In 2011, almost every single magazine on the planet was talking about Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton – a lavish affair that cost somewhere in the ballpark of $40 million. Nearly 2,000 guests gathered at Buckingham Palace to attend the wedding, which was broken down into two days of activities.
On the first day, about 1,900 people filled the abbey to view the actual ceremony. The day after the nuptials, a small percentage of those guests got together for a lunch reception, later that evening there was an additional reception for a different set of guests. Two choirs, an orchestra, and an ensemble were all on hand to keep everyone entertained. There was also $800,000 worth of floral arrangements that made the palace and the abbey even more heavenly than usual.
"Kimye"
In May of 2014, Kim Kardashian tied the knot with her third husband, rapper Kanye West. The stars got married in a luxurious affair in Florence, Italy. While tabloids first reported that the wedding cost less than $3 million, it was later revealed that it actually cost over $10 million.
The event began at the Palace of Versailles in France, where guests enjoyed a lavish feast. Everyone was then flown out to Florence for the ceremony and the reception. As Kim glided down the aisle in her Vera Wang gown, Andrea Bocelli sang a beautiful song. As the two recited their vows, they stood against an incredible floral background, worth over $100,000.
Michael Jordan’s Heavenly Wedding
Basketball legend Michael Jordan tied the knot with beautiful Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto in 2013. The couple’s ceremony was held at the same location where Donald and Melania Trump were married – the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Florida. Plenty of A-list stars were in attendance, like Robin Thicke and Usher, who also both performed during the event. In total, the couple’s big day cost over $10 million, but a large part of the money went towards the lavish reception.
After the ceremony, guests gathered in an enormous tent in Juniper, Florida, that was described as being “heavenly.” Thousands of candles illuminated the party and left the air pleasantly scented as everyone enjoyed a 7-layer rum cake. The couple opted for guests to donate to charity rather than buy them gifts, and they also donated all of their flowers to the Jupiter Medical Center.
George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin
George Clooney was, at one point, the man of every woman’s dreams. But Clooney decided to tie the knot with his lawyer and activist girlfriend, Amal Clooney, in 2014. The couple paid for friends and family to fly out to Venice for the occasion, which cost them over $4.5 million in total.
George and Amal, along with all of the guests, stayed at the Aman Hotel, which cost nearly $5,000 per night for each room. Amal wore a gorgeous dress made by Oscar de la Renta that was worth about $380,000, while Clooney opted for a less expensive Armani tuxedo that he reportedly only spent $5,000 on. The guest list was full of other celebrities, including Bono and Cindy Crawford, whose husband was rumored to have played the role of best man.
Heiress Petra Ecclestone’s Marriage
Petra Ecclestone, daughter of Formula One legend Bernie Ecclestone, got married to businessman James Stunt in an over-the-top celebration in 2011. The ceremony, which included A-list guests like Paris Hilton, took place in the Odescalschi Castle in Rome. Ecclestone paid The Black Eyed Peas $1.5 million to perform at the reception.
DJ David Guetta also performed at the event, pulling in half a million dollars himself. Petra even arrived at the ceremony being driven by ex-race car driver, Jean Alesi.