25 Most Expensive Celebrity Weddings of All Time

Most “normal” people fork over huge amounts of money for their wedding day festivities so it should come as no surprise that celebrity weddings often cost a pretty penny. Yes, celebrities are known to go all out for their weddings spending millions to mark the occasion. Destination weddings, wedding gowns with a six-figure price tag, and spending hundreds of thousands on security and staff to keep the paparazzi from spoiling the affair. After all, a wedding is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime event and celebrities really treat their big days as such.

Just how much money are celebrity weddings? Most A-listers are not getting married for less than $1 million but the more extravagant ceremonies can cost upwards of $25 million. Yes, that means that some celebrities will spend more on their weddings than many of us will earn in our lifetimes!

What does that kind of money get you? Think exclusive settings like European castles or mansions in Beverly Hills. Also, consider the menus which are often prepared by celebrity chefs and feature delicacies not usually seen outside of decorated fine dining restaurants. And, of course, there is entertainment which can fetch a handsome sum when the performers include the likes of Bono or Usher. Let’s take a look at the most lavish celebrity weddings ever.

Discover Which Celebrity Weddings Cost the Most and Why They Were So Expensive Below!

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at this wedding. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston‘s 2000 nuptials were the hottest event in Hollywood at the time, leading them to spend $100,000 alone on security for the event, according to Pop Sugar. All told, the wedding cost $1 million. They divorced just five years later in 2005.

Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman

Anne Hathaway surprised fans when she exchanged vows with Adam Shulman, her boyfriend of four years at the time. They wed in a private Big Sur, California, ceremony in September 2012. She was just 29 then. Now, nine years and two children later, the couple remains strong, committed, and largely out of the spotlight. The theme of the wedding was “rustic” but that still cost this couple $1 million with a $100,000 flower budget.

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson

Over four days, Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson and their 275 guests celebrated their life-long commitment to each other with a $1.4 million celebration. The most expensive item? Dressing all their bridesmaids and groomsmen as it reportedly cost $750,000. You can’t have a celebrity wedding without all your people looking sharp!

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren

Elin Nordegren and Tiger Woods were officially married in 2004, saying their “I Do’s” by the 19th hole of the Sandy Lane resort in Barbados, Pop Culture reported. The pair rented out the entire hotel (around 200 rooms) and even had 500 roses imported for the nuptials. The cost of their sunset ceremony? $1.5 million. Following a scandal, the pair divorced in 2010.

Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith

Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith had been an item for years before they tied the knot in 2001 with a $1.5 million ceremony at an Irish castle in Ballintubber Abbey. Over 100 guests attended the ceremony. The couple even had a seven-tier cake made for the party and had it modeled after the one served at John F. Kennedy and Jackie O’s wedding. Fancy!

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

Over 350 guests attended Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones‘ wedding at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in 2000, which reportedly cost around $1.5 million. The pair hosted performances from Jimmy Buffett and Art Garfunkel during the ceremony. As one does!

Eddie Murphy and Nicole Mitchell

Eddie Murphy and Nicole Mitchell also got married at the Plaza Hotel but in 1993. The cost of the event ended up being $1.5 million for the black tie affair. Following the festivities, the couple donated all of the flowers to a hospital in Harlem, according to Marie Claire. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last and the pair split after 16 years of marriage in 2006.

Elton John and David Furnish

Sir Elton John is such a big deal that he and his longtime partner wed in the same venue as Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. Elton John and David Furnish’s $1.5 million wedding took place at Windsor Guildhall, and over 600 guests attended, according to Livingly. We wonder if only folks with titles can get hitched at Windsor Guildhall. Prior to their marriage, the couple had been in a civil partnership together. In total, they have been together for almost twenty years.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie

Madonna did the most Madonna thing at her wedding to Guy Ritchie. She wore a 1910 diamond tiara, once worn by Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco. The couple married in 2000 at Skibo Castle in Scotland. The total cost of the event was $1.5 million. Unfortunately, the relationship would not last, they separated after 8 years of marriage.

NeNe and Gregg Leakes

NeNe and Gregg Leakes remarried after divorcing in 2011 following a 14-year marriage. After two years of being legally separated, the couple tied the knot again in 2013. The Atlanta ceremony was nothing short of spectacular including Nene’s gown which reportedly cost $50,000. The entire cost of the festivities was $1.8 million. Unfortunately, Gregg passed away in 2021 after a battle with colon cancer.

Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar

Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar had not one but two separate wedding ceremonies. One was a more traditional wedding in an English castle. The second was a traditional Hindu ceremony in Nayar’s hometown of Jodhpur, India. Together, the events cost around $2.5 million. The pair were only married for four years and divorced in 2011.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

Kim Kardashian‘s second wedding (her first also makes the list) to Kanye West reportedly cost just shy of $3 million at $2.8 million, according to Pop Sugar. That figure does not include the pre-party they had in Paris at Valentino’s mansion, Chateau de Wideville, with 200 guests in attendance.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes married in 2006 in an Italian castle and every guest was outfitted in Armani. Holmes’ gown was covered in crystals and it took the talented folks at Armani over 350 hours to place them on the dress. The event came with a $3 million price tag. Six years after their fairytale wedding, the couple split.

Paul McCartney and Heather Mills

The second wedding for Paul McCartney and Heather Mills was held in 2002 at a remote castle in Glaslough, Ireland. It cost the couple $3 million. Over 300 friends and family attended the event that strictly catered only vegetarian dishes for the guests. The couple ended their relationship in 2008.

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Chelsea Clinton and Mark Mezvinsky

Chelsea Clinton‘s 2010 nuptials took place with 400 guests in attendance at the Astor Courts estate in New York and reportedly cost $3 million. Since she is the daughter of a former President, security was a high priority for the couple. They spent $250,000 to keep the event secure and far from wandering eyes.

Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault

Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault officially got married in 2009 on Valentine’s Day in Paris. That quaint City Hall ceremony was just the start, however. The couple later celebrated with their friends and family at Venice’s treasured opera house Teatro La Fenice. The event reportedly cost $3.5 million.

Liza Minnelli and David Gest

Liza Minnelli and David Gest had a remarkable wedding in 2002. The $3.5 million wedding had an 850-person guest list which is huge! Elizabeth Taylor served as Minnelli’s maid of honor for the event. Oh, and there was a little 60-piece orchestra to provide music for it. Despite the lavish wedding, the couple’s romance did not last and they divorced in 2003.

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello

Approximately 400 guests watched Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello‘s $4 million wedding at The Breakers Palm Beach Hotel in Florida. Sofia Vergara’s custom-made Zuhair Murad wedding gown took over 1,600 hours to complete, Pop Sugar reported. You know, totally normal stuff.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana

Think back to 1981 when Prince Charles and Lady Diana got hitched and one aspect of the festivities should stand out to you. Diana made history by wearing the longest train in royal history. The 25-foot train was made by David and Elizabeth Emanuel for Alexander McQueen. While we may never know the cost of such an extravagant gown, the total cost of the wedding was estimated to be $48 million. The couple would go on to divorce in 1996.

George and Amal Clooney

‘George Clooney wed Amal in 2014 at the Aman Canal Grand hotel in Venice, Italy. At the time, it was the biggest celebrity wedding since Prince William and Kate Middleton (put a pin in that). The destination wedding cost the couple $3 million to house their guests alone. It was the biggest expense but not the total which amounted to $4.6 million.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel bucked tradition when it came to her wedding gown for her 2012 marriage to Justin Timberlake. Instead of going with a white gown, the actor chose to walk down the aisle in a pink custom Giambattista Valli Haute Couture dress. That decision alone cost the pair $100,000 and that’s just a small amount when compared to the wedding’s total cost of $6.5 million.

Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto

Sports legend Michael Jordan married Yvette Prieto in a ceremony in Jupiter, Florida in 2013. Usher and Robin Thicke were just a couple of the A-list performers who provided entertainment for the event. With over 300 attendees, the wedding ended up costing a small fortune at $10 million.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries

Following six months of dating, Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries tied the knot in a $10 million ceremony that was recorded as a two-part special for the reality TV series Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2011. We all know how this one ended. After just 72 days together, the pair parted ways. We hope that $10 million still feels like money well spent!

Prince William and Kate Middleton

When you are a royal, you have to go big or go home with your wedding. Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s 2011 wedding cost $34 million. Not all of that money was for festivities, in fact, the majority of the cost was for security. About $33 million was spent on security and if you think that can’t be beaten, discover how much it cost for Prince William’s little brother next.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Nobody drops cash on a wedding like the royals. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent $40 million on security alone for their big day. In total, the cost of this royal couple’s wedding was $42.8 million. You will recall that the wedding was a huge event with a televised ceremony that saw thousands of onlookers waiting to cheer on the couple following their nuptials.

If you liked learning about these pricey celebrity weddings, you might also enjoy some of the most offbeat details and secrets from other ceremonies. No one does a wedding like celebrities so be prepared to have your mind blown by these stunning details that have mostly remained a secret until now.

Learn Which Celebrities Have Had the Most Unbelievable Weddings!

David Harbour and Lily Allen Celebrated Their Wedding at In-N-Out Burger

“In a wedding officiated by the king himself, the people’s princess wed her devoted, low-born, but kind credit card holder in a beautiful ceremony lit by the ashen skies courtesy of a burning state miles away in the midst of a global pandemic,” Harbour wrote on Instagram beside photos of the couple at the Graceland Wedding Chapel, and later, at In-N-Out. “Refreshments were served at a small reception following.”

Lily Allen and David Harbour were married on September 7, 2020. They decided to go ahead and get married during the pandemic because of Allen’s two daughters, Ethel and Marnie. The girls struggled with Harbour’s place in their family prior to the wedding.

“We were riding around the beginning of pandemic — she has two kids, these beautiful daughters, 8 and 9 — and we were riding bikes out in the country trying to figure out what we were gonna do for the next year or however long it was going to take,” Harbour said in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel. And the little one was riding along and she was going like, ‘David, Dad, David, Dad.’ Because the ‘d’ got her confused,” he noted. “And the older one got very upset with that, which I understand, and was like, ‘He’s not our dad! He’s not our dad!’”

Joe Manganiello Did a ‘Magic Mike’-Inspired Dance at He and Sofia Vergara’s Reception

Joe Manganiello recreated his Magic Mike XXL convenience store dance number when the couple’s wedding DJ played “I Want It That Way” at the 2015 reception. The steamy performance followed the actor’s vows with Sofia Vergara at The Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, Florida. the bride and groom said “I will” instead of exchanging “I dos.”

“Joe made a beautiful speech pledging his eternal love and adoration in both English and Spanish, followed by Sofia’s which she prefaced with, ‘Oh, mine is not so good!’” a source told People at the time.

There Were Giant, Rotating Cakes on Each Table for Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s Ceremony in Italy

Yes, on each table for Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker‘s wedding, there were three-tier, tall, rotating cakes. It was just one of many extravagant details about the couple’s wedding in May 2022 in Portofino, Italy.

There was also a live performance of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” sung by opera legend Andrea Bocelli. Further, the entire event was hosted by Dolce & Gabbana. The venue as well as a yacht belonging to the luxury brand were used by Kardashian and Barker. They and other members of their families were also outfitted in garments from D&G.

Julia Roberts Walked Down the Aisle Barefoot

Julia Roberts walked down the aisle barefoot for her first marriage. She married Lyle Lovett in 1993. The Pretty Woman actor opted for an understated Commes des Garçons white dress for the 1993 nuptials, which People reported happened after a whirlwind romance with Lovett of “three or four weeks.” 

The marriage later ended in 1995. Julia went on to marry cinematographer Daniel Moder in 2002, while Lyle married April Kimble in 2017, Buzzfeed reports.

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka Had an ‘Orange Boy’

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka had an unusual part of their wedding ceremony involving their son. He had a special request for his dads on what he wanted to do for their

During an episode of Live! With Kelly and Michael, Kelly Ripa, who was a guest at the 2014 ceremony, explained this cute and offbeat wedding detail. Neil and David’s son, Gideon, was originally going to be the ring bearer at their wedding but instead said, “I want to be the orange boy.” Kelly recalled that Gideon “passed out oranges to everybody as he came down the aisle.” Neil and David’s daughter, Harper, served as the flower girl.

Ripa also revealed that there were fireworks, magic tricks, and a performance by Sir Elton John. She elaborated on the magic portion of the ceremony saying it was done “Because you know, Neil is way into magic.” So, it’s clear this was no ordinary ceremony!

Sarah Jessica Parker Did Not Want a White Wedding Dress

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick got married in 1997. The couple sprung a surprise wedding on unassuming guests, inviting friends to New York for what they thought was a party. 100 guests gathered at New York’s Angel Oresanz Synagogue. SJP chose an unconventional black dress to wear for the wedding. Apparently, the risk was not worth the reward and the actor later regretted the choice.

“I wore black on my wedding day, and I really regret that. I was too embarrassed to get married in white, and both Matthew and I were reluctant to have people pay so much attention to us,” SJP told Marie Claire. “Which is ridiculous, because that’s when you can relish the attention when it’s natural. We treated it like it was a big party on a Monday night, and I regret it.”

They could always have a do-over!

Keanu Reeves Showed Up to Robert Downey Jr.’s Wedding on a Motorcycle

Want to hear the most Keanu Reeves thing ever? He attended Robert Downey Jr.’s 2005 wedding to producer Susan Levin. But, he showed up in style. He came on his motorcycle to the wedding that was held underneath a gazebo built for the occasion. on Long Island. You know, he just showed up in formal wear on a motorcycle, as one does.

Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli Chose A Very Unique Wedding Theme

Funfetti was the theme of Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli‘s cute 2917 wedding. “My favourite detail from that wedding turned into confetti everywhere,” Samira told The Knot of the unusual theme. “We had a confetti cannon … It shoots thousands of pieces of confetti right after the beat drops. It’s amazing.” Sounds festive!

Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto Pitched a HUGE Tent

Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto used the biggest wedding tent in history for their 2013 nuptials. The tent was also larger than Michael’s own home — his house takes up 35,000 square feet, Buzzfeed reported. The tent totalled 40,000 square feet! If it sounds like that would be rather expensive, you’d be right! The price tag for the wedding topped $10 million. Wowza!

Idris Elba’s Tattoo Inspired Part of Bride, Sabrina Dhowre Elba’s Wedding Gown

Sabrina Dhowre Elba‘s wedding train was embroidered with a message inspired by her husband, Idris Elba‘s tattoo. Designer Vera Wang custom-made Sabrina’s wedding gown for the 2019 ceremony. Vera explained to Vogue that Sabrina asked for the bottom of her train to be embroidered with the phrase, “This train carries no wrong-doers” as a tribute to an arm tattoo that Idris has.

Not only was the dress special, but the location for the Elbas’ wedding was also pretty unique. The couple was married in Marrakesh, Morocco over the course of a three-day extravaganza that included plenty of camel rides, and fire-eaters, acrobats, and belly dancers performing. Sounds like a real party!

Katie Holmes’ Disappeared on Her Wedding Day with Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ $3 million wedding was filled with drama. Before the ceremony even began, Katie’s parents, who are practising Catholics and who raised their daughter to be also, refused to attend the wedding because of her choice of partner (Katie’s dad thought Tom seemed like too much of a control freak) and the whole Scientology thing. The couple moved forward with the wedding without her parents only for the bride to go missing on the big day.

Tom was standing at the alter waiting for Katie to join him with all the A-list guests in attendance. Leah Remini, who was in attendance, wrote that it felt like an “eternity.” Finally, after keeping guests and her groom waiting for longer than 20 minutes, Katie emerged. The couple’s marriage only lasted six years but perhaps the strange wedding should have been a red flag.

Alexis Ohanian Did a Carousel Reveal for Serena Williams

Alexis Ohanian did the most for his bride, the iconic, Serena Williams. The couple’s 2017 wedding had a sort of fairytale theme with chandeliers outfitted with gold birdcages and throne chairs for the happy couple to sit on. The wedding was already magical, but as the party went into the early hours of the next day, Ohanian revealed a white carousel for Williams as a surprise. Now, think of the biggest thing you’ve ever been surprised by. Can you imagine finding a magical carousel at about 1:30 AM? What a dream!

A Live Elephant Attended Nicole Richie and Joel Madden’s Wedding

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden‘s 2010 wedding had a larger-than-life guest in attendance. On the day of their nuptials, an elephant was seen at Nicole’s father, Lionel Richie‘s home, which is where the ceremony took place. Is this the weirdest celebrity marriage detail on this list? It’s possible! What’s even more interesting about it is that Nicole had talked about wanting an elephant at her wedding for years! It was always her plan.

In 2005, Nicole said on Larry King Live! that she wanted “a very, very big wedding” with “hundreds of people and elephants.” She explained that she wanted an elephant present “because elephants are really good luck, and they’re beautiful animals.” You got to give it up for this animal-lover who always knew what she wanted for the big day.

Arthur Miller Married Marilyn Monroe Using a Borrowed Ring

Here’s a bit of a blast from the past. Arthur Miller married Marilyn Monroe in 1956 and on the day of their ceremony, Miller gave his bride a borrowed ring! Yes, Miller used a ring borrowed from his mother to marry Monroe. Three days after the nuptials, Miller gave Monroe her actual wedding ring which was inscribed with the message, “A to M, June 1956. Now is forever.” Unfortunately, that was not how things shook out. The couple divorced in 1961.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Wedding Outfits Were from Their Children

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had some really cute contributions from their kids incorporated into their wardrobes for the big day. Angelina’s wedding dress and veil were created with the help of the late Versace tailor, Luigi Massi. Luigi sewed in “dozens of designs” that were hand-drawn by her and Brad’s kids, according to People.

Ms Jolie was not the only person who got some help from the kids. Pitt reportedly forgot the tie he had planned to were for the ceremony and, instead, wore one that he borrowed from one of his sons.

Despite all of the good fortune you’d expect for these touches from the kids to bring, the couple split after Jolie filed for divorce in 2016.

Meghan Markle Carried a Very Special Bouquet on Her Wedding Day

America’s very own royal, Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry had a huge wedding celebration that became a sort of national holiday in the UK. Despite the extreme scale of the ceremony (and all the other events around it), Markle carried a very humble wedding bouquet down the aisle. Prince Harry handpicked the flowers in it which included a very special flower for him.

One of the flowers in the special bouquet was forget-me-nots. The name and symbolism alone are sweet but it’s even more special when you understand that they were Princess Diana‘s favorite flowers. How heartwarming is that?

It Was a Really Long Table for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West had an over-the-top wedding in Florence, Italy in 2014. Guests were seated at a 224-foot-long marble table to take in the skyline views of the city. It might be hard for you to imagine a table this length and you’d be totally right to not comprehend what such a monstrosity might look like. To put it into perspective, if you stood the table up, lengthwise, it would be 3/4 the height of the Statue of Liberty!

The rest is history as this couple’s marriage ended after seven years in 2021.

Beyonce and Jay-Z’s Flower Power

Superstar couple Beyonce and Jay-Z had a lavish wedding in 2008. It included, among other luxe features, a whole bunch of dendrobium orchids, Beyonce’s favorite flower. How many? 70,000 orchids were flown in from Thailand for the event. It was an exotic detail that really made the event so bright and special.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher Did Not Drop the Big Bucks on Rings

Mila Kunis shared on Conan in 2016 that Ashton Kutcher bought her a “stunning” engagement ring. But that wasn’t necessarily the case with the wedding bands she chose for their nuptials. Both were more humble rings from Etsy; Mila’s band cost $90, while Ashton’s was just $100.

Priyanka Chopra’s Wedding Dress Was On Another Level

For the 2018 wedding of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, the bride’s dress was bedazzled beyond belief. Chopra wore no fewer than two gowns for the ceremony. One of which was a custom dress designed by Ralph Lauren. The creation of the ensemble included adding 32,000 pearlescent sequins to Priyanka’s hand-embroidered coat, plus embellishing the strapless dress worn underneath it with over two million more sequins, according to Vogue. You read that correctly! That’s a ton of detail!

Ariana Grande Wore Mismatched Earrings for Her Wedding to Dalton Gomez

Ariana Grande wore mismatched diamond and pearl Lorraine Schwartz earrings for her 2021 wedding to Dalton Gomez. The earrings were a very special part of her ensemble as they matched the engagement ring she wore and were worn in a unique way to offer meaning to the bride. One was placed normally and the other was attached upside down. According to Vogue, this combination “represents appreciating the lowest or the ‘upside down’ moments in [Ariana’s] life and how they have contributed to where and who she is now.”

That’s certainly a bit different than most!

Victoria and David Beckham Turned to a Disney Classic for Their Wedding Theme

It’s been a minute since Victoria and David Beckham tied the knot. The couple wed in 1999, and they’ve been going strong ever since. They turned to a pretty unconventional Disney animated film to help inform the aesthetic of their wedding, 1973’s Robin Hood. Hello! Magazine reported that colors from the movie, purple, green, and burgundy, all became the color scheme for their wedding!

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these wild celebrity wedding facts and secrets. Sometimes the stars seem just like us while others seem completely out of touch. We hope these wedding details helped you see how interesting celebrity wedding ceremony choices can be!