Home Uncategorized Big-Money Matrimony: The Most Lavish Celeb Weddings Of All Time

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Big-Money Matrimony: The Most Lavish Celeb Weddings Of All Time

Darren June 10, 2024

It’s no secret that A-Listers have more money than regular people. That’s the main reason many of them have over-the-top celeb weddings because they want to show off to the world. They can use it as a way to enhance their brands and become more influential in Hollywood. Many of them also make millions from selling photo rights to the likes of Hello! or E!

Today we’ll look at some of the most over-the-top celeb weddings ever. These celebrities didn’t hold back when it came to spending money because they wanted to create a fairytale ceremony. Some of these marriages stood the test of time but others came to acrimonious ends. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but nonetheless, these celebrities tried their best.

Sofie Vergara and Joe Manganiello

This glamorous couple had one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings ever. Vergara’s Modern Family co-stars attended the festivities after they spent a fortune on the event. Vergara is one of the most beautiful women on the planet and that’s why she needed a spectacular gown. She opted for a bespoke Zuhair Murad dress that dazzled everybody.

350 guests attended the Palm Beach wedding in 2015 (via Hello!). It was one of the most spectacular A-List occasions of the year and saw a lot of fanfare. Vergara shared snaps on her personal Instagram account as she gave fans access to the event. They spared no expense and had the times of their lives.

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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

There are many doomed couples on this list, but perhaps Cruise and Holmes were the most iconic. The danger signs were there for the latter because Cruises insisted on including elements of Scientology in the ceremony. They married at a castle in Italy in a wedding that seemed to be straight out of a fairytale.

Holmes wore two Armani gowns on the night including a spectacular Swarovski crystal-emblazoned number. The creators spent 350 hours making it for one most over-the-top celeb weddings ever. Meanwhile, Andrea Bocelli serenaded the newly-wedded couple during the reception. They also had a ridiculous five-tier wedding cake (via E! News).

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Celine Dion and Rene Angelil

Everybody remembers this lavish wedding because of Dion’s outrageous headpiece. It contained 2000 Swarovski crystals and weighed almost eight pounds. Meanwhile, she had a six-meter train with an incredible amount of intricate lace and crystals. This was one of the most distinct looks in celeb wedding history.

Meanwhile, the legendary couple had a 21-year marriage that finally ended when Angelil sadly passed away. Their controversial age gap rubbed some people the wrong way because Dion was 18 when they began dating. But she loved her husband and the pair appeared to have a healthy relationship (via Vogue France).

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Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton

Stefani and her country star husband Shelton opted for an Oklahoma wedding in 2021. The lavish ceremony saw them spend a lot of money but it felt more intimate than many of the others on this list. Stefani wore two head-turning Vera Wang gowns that ensured everybody’s eyes were on her. One of these was a minidress with white cowboy boots as she paid tribute to the Sooner State.

Carson Daly officiated their nuptials and stated it was a massive honor for him. The Oklahoma countryside was also a major star in this stunning event because it was glorious. Stefani and her new husband shared a photo with her sons after they said their “I Dos.” We wish them the best in their lives together (via People).

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Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz

This spectacular celebrity bonanza saw A-Listers turn out in their droves. Beckham and Peltz stole the show in one of the events of 2022. The pair enjoy massive wealth because of their parents’ success and this guaranteed them a lavish ceremony. Gordon Ramsey, Serena Williams, and Eva Longoria witnessed their nuptials (via Sky News).

The wedding took place on the grounds of Nelson Peltz’s majestic Palm Beach Mansion. It is believed that they spent about four million dollars on the ceremony of one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings ever. But there was drama afterward between the newlyweds and their wedding planners. They sued the latter after problems with their guest lists and other issues.

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Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel

Most ordinary people’s weddings last for a day or two at a maximum. Maybe they will have brunch the day after the ceremony. If they travel to another location they may have a casual dinner the night before as an ice-breaker. But A-Listers love lavish and over-the-top celeb weddings like this one.

Timberlake and Biel’s nuptials rolled on for an entire week in Puglia, Italy. They invited 100 guests to celebrate the special occasion as they shared their love. Biel opted to break tradition and wore a petal-pink Giambattista Valli gown. Meanwhile, Timberlake flew a slice of cake 1000 miles to his sick grandfather (via Brides.com).

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Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews

Visually, this wasn’t one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings on this list. But perceptions change very quickly when we look at the finer details. The Kansas City quarterback proposed to his childhood sweetheart with an $800,000 engagement ring. That’s lovely, but it’s a shame she’ll never be able to wear it without a SWAT team protecting her.

Meanwhile, they chose a gorgeous Hawaiian resort for the ceremony. It was mostly a family affair but some of Mahomes’ teammates also attended including Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The couple spent almost $10,000 per guest on wedding favors. This wasn’t a cheap event by any means (via New York Post).

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Alexandra Lenas and Sean Parker

Themed weddings are a tricky business because they can go badly wrong. Some guests hate when the bride and groom request a particular style or color scheme. Napster founder Parker took things to the next level with this Game of Thrones-inspired wedding. Luckily, it wasn’t as bloody as the nuptials in the iconic TV show.

However, it was one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings of 2013. The couple spent five million dollars on the site in Big Sur as they dined under redwoods. Meanwhile, they used a Lord of the Rings costume designer to create outfits for almost 400 guests. The likes of Emma Watson, Sting, and Gavin Newsom attended this massive occasion (via Hoot Invitations).

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

Nobody can accuse the Kardashians of appreciating subtlety. Kim and Kanye finally married in 2014 in a lavish ceremony that spared no expense. First, they flew their guests to Italy by private jet and then confiscated their cell phones. That’s because they wanted to control when and where ordinary people saw their photos.

They married at a Medici stronghold with hundreds of years of history behind it. An estimated 200 guests attended and they spent almost three million dollars in total. The media called this ‘The Wedding of the Century’ but it was arguably not as dramatic as it could have been (via Entertainment Weekly).

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Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban

Kidman knew all about the horrors of marriage after she divorced Tom Cruise. The pair had a Scientologist ceremony when she married him at a young age. But her second wedding was a more conventional event. Kidman and Urban exchanged vows in 2006 to the delight of their many fans in a lavish affair.

They went to her hometown of Sydney, Australia, and hosted many iconic celebrities. Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe were two of the biggest names in attendance. They’re also one of the strongest couples in Hollywood today as they continue to express their love. It’s lovely to see that they’re still happy together (via CBS News).

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Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian

Usually, Williams makes waves on the tennis court with her exciting and explosive play. But this time she rocked the world when she married Ohanian in a glamorous ceremony. We rarely see Williams embrace her femininity but she did in an extravagant Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen ball gown (via Erica Melissa).

Allegedly, this was one of the most expensive dresses ever as Williams spent $3.5 million on the bespoke design. Meanwhile, they chose New Orleans as their wedding venue and spent about four million on the reception. The Reddit co-founder and the tennis icon exchanged vows in front of over 200 friends and family members.

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Mariah Carey and James Packer

It says a lot about Carey and Parker’s rollercoaster relationship that he proposed to her with a $10 million engagement ring. We can see that extravagant diamond above before Carey eventually sold it. Technically, this wedding never happened but it’s still one of the most dramatic celebrity events of the century.

Media mogul Kerry Stokes effectively kidnapped Packer and brought him to Israel to prevent him from marrying Carey. He believed that the couple was making a massive mistake. Then Carey sued her former fiance for $50 million because that was the sum they agreed on in their prenup (via Vanity Fair).

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George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin

It’s no surprise that Clooney chose one of the most romantic locations on the planet for his wedding. He married his beloved partner Amal at the exclusive Aman Canal Grande resort in Venice, Italy. They spared no expense as they allegedly spent around $13 million on the ceremony. Most people agree that weddings are expensive but this took things to the next level.

They arrived at the venue by water taxi before making their preparations for the big day. Amal wore a custom Oscar De La Renta gown as she showed her natural beauty. The human rights lawyer also proudly flaunted her ethically-sourced diamond engagement ring. It was an extravagant occasion but a beautiful one (via InStyle).

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Ciara and Russell Wilson

It’s a shame that Wilson isn’t as good at throwing footballs in Denver as he is at planning weddings. The quarterback and Ciara stunned fans when they married at a fairytale castle in Cheshire, England. They originally planned to do it in North Carolina but they changed their minds because of the state’s transgender legislation.

Ciara wore an amazing Roberto Cavalli gown while Wilson donned an Armani suit. Serena Williams and La La Anthony were two of the R&B star’s bridesmaids as the stars turned out in their droves. It was a special day for everybody involved and one that none of them will ever forget (via The Knot).

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Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra

This power couple married in Jodhpur, India, in one of the most extravagant celebrity events of 2018. Their fans obsessed over every detail of the three-day event that saw them engage in several traditional Indian ceremonies. Jonas enjoyed celebrating his new wife’s culture as they dazzled in spectacular outfits.

They also had a Christian ceremony in acknowledgment of Jonas’s beliefs. His father, Paul, had the honor of officiating this intimate moment. Typically, this beautiful series of events cost millions of dollars. But the happy couple and their adoring fanbase agree it was worth every dime (via Vogue).

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Liza Minnelli and David Gest

Some celebrities should sit down and think about the decision they’re making. Unfortunately, many of them rush into over-the-top weddings before spending a fortune on divorces. That’s exactly what happened with Minnelli and Gest who had one of the most expensive ceremonies of the 2000s.

Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor played prominent roles while many other celebrity guests attended. But they divorced in a bitter split that went down in 2003. Gest claimed that Minnelli physically and emotionally abused him as they showed that there wasn’t a fairytale ending (via The Mirror).

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Lance Bass and Michael Turchin

This inspiring couple exchanged vows in 2015 and agreed to share their lives. This was fascinating and historical for several reasons. It was the first time that a major American network filmed a gay network. Meanwhile, Bass and Turchin come from Jewish and Southern Baptist backgrounds.

It was one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings of the year as they reveled in tackiness. Some people unironically do this but Bass and Turchin wanted a flamboyant ceremony. They spent millions of dollars on decorations at L.A.’s iconic Park Plaza Hotel. Celebrities attended in their droves because they wanted to experience this beautiful event (via Jewcy).

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The Daily Beast

Katy Perry and Russell Brand

Some celebrities prefer to keep their relationships private and to stay out of the headlines. Others create a lot of drama like Perry and Brand. They had a whirlwind romance with massive highs and lows. In 2010, they married in India in one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings ever. The pair made a few decisions that they regretted after a couple of months.

They married in November and divorced the following February after things fell apart. Brand and Perry even got matching ‘Anuugacchati Pravaha’ tattoos that meant ‘go with the flow.’ This was a big mistake because it’s easier to remove a ring than a tattoo. They spent a lot of money on their ceremony but it went to waste (via The Mirror).

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Dianna Agron and Winston Marshall

There aren’t many high-quality images of one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings ever. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t dramatic and crazy. Former Glee star Agron married Marshall in a lavish Moroccan ceremony in 2016. The couple raised eyebrows when they rode to the ceremony on camels and wore turbans.

They didn’t allow celebrity paparazzi to photograph the event but some pictures leaked. Meanwhile, Agron wore an amazing $20,000 Valentino dress as she married her musician husband. However, this was a doomed relationship and they broke up after a couple of years. Marshall became increasingly erratic and political after the divorce (via The Knot News).

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Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries

It’s no surprise that Kardashian had one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings ever. She married NBA star Humphries in 2011 but they divorced after 72 days. However, they spent an outrageous $10 million on the ceremony and reception as she flaunted her wealth in front of the world. This was all about increasing the Kardashian brand as Humphries later discovered.

It all began when Humphries proposed to Kardashian with a two-million-dollar diamond ring. They had 300 guests and Kardashian wore three Vera Wang gowns across the bonanza. E! made a special covering the event called Kim’s Fairytale Wedding but it became a horror story. Millions of people watched the occasion because they couldn’t help themselves (via BuzzFeed).

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Elton John and David Furnish

This iconic couple married in 2011 in a relatively small ceremony in Berkshire, England. It was Elton’s second marriage but this time he was happy with the love of his life. The legendary singer set up a special Instagram account to cover the momentous occasion. Millions of people followed the events online and felt that they were there.

The most dramatic aspect of this over-the-top wedding was the guestlist. Bonafide A-Listers like Liz Hurley, the Beckhams, and Ed Sheeran attended the ceremony. The loved-up pair chose a traditional menu for their reception dinner with beef pie and warm chocolate pie. It came six years after their civil ceremony in 2005 (via The Guardian).

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Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer

There’s nothing quite like the pomp and ceremony of a royal wedding. The eyes of the world were on this spectacular event in 1981 as 750 million people tuned in. It was one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings ever as the main guests arrived by horse-drawn carriage. The formalities occurred in St. Paul’s Cathedral with dozens of officials in sparkling regalia.

Later, scandals broke when it emerged that Charles spent the night with his mistress Camilla. This doomed wedding cost millions and ultimately ended in tragedy. However, for a couple of hours, every woman in the world wanted to be Princess Diana. It’s a shame what happened after she received horrific treatment (via Huffington Post).

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Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto

Only Jordan would spend $10 million on a wedding ceremony after already having a record divorce. He paid Juanita Vanoy an outrageous $168 million after the pair split in 2006. This time, Jordan thought that he made the right decision when he married Prieto. They had the star-studded ceremony at Palm Beach in the most enormous tent in wedding history.

The NBA icon loves over-the-top celeb weddings and divorces as he showed again. Elite athletes and A-Listers like Tiger Woods attended the showpiece event. Scottie Pippen and Spike Lee were also on the guest list. Organizers filled the tent with hundreds of candles. Meanwhile, Jordan ensured he signed a prenup this time (via Essentially Sports).

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Prince William and Kate Middleton

This spectacular royal wedding took place in 2011 and was a national holiday in the UK. Taxpayers forked out an incredible $34 million on one of the most over-the-top celeb weddings in history. For context, Kate’s dress came in at just under half a million dollars. Two billion people watched the televised ceremony from across the world (via Popsugar).

They also spent almost a million dollars on flowers and their two cakes. It was a ludicrous display of wealth and pageantry but their fan lapped it up. Since then, the couple went from strength to strength as they raised a family. However, some media sources allege that the prince has a mistress, Rose Hanbury.

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