14 of the most extravagant and expensive weddings in the world

What are weddings if not the most expensive occasion in a couple’s life? As an opening act to married life, weddings have transformed into an event where no fantasy is too wild to execute, especially if the budget permits. For the rich and famous, “I do’s” are embellished with private island destinations, endless rounds of the best champagne, and couture outfits handmade by the best designers the world has to offer. From royalty to entertainment personalities, we take a look at the 14 most expensive weddings in the world.

For centuries, weddings have been a socially-accepted expenditure, with the affluent going to great lengths to impress their guests. Industrialists, celebrities, and members of royalty have emerged as the top players in this segment— with several nuptials running into millions for their lavish, one-of-a-kind features. While some grooms opt for the classic helicopter arrival, others have gone the extra mile by creating specialised locations to accommodate their illustrious attendees. Arranging for an exclusive performance by Beyonce, or flying in Italy’s best florist for your decor are add-ons that might not come cheap but for the world’s 1%, it’s just spare change.

Why are weddings becoming more expensive?

Whether you’re someone who’s had wedding lust their entire life or prefer smaller, more intimate ceremonies, there’s no denying that they’re becoming pricier than ever. A study published in The Asean Post indicates that wedding costs in Southeast Asia are witnessing a sharp rise. The same story concluded that Malaysian weddings can run a cost anywhere between MYR 50,000 to MYR 200,000 – a pretty penny indeed. Spending on each wedding item witnessed double-digit growth after two years of post-pandemic lag – from pre-wedding photography, and engagement rings to honeymoon packages.

Rising inflation rates as well as exposure to social media trends can also be attributed as reasons for the rising cost of tying the knot in today’s day and age. To understand why couples are choosing to spend the extra dough we must look at the consumption environment in the post-pandemic world. While products and services for any event can become expensive, especially with grander versions, wedding expenses stand out for being disproportionately high. According to WeddingWire’s 2018 report on the modern matrimonial experience, some traditions (such as sharing a first dance) have stood the test of time, while new trends are emerging simultaneously. Couples are getting more creative when it comes to making their special day feel undoubtedly “them.” The study outlines a few of the main avenues of spending:

• 40 percent have unique musical choices during the ceremony (e.g. bagpipes).
• 21 percent add local elements based on the city where the couple met or grew up (e.g. food or decor).
• 18 percent include ceremonial customs related to their ethnicity/religion (e.g. jumping the broom).
• 17 percent hire special or out-of-the-box entertainment for guests (e.g. fortune tellers, caricature artists).

How do expensive celebrity weddings influence trends?

When it comes to the most expensive weddings in the world, pioneering trends are often born as a result of them. Take Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, and Sonam Kapoor. When the three actresses decided to swap the traditional red palette for a more timeless shade of white, Indian brides-to-be followed suit. “White is already the go-to bridal colour in several Indian states like Kerala, Assam, and Gujarat. But there is a considerable change in the mainstream colour palette too now. More brides are opting for white, ivory, and off-white to match their contemporary vision for their big day,” explained designer Ridhi Mehra to Mint Lounge, adding that her white lehengas were particularly popular for day-time weddings.

So, which of the world’s wealthiest people feature on the list of the most expensive weddings? We take a look.

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The most expensive weddings in the world

1. Priya Sachdev to Vikram Chatwal – USD 20 million

Spread over 10 days and three cities with 600 guests flown in privately from 26 countries  — globe-trotting hotelier Vikram Chatwal, and former investment banker-turned-model Priya Sachdev’s wedding was far from a simple affair. Chartered flights were the only mode of transport for this multimillion-dollar nuptial. “So we started in Bombay, which is called the gateway to India, and then we moved to Udaipur and then on to Delhi,” Mr. Chatwal told New York Times in the months after his 2006 wedding. “A lot of my friends had never been there so I really wanted to show them the country,” he added.

Apart from the influential attendees, American heavyweights like Bill Clinton, model Patricia Velasquez, and Naomi Campbell, a coterie of Indian dignitaries like India’s then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, spiritual guru Deepak Chopra, the HRH Prince Nikolaos of Greece, and industrialist Lakshmi Mittal, were just some of the few starry names on the guest list. This multi-city extravaganza was estimated to cost a whopping USD 20 million and saw a traditional Sikh ceremony, a Mughal-court-inspired white party, a pool party set against the landscape of a 1760 fort as well as Chatwal leading the customary half-mile procession atop a white horse.

“It’s the biggest wedding I’ve ever done,” said New Delhi–based wedding planner Vandana Mohan to New York Mag. Her duties included overseeing 14 special hospitality desks set up at each hotel and a fleet of 70 private cars for the three-city caravan. Fifty thousand kilos of flowers were shipped in from Holland, Bangkok, and Calcutta; a total of 3,000 candles were burned, and the crew went through 65,000 metres of fabric for the decor. Despite executing one of the most expensive weddings in the world, the couple parted ways just five years later in 2011.

2. Prince Felipe of Spain and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano – Between USD 28-54 million

Marrying into royalty is one dream we’re all guilty of harbouring but it was Spanish-born Letizia Ortiz who turned it into a reality in 2004. Elevating her status from anchorwoman to nobility, Ortiz married Spain’s then-heir, Prince Felipe in a lavish wedding that kept 25 million viewers enraptured in its dreamy commoner-to-queen fantasy. Nothing about their union was run of the mill. Had the television journalist not been sent to cover a 2002 story of a major oil tank disaster, which her prince presided over, the couple would’ve never crossed paths. Naturally, Prince Felipe proposed with a one-of-a-kind ring featuring 16 diamonds and crafted by Suárez Jewellery, a Spanish brand established in 1943. The Express reported it’s worth USD 25, 495.

Swapping her flashier diamond engagement ring for a minimal gold band, Felipe and Ortiz’s wedding was nothing short of spectacular. After all, it was the first royal nuptials the country had seen in close to a century. More than 1,200 guests attended the grand function, which included princely elites like Prince Albert of Monaco, Charles, (then Prince of Wales), the Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, and other representatives from 36 royal houses and heads of state. Culminating at Madrid’s Almeduna Cathedral, the wedding saw the would-be-queen arriving at the location in a chauffeured Rolls-Royce Phantom IV while flaunting her sublime USD 8 million dress designed by Manuel Pertegaz.

Although Ortiz’s lineage might’ve been more ordinary, her bridal outfit reflected her impending elevation with heirloom pieces picked out from ancestral wardrobes. The spotlight accessory took the form of the historical Prussian tiara, crafted by the German court jeweler, Koch, in 1913. A loan from her mother-in-law, Queen Sofia of Spain, who inherited it from her mother, Queen Friederike of the Hellenes, this exquisite sparkler featured a pear-shaped double diamond cluster pendant in the centre. Apart from the bridal tapestry, delectable fare the likes of breaded scallops, croquettes, and chocolate serpentine cake flowed in abundance as the world’s royal elite welcomed their newest member. It was later revealed that the joint forces of the government at the time and the Royal House dished out somewhere between USD 28 to 54 million for the celebrations.

3. Huang Xiaoming and Angela Yeung Wing – USD 31 million

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What do you get when an influencer decides she’s ready to get hitched? One of the most expensive weddings in the world, obviously! Actress, singer, and model Angela Yeung — better known as “Angelababy” — tied the knot with actor Huang Xiaoming in October 2015, in a flashy ceremony that inevitably incited jealousy. The cavernous Shanghai Conventional Centre was the venue selected for the affair, with its screen-lined interiors displaying the couple’s Parisian pre-wedding film— Angelababy flaunting her Elie Saab gowns for the extended screentime.

If the ambience wasn’t elaborate enough, chances are you’re going to need to sit down when you see the ring. Crafted by Parisian designer Chaumet, the USD 1.5 million accessory featured a five-carat pear-shaped diamond with another half-carat of diamonds embellishing it. For the ceremony, Angelababy wore a custom Christian Dior gown. which according to Forbes, took five months to create. Additional details revealed the couture ensemble featured “115 feet of ivory satin organza and 165 feet of tulle…a 10-foot-long train and nearly 100 hand-cut rose bouquets made of Chantilly lace.” A total of 2,000 guests, including Hong Kong’s biggest celebrities, made their appearances at this live-streamed event as a 10-foot-tall wedding cake kept them company. Even the carousel-shaped dessert wasn’t a simple decision considering the chefs took a month to create it. Architectural installations like a holographic castle, stained-glass window lights, and a giant wall of flowers adorned the location as guests were treated to elaborate gift bags containing cell phones and other “essentials”.

Despite their success in hand-crafting a viral wedding, the couple eventually parted ways in 2022.

4. Kate Middleton to Prince William – USD 33 million

In the months leading up to April 2011, all the world could fixate on was the upcoming British royal wedding. Kate Middleton, “commoner” by origin, was all set to join the imperial machinery after saying yes to her university boyfriend of nine years, Prince William of England. As close to 1,900 hand-picked guests made their way to the three-event ceremony – the wedding, out of which, was held at the landmark Westminster Abbey – over 160 million viewers from 188 countries watched alongside. Not only did Britain observe a national holiday for the monarchial matrimony, but celebratory events were also held in Canada and other Commonwealth nations. Despite the USD 800,000 price tag on the flowers or the USD 434,000 Sarah Burton-designed Alexander McQueen gown, the most significant expenditure in Kate and William’s wedding was security – accounting for USD 32 million of the total cost.

If the logistics were an expensive affair, the couple ensured their guests were treated with nothing but the best. The reception menu boasted of fresh crabs sourced from Lyme Bay, Hebridean langoustines, North Highland organic lamb from Prince Charles’s organic farm and a heavenly eight-tier fruit cake created by Fiona Cairns. Singer Ellie Goulding was asked to perform for William’s intimate dinner party. Even the decor at Westminster Abbey was reminiscent of a fairytale – six English Field Maple trees and two Hornbeam trees, all of which were 20 feet high, were incorporated into the church’s architecture as a long red carpet ran the length of the aisle from double the doors to the altar. With 72 million streams worldwide, the wedding was featured in the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records for the “Most Live Streams for a Single Event”, beating Michael Jackson‘s memorial service in 2009.

5. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – USD 63 million

Held at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, Lady Diana and Prince Charles‘ July wedding in 1981 was widely billed as a “fairytale”. At a time when the world was still two decades away from the internet, this British royal wedding amassed a staggering broadcast viewership of 750 million people worldwide. A total of 3,500 guests were invited to the stately affair, as two more million spectators lined the route of Diana’s procession. Three choirs and three orchestras played their tunes as the newest royal member walked the aisle in a USD 46,785-worth ivory silk taffeta dress, decorated with lace, hand embroidery, sequins, and 10,000 pearls. The designers credited for the exquisite design were British duo, Elizabeth and David Emanuel.

Governors-generals of the Commonwealth nations, as well as many of the reigning European monarchs at the time, made their way to the English capital. Fireworks displays above Hyde Park and 100 beacons were lit up across the country to commemorate the royal wedding. Interestingly, the event saw a grand total of 27 cakes being presented to the couple. The cost of the wedding was later estimated to be USD 48 million in total (between USD 70 million and USD 110 million when adjusted for inflation), with USD 600,000 being spent on security alone.

10. Chandni Toor to Seemanto Roy and Richa Roy to Sushanto Roy – USD 123 million

Before it all went downhill for the Sahara head honcho, Subroto Roy enjoyed the status of pulling off the world’s most expensive wedding for his two sons, Seemanto and Sushanto. Dishing out a whopping USD 75 million in 2004, the double nuptials descended to Lucknow’s Sahara India township with an 11,000-strong guestlist. Naturally, the entire town underwent a major revamp to reflect the family’s love for contemporary aesthetics. The six-day extravaganza saw no stone left unturned– gold napkins welcoming guests upon arrival, a fleet of 200 Mercedes cars for inter-city transport, and chartering 27 of his company jets.

For entertainment, there was live music by the British Symphony Orchestra while famous Indian choreographer Shiamak Davar took centre stage with a band of world-class dancers. A scrumptious array of over 100 different cuisines were prepared by the chefs at Taj Group of Hotels. While designers Rohit Bal and Sabyasachi designed for the families, Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai mingled with the guests. In addition to the elaborate celebrations, Roy’s philanthropic offerings were extended to 150,000 homeless people. The family reportedly sponsored the marriages of 101 underprivileged girls as part of the festivities.

11. Sheikha Hind Bint bin Maktoum to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – USD 137 million

Taking the crown for the most expensive wedding in the world is Emirati royal Bin Rashid who married his first cousin, Princess Sheikha. Costing an eye-watering sum of USD 45 million in 1979, this week-long extravaganza was accompanied by a five-day nationwide holiday. When the prince first decided to wed, not many locations in Dubai could hold a gathering of over 20,000 guests. Unfazed, the family built the venue from the ground up and adorned it with traditional musicians, and dancers. A fleet of 20 camels embellished with jewels were utilised for delivering gifts to the bride. To arrange for similar fanfare today, the estimated cost would be close to USD 137 million.

The royal wedding was the first occasion in which Dubai’s Police Air Wing performed a public flying display. Five Macchi Jet Fighters flew in formation over Zabeel Palace whilst performing aerobatics. As the Grand Finale act, one of the fighter jets encircled the Dubai Trade Centre Building above as horseback riders trotted into formation below. The official inside photos of this upscale wedding were never released to the public.

Other honourable mentions

Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta (2019) – undisclosed

In only a few months after his younger sister, Isha’s wedding, the eldest Ambani son decided it was his turn to tie the knot. While there has been considerable debate about the cost of this Mumbai-St.Moritz-hopping spectacle, there is unanimity in the view that several millions of dollars were spent. Features included a 300-strong pre-wedding bash in the Swiss Alps with musical performances by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and The Chainsmokers, private jets to ferry the prolific guests, 5-star accommodation, and an ostentatious display of couture ensembles– all culminating to a Mumbai-based ceremony that saw global leaders like former British PM Tony Blair, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and almost every other Bollywood star in attendance.

Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto (2013) – USD 10 million

The basketball legend’s second wedding to model Yvette Prieto in April 2013 reportedly cost USD 10 million dollars – barely a dent when you consider Jordan’s massive USD 2 billion net worth. The 300-guest event, held at Bear’s Club in Florida, was the hotspot for the night for celebs like Tiger Woods, Spike Lee, and live performances from Usher, K’Jon, and Robin Thicke. The model chose a custom J’Aton Couture wedding dress, decked out in Swarovski crystals for her big night.

Lolita Osmanova and Gaspar Avdolyan- USD 10 million

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Bringing that big Russian energy to LA, Lolita Osmanova — the 22-year-old daughter of energy oligarch Eldar Osmanav, married 29-year-old Gaspar Avdolyan, son of telecoms millionaire Albert Avdolyan, at the Dolby Theatre in 2017. Yes, the venue that hosts the Oscars! As violinists and performers serenaded guests, the capacious venue was transformed into a contemporary art installation complete with ornate floral decorations and a gold aisle. For the headlining acts, Jason Derulo and Lady Gaga lent their vocal talents to the newlyweds, which reportedly cost USD 2 million alone.

(Main and featured image: Getty Images, Isha Ambani via Instagram)