Worried about the cost of your wedding? We conducted a survey earlier this year to find out the average cost of an Australian wedding and while it had people talking, it’s nothing compared to this list.
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Of course, celebrities, royals, and the just plain rich exist in an entirely different world to us mere mortals, so we really shouldn’t be too shocked by how much they’ve spent on their weddings.
Prepare yourselves, it’s a wild ride.
1. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston – $1 Million
It’s hard to believe that Brad and Jen – the late 90s/early 00s power couple – got married 18 years ago. It’s even crazier to think that the couple dropped a massive $1 million on their July 2000 wedding – a number which was usually reserved for royalty (the monarch kind, not the Hollywood kind). If you’re wondering what would rack up such costs at the turn of the century: they spent $100,000 on security, chose a multi-million-dollar Malibu estate as their venue, spent $75,000 on a ‘zen garden’ featuring over 50,000 flowers, and $20,000 on fireworks, just to list a few. Meanwhile, Jen wore a Lawrence Steele gown while Brad chose a Hedi Slimane-designed suit (and Prada for his groomsmen).
Getty Images
2. Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky – $1.5 Million
Elizabeth Taylor married her seventh husband*, Larry Fortensky, back in 1991, so you can imagine how much of a big deal it was that the couple splashed $1.5 million on their wedding day. The pair got married on Michael Jackon’s huge Californian estate, and as he was one of Taylor’s best friends, we doubt they were paying (much) for the venue. However, we assume the 100 security guards (including a former Israeli army officer) would have blown most of the budget.
*She married Richard Burton twice.
3. Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman – $2 Million
When Christina Aquilera married Jordan Bratman back in 2005, it was a Winter Wonderland over that set them back over $2 million. The singer paid wedding planner Michael Gapinskihe plenty of money to fill their Napa Valley wedding with a range of expensive trees (including branches to create chandeliers), centrepieces made from exotic flowers, and plenty of crystals and white roses.
4. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes – $3.5 Million
Remember when Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah’s couch to declare how happy he was to be in love with Katie Holmes? While the love didn’t last, they’ll always have the memory of the $3.5 million dollars that they spent (wasted?) on the wedding in 2006. The pair got married in an Italian castle and even had Andrea Bocelli perform. Katie wore two Giorgio Armani gowns (he was even in attendance), with her second gown covered in Swarovski crystals that took 350 hours to assemble.
Via US Weekly
5. George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin – $4.6 Million
Choosing to get married in Venice, George and Amal decided to foot the bill for all of their guests. This meant a bulk of the budget went towards housing their guests in the lush Hotel Cipriani. The reception took place at The Aman, which is just as pricey and was the perfect setting for their star-studded guest list.
Via InStyle
6. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West – $12 Million
Really, no one’s entirely sure how much Kimye paid for their lavish wedding, but it’s definitely between 12 and 20 million (what’s a few million here or there, right?). The event had to be larger than life, mostly due to the nature of the couple, but also because Kanye had basically been in love with Kim for a solid decade before finally winning her heart. The weekend affair took place in Italy and France, where they spent $400,000 on the venue, $500,000 on Kim’s Givenchy dress, flew their wedding guests over and covered the costs for accommodation (and you can be sure it wasn’t a three-star hotel), and a marble table with their guests names engraved on it, which apparently cost almost $500,000. Lush.
ABC News
7. Prince William and Kate Middleton – $34 Million
Wills and Kate’s 2011 wedding cost so much it’s kind of making our eyes water. Kate wore an Alexander McQueen dress reportedly worth $434,000 while the royal flowers cost around $800,000. Though to be fair, the couple asked that instead of wedding gifts, the guests were to donate to charities of the couple’s choice, and the entire affair brought an estimated $2 billion worth of revenue to the economy.
Hello Magazine
8. Prince Charles and Lady Diana – $48 Million
If your eyes were watering after Wills and Kate, you should be shedding a river a tears at the price tag of Charles and Diana’s extravagant wedding in 1981. With a giant dress that was possibly the world’s best kept secret in the lead up and and insane 27 cakes, Business Insider estimates that the wedding would actually be worth $110 million if it is adjusted for inflation.
Via Closer Weekly
9. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – $56 Million
We were all waiting for this. If you immediately went to clutch your tiara (and then realised you don’t own a tiara) once you heard that Harry and Meghan’s wedding cost a massive $56 million, you’re not alone. The wedding extravaganza had its fair share of criticisms when it came to how much each aspect cost, however the majority of expenses actually went towards security.
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