highlights: Aniston wore a Lawrence Steele floor-length white gown with suede Manolo Blahnik sandals. Over 50,000 flowers created a “Zen garden look,” while candles illuminated the reception tent. The night ended with a fireworks display. (The pair divorced in 2005.)
Charity: Brad supports a long list of charities such as Cure Autism Now, Ante Up For Africa, and Live 8. He is also a jury chairman for Global Green’s sustainable design competition. Jennifer also supports a number of charities such as Clothes Off Our Back, GLAAD, and Habitat For Humanity.
Donald Trump & Melania Knauss
(Trump is one of the richest men in the world. He is most recently known as the host of ‘The Apprentice’. Knauss is an established model.)
Cost: $1 Million
Wedding Date: January 22, 2005
Location: Bethesda-by-the-Sea Church, Palm Beach, Florida
Number of Guests: 400
Highlights: Knauss wore a strapless Christian Dior gown made from 300 feet of satin beaded with 1,500 crystals, punctuated by a 13-foot train, which weighed an estimated 50 pounds. The reception, held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, included guests Rudy Giuliani, Barbara Walters and Regis Philbin. Celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten catered the affair. A 36-piece orchestra provided the music.
Charity: Donald is a supporter of the David Foster Foundation, Jimmy Fund, and Pediatric Epilepsy Project to name a few. Donald, along with many other celebrities, signed wooden dog bones for a charity auction benefiting the Mississippi Animal Rescue League.
Charlie Shanian & Tori Spelling
(Shanian is a writer and actor. Spelling is an actress and daughter of famed TV producer Aaron Spelling.)
Cost: $1 Million
Wedding Date: July 3, 2004
Location: The Spelling Estate, Holmby Hills, California
Number of Guests: 400
Highlights: Spelling wore a Badgley Mischka crystal beaded gown accessorized with a veil and a diamond and platinum flower headband inspired by 1920s flapper fashions, in keeping with the wedding’s “Great Gatsby” theme. Among the guests were Spelling’s former “Beverly Hills 90210” castmates Jason Priestley and Jennie Garth, as well as her dad’s pals Jackie Collins, Bob Newhart and Ed McMahon. Pianist and singer, Michael Feinstein performed for the guests, who dined on a Wolfgang Puck catered dinner. (The pair divorced in 2006.)
Charity: Tori made a YouTube video supporting Much Love, a no-kill organization dedicated to reducing overpopulation, abuse and neglect of domestic animals.
David Beckham & Victoria Adams
(Beckham is a famous soccer player. Adams is a member of the pop band the Spice Girls.)
Cost: $800,000
Wedding Date: July 4, 1999
Location: Luttrellstown Castle, near Dublin, Ireland
Number of Guests: 250
Highlights: The duo appeared as king and queen of the evening and sat on gilded red velvet thrones. Victoria, “Posh Spice” wore a tight-fitting silk ivory gown with a 20-foot train, accessorized with a gold diamond-encrusted crown. The 250 guests, instructed to wear black or white, were greeted by trumpeters and entertained by Elton John. The evening came to an end with a fireworks display.
Charity: David is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and supporter of Unite Against AIDS Campaign. In 2007 he visited Sierra Leone and was quoted saying: “Saving these children’s lives is a top priority for UNICEF and as an ambassador I hope I can help to draw attention to this issue across the world.”
Dario Franchitti & Ashley Judd
(Dario is an accomplished race-car driver. Ashley is an actress.)
Cost: $750,000
Wedding Date: December 12, 2001
Location: Skibo Castle, Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland
Number of Guests: 100
Highlights: Judd wore an open-back satin empire waist gown by Armani with a full-length beaded lace coat, while Franchitti donned a kilt. The 100 guests included actors Salma Hayek and Ed Norton, as well as several Formula One race car drivers. Guests partied outside under a giant tent.
Charity: Ashley designed a charity clothing line that benefits education charities across America. She hopes to give away half a million dollars to charities in the first year of sales. She also supports Jeans for Genes, YouthAIDS, Listen Campaign, and SixDegrees.
Marc Anthony & Dayanara Torres
(Marc is a singer and songwriter. Dayanara is a former Miss Universe.)
Cost: $500,000
Wedding Date: December 7, 2002
Location: San Juan Cathedral, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Number of Guests: 200
Highlights: The Latin crooner and former Miss Universe married in May 2000 in a secret ceremony. The couple renewed their vows in December 2002 in Puerto Rico with a larger extravaganza. Throngs gathered outside the San Juan Cathedral, where Torres arrived wearing a crystal and pearl-embroidered satin dress by Reem Acra. The 200 guests, including Lance Bass from N’Sync, walked along cobblestone streets to a nearby historic military barracks which had been converted to a reception space. (The pair divorced in 2004.)
Charity: Marc is a supporter of ALAS, Los Angeles Free Clinic, RADD, and the HollyRod Foundation. During the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe he and Jennifer Lopez (his current wife) made a large donation the Children’s Health Fund and encouraged their fans to give as well.
Tommy Mottola & Mariah Carey
(Tommy is a music executive. Mariah is a recording artist.)
Cost: $500,000
Wedding Date: June 5, 1993
Location: St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York City, New York
Number of Guests: 300
Highlights: Carey wore an off-the-shoulder Vera Wang pale ivory dress with a 27-foot-long train and a Princess Diana-style tiara which was trailed by an English tulle veil sprinkled with rhinestones. Fifty flower girls flanked the bride. The wedding party and 300 guests then headed for a lavish reception at the Metropolitan Club. Guests included Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand and Robert De Niro. (The couple divorced in 1998.)
Charity: Mariah was awarded the Make-a-Wish Foundation’s Wish Idol for her “extraordinary generosity and her many wish granting achievements” in 2006. Mariah also has a wonderful history of charity performances such as, Save The Music Foundation and Live 8.
Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman
(Keith is a country singer and songwriter. Nicole is an Academy Award winning actress.)
Cost: $250,000
Wedding Date: June 25, 2006
Location: Cardinal Cerretti Chapel at St. Patrick’s Seminary, Sydney, Australia
Number of Guests: 230
Highlights: In lieu of gifts, guests were asked to donate to the Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Charity: Nicole has been a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 1994. She’s been quoted saying, “I find trying to solve problems and save lives is far more important than a film career.” She is a supporter of numerous other charities also.
Alessandro Gancia & Delphine Arnault
(Alessandro is the heir to Gancia, an Italian dynasty of wines. Delphine is the daughter of Bernard Arnault, Chairman of Louis Vuitton and is one of the wealthiest women in the world.)
Cost: Undisclosed (Arnault is worth $26 billion)
Wedding Date: September 25, 2005
Location: Chateau d’Yquem, Bordeaux, France
Number of Guests: 600
Highlights: The wedding showcased 5,000 white roses entwined around gothic pillars, a Moscow choir, and a 20-foot veil. France’s First Lady Chirac attended the event.
Charity: Delphine and Alessandro have attended numerous charity events where they have contributed large amounts to help the cause.
Donald Trump Jr. & Vanessa Haydon
(Donald is the son of Donald Trump Sr., one of the wealthiest men in the world. Vanessa is a former model.)
Cost: Undisclosed
Wedding Date: November 12, 2005
Location: Mar-a-Lago Estate, Palm Beach, FL
Number of Guests: 370
Highlights: A year and a day after Trump Jr. proposed to Vanessa in the middle of the jewelry store, “Bailey Banks & Biddle” with a 4-carat platinum engagement ring, the couple were united by the groom’s aunt, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry. The wedding took place at his father’s Mar-a-Lago estate which boasts a $45 million grand ballroom. Befitting a member of American royalty, Vanessa donned a pearl and diamond studded tiara. The newlyweds honeymooned in Fiji and Mexico.
Charity: Donald and Vanessa serve as Ambassadors for Operation Smile, a worldwide children’s medical charity that repairs facial deformities while building partnerships that advocate sustainable healthcare systems. The couple recently hosted a celebrity cocktail reception for the launch of Operation Smile Miami this year.