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Most Expensive Celebrity Weddings
According to a study done in 2005, the average cost of a wedding tops $30,000! If you're a celebrity, that barely even covers the cost of your gown.
A recent list made by Forbes ranked the top 20 most expensive celebrity weddings and we've got the rundown for you. You can check out Forbes complete list with photos here.
#20 Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban
Their down home wedding took place at a cliff-top Roman Catholic Church in Kidman's home town of Sydney, Australia on June 25, 2006. The Oscar-winning Kidman wore a flowing Balenciaga gown and veil and guests were treated to Tiffany clocks (valued at $350 each) engranved with the words "A Moment in Time".
Rundown of Costs:
Party Favors - $80,500
Rolls Royce Limos - $5,000
Balenciaga Gown and Veil - $20,000
Total Estimated Costs - $250,000
#19 Marc Anthony & Dayanara Torres
After a spur of the moment Vegas wedding in May 2000, the couple decided to renew their vows in San Juan's nearly 500 year old Cathedral in December 2002.
Rundown of Costs:
Reem Acra Buchesse Gown - $30,000
Platinum Wedding Bands - $20,000
Estimated Total Costs - $500,000
#18 Tommy Mottola & Mariah Carey
It was a wedding fit for a princess when Mariah Carey walked down the aisle with former Sony Music exec Tommy Mottola in June 1993. The couple married at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. Mariah was so inspired by the late Princess Diana that she modeled her wedding after that of the late princess with Prince Charles. From her off-the-shoulder gown, to the 27-foot-long train, to the heirloom replica tiara, Carey looked the part of a princess.
Rundown of Costs:
Vera Wang Gown - $25,000
Bridal Shoes - $1,000
Total Estimated Costs - $500,000
#17 Dario Franchiti & Ashley Judd
Married in December 2001 at Skibo castle in Scotland, Judd and Franchiti wanted nothing more than a private, intimate affair. It comes as no surprise that the biggest expense was security. The couple rented out all 40 rooms at the Castle at an estimated cost of $35,000/night for 5 nights to ensure their privacy.
Rundown of Costs:
Rooms - $175,000
Champagne (almost 100 bottles of laron perrier brut) - $30,000
Armani Gown - $20,000
Total Estimated Costs - $750,000
#16 David Beckham & Victoria Adams
Married in July 1999 at Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin, the famous footballer and former Spice Girl wanted a wedding fit for a king and queen. The 'royal' atmosphere include red velvet thrones and trumpeters to greet the guests, who were instructed to wear black or white. The night ended with a spectacular fireworks display lighting up the night.
Rundown of Costs:
Castle Rental - $100,000
Vera Wang Gown - $100,000
Bridal Jewelry - $160,000
Wedding Rings - $200,000
Total Estimated Costs - $800,000
#15 Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston
Dubbed the wedding of the year, Hollywood's most beautiful couple wed on July 29, 2000 at the Malibu estate of TV producer Marcy Carsey. The couple wanted nothing more than privacy and paid a pretty penny for it. It's reported that each member of the wedding staff had to sign a $1 million dollar confidentiality agreement. The wedding had a Zen Garden feel to it with more than 50,000 flowers and and white candles illuminating the reception tent. Unfortunately, even, but not without it's problems. The caterers ran out of food and had to run out for more and the cake melted in the heat and had to be reconstructed at the last minute.
Rundown of Costs:
Security - $100,000
Lobster and Champagne - $300,000
Lawrence Steele Halter Gown - $50,000
Groom's Tux - $4,000
Total Estimated Costs - $1 million
# 14 Tori Spelling & Charlie Shanian
This 1920's Great Gatsby themed wedding took place at the her father's 56,000 square foot mansion (dubbed the 'The Manor') in July 2004. The bride wore a flapper-inspired, full-length, white gown adorned with intricate beadwork and a diamond encrusted flower patterned headband attached to a veil. Her pups, including Mimi La Rue, made an appearance in full wedding regalia as the flowergirl and ring bearer. According to 90210 co-star Jennie Garth, it was the most beautiful wedding she had even seen.
Rundown of Costs:
Badgley Mischka Gown - $50,000
Flowers - $100,000
Wedding Rings - $100,000
Total Estimated Costs - $1 million
# 13 Donald Trump & Melania Knauss
The real estate mogul and model married at Bethesda by the Sea Episcopalian Church in Palm Beach, FL in January 2005. The bride's gown was the talk of the wedding, having posed for the February cover of Vogue magazine, which hit stands before the wedding. The strapless Christian Dior gown, made from 300 feet of satin beaded with 1,500 crystals, weighted an estimated 50 pounds and took approximately 1,000 hours to create. After the ceremony, 100 limos transported guests from the church to the grand ballroom of Trumps' $42 million Mar-a-Lago estate. The ballroom, modeled after the palace of Versailles with 24k gold trim, hosted 500 guests from Katie Couric to Rudy Giuliani to Shaquille Oneal. Celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and hist team of 45 chefs catered, while the 36-piece Michael Rose Orchestra provided the music. Add in the cost to transport flowers (reportedly $10k), hundreds of bottles of champagne ($650/each) and a 5 foot tall wedding cake weighting over 200lbs and you've got a wedding fit for NY royalty.
Rundown of costs:
Flowers - $500,000
Caviar - $18,000
Christian Dior Gown - $125,000
Crystale Champagne - $250,000
Total Estimated Costs - $1 million
#12 Madonna & Guy Ritchie
This wedding for pop royalty was a star-studded affair. Married in December 2000 at Scotland's Skibo Castle, the couple started the celebration with a Christening for baby Rocco. The wedding itself was private affair, with the couple renting out the entire castle, including all guest rooms, plus adding 70 bodyguards to the staff. The bride worn a strapless Stella McCartney gown with a 1910 diamond tiara once worn by Princess Grace of Monaco. Groom Guy Ritchie wore a kilt, as did son Rocco, and daughter Lourdes led the procession with bare feet.
Rundown of Costs:
Security - $70,000
Castle Rental - $200,000
Food and Champagne - $800,000
Stella McCartney Gown - $80,000
Fireworks Display - $200,000
Total Estimated Costs - $1.5 million
#11 Pierce Brosnan & Keely Shaye Smith
The Bond actor and tv journalist married outside in the hills of Ireland in August 2001. The traditional Irish themed reception (from Irish food to Irish dancing) was held at Ashford Castle along the coast. The bride wore a Richard Tylor gown that was modeled after Grace Kelly's gown from a half-century earlier. The gown wasn't the only replica though. Their wedding featured a 6-tier carrot wedding cake modeled after the one served at the JFK and Jackie Onasis wedding. It's reported that Keely also had an ice scultpure modeled after Rodin's The Kiss as a gift for Brosnan that day. As the evening ended, fireworks lit up the sky.
Rundown of Costs:
Richard Tylor Gown - $60,000
Full Tails Tux - $12,000
Flowers (more than 14,000 of them) - $70,000
Bridal Earrings - $20,000
Total Estimated Costs - $1.5 million
#10 Eddie Murphy & Nicole Mitchell
The funny man and his bride were married at New York's Plaza Hotel in 1993. Over 500 guests attended the ceremony in the plaza's ballroom, which had been re-carpeted white and completely filled with flowers. After the ceremony, guests moved to the Palm Court for dinner where they dined on jumbo shrimp, lobster, chicken and some 600 bottles of Cristal champagne. After dinner, they moved back to the Grand Ballroom, which had been converted into a disco.
Rundown of Costs:
Wedding Gown - $40,000
Wedding Cake - $25,000
Cristal Champagne - $150,000
Security - $12,000
Total Estimated Costs - $1.5 million
#9 Tiger Woods & Elin Nordegren
This golfer and Swedish model met at the British Open and went on to wed in 2004 at the Sandy Lane Beach Resort in Barbados. To secure their privacy, the couple rented out the entire resort - some 200 rooms - for an estimated $2k. The reception featured music by Hootie and the Blowfish and ended with a literal bang - a massive fireworks display over the water. After their amazing wedding, the couple honeymooned on Woods' 20 million yacht called 'Privacy'.
Rundown of Costs:
Resort Rental - $200,000
Fireworks Display - $50,000
Total Estimated Costs - $1.5 million
#8 Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones
Dubbed the wedding of the year, the media circus that surrounded the Douglas - Zeta-Jones nupitals lived up to the wedding itself. This elegant couple chose to wed at New York's famed Plaza Hotel in November of 2005. To keep the affair private, the couple hired over 50 guards, including 30 policemen. The couple also reportedly used invisible ink and holograms on their wedding invitations and required guests to present their hologram-embedded invitations to enter the ceremony.
Rundown of Costs:
Presidential Suite - $5,000/night
Chocolates & Champagne - $100,000
Christian Lacroix Gown - $140,000
Diamond Tiara - $300,000
Wedding Cake - $6,000
Total Estimated Costs - $1.5 million
#7 Elton John & David Furnish
The pop legend and filmmaker wed in December 2005 -- the first week that same sex civil unions were legalized in Britain. The couple exchanged vows in Windsor's Guildhall, where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wed 8 months earlier. Over 600 guests attended the bash and dined on caviar and vintage pink champagne that cost an estimated $300 a bottle. Elton John stole the show with a romantic serenade of the song "Your Song" to partner John.
Rundown of Costs:
Morning Suits - $5,000
Diamond Wedding Bands - $240,000
Caviar - $10,000
Champagne - $120,000
Total Estimated Costs - $1.5 million
#6 Christina Aguilera & Jordan Bratman
After Bratman proposed on Valentine's Day in Carmel, the couple had to create an even more romantic atmosphere for their wedding vows. After 5-figure bachelor and bachelorette parties in Cabo, the couple exchanged vows at Napa Valley's Staglin Family Vineyard in November 2005. The couple stayed at a cottage at the Auberge du Soleil, estimated at $3,500-a-night, which featured a fireplace and outdoor hot tub. The wedding itself was held in a winter-themed tent, filled with white roses, silver drapery, and dangling crystals and the bride walked down the aisle with a single real rose and a single diamond rose.
Rundown of Costs:
Wedding Bands - $80,000
Christian Lacroix Gown - $30,000
Tuxedo - $5,000
Hotel Suite - $14,000
Bridal Boquet - $10,000
Total Estimated Costs - $2 Million
#5 Elizabeth Taylor & Larry Fortensky
Elizabeth Taylor wed her 7th husband in one of her most extravagant weddings. The couple, who met at the Betty Ford Clinic, married on October 6, 1991 at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Jackson walked Elizabeth down the aisle and Fortensky's best man was Liz Taylor's hairdresser, Jose Eber. Though the wacky event cost a pretty penny, the couple sold the exclusive photos to People Magazine for million, which they donated to AIDS charities.
Rundown of Costs:
Valentino Wedding Gown - $30,000
Catered Food - $500,000
Wedding Rings - $10,000
Total Estimated Costs - $2 Million
#4 Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes
The TomKat wedding was *the* wedding of 2006. The couple wed in November in Italy's 15th-century Odescalchi Castle outside Rome. The wedding was a media spectacle with reporters descending upon the small Italian town days in advance. The entire bridal party, including the Bride, Groom, and even baby Suri, were decked out in wedding attire designed by Giorgio Armanai. Guests dined on a five-tiered white chocolate wedding cake and drank some 300 bottles of wine. Entertainment included a full orchestra and music by Andrea Boccelli. Cruise added a little romance by serenading his bride with a rendition of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers, ala Top Gun.
Rundown of Costs:
Armani Tux - $3,000
Armani Wedding Gown - $50,000
Armani Wedding Party Clothing - $100,000
300 Bottles of Wine - $180,000
Entertainment - $20,000
Airfare for Guests - $150,000
Guest Accomodations - $750,000
Total Estimated Costs: $2 Million
#3 Elizabeth Hurley & Arun Nayar
The model-actress and Indian businessman wed in March 2007 with a ceremony that spanned 8 days and two continents. The first ceremony, held March 2nd in the medieval Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. After their British ceremoney and reception, the festivities moved to India. On March 9th, the couple was wed again in a traditional Hindu ceremony held in Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, India. The couple's palace-view suite alone cost upwards of $10,000/night.
Rundown of Costs:
Wedding Bands - $200,000
Private Jets - $300,000
Hotels - $100,000
Total Estimated Costs - $2.5 Million
#2 Paul McCartney & Heather Mills
The former Beatle proposed to model-turned-activist girlfriend Heather Mills in 2001 with a 21 carat sapphire and diamond ring. They then exchanged vows in June 2002 at St. Salvador's Church in Monaghan, Ireland. The bride walked down the aisle to a song that McCartney wrote just for her titled "Heather". The Indian-themed reception took place lakeside and featured dancers in authentic Indian dress and a vegetarian feast. A dazzling fireworks display ended the night as the couple headed off on their honeymoon on a $20 million yacht rented for $19,000 a night.
Rundown of Costs:
Castle Rental - $40,000
Gown Lace - $10,000
Wedding Gown - $40,000
Fireworks - $150,000
Flowers - $145,000
Cake - $4,500
Estimated Total Costs - $3 Million
#1 Liza Minelli and David Gest
The Oscar-winner and producer wed in March 2002 at Manhattan's Collegiate Church. This over-the-top event had a wedding party of 36, including Best Man Michael Jackson and Maid of Honor Elizabeth Taylor. Jackson also escorted Minelli down the aisle as Natalie Cole sung "Unforgettable". The estimated 850 wedding guests were treated to a 6-foot, 12-tier wedding cake, cookies decorated with photos of the Bride and Groom and encased in satin embossed candy boxes, and entertainment by a 60-piece orchestra, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder and Natalie Cole. Some 500 staff workers were employed to bring the event to life and keep it private. Estimated to be the most expensive celebrity wedding, the couple ended up splitting the next year.
Rundown of Costs:
Bob Mackey Gown - $45,000
Reception Gown - $14,000
Wedding Cake - $40,000
Flowers - $700,000
Staff - $150,000
Total Estimated Costs - $3.5 Million
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