Former Beatle Paul McCartney married Heather Mills at a gorgeous remote castle in Ireland in June of 2002. 300 friends and family members gathered at Castle Leslie in Glaslough to enjoy an Indian-themed celebration that cost about $3 million. McCartney’s former bandmates, Ringo Starr and George Harrison were in attendance and joined Paul on stage for a performance at one point.
Ironically enough, the venue was one of the least expensive parts of the entire production, which seems a bit odd considering it’s a castle. After the ceremony, which took place in the middle of $140,000 worth of flowers, guests were treated to a lakeside vegetarian feast. Guests were also treated to a lavish fireworks display in the evening.
Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar's Big Day
Actress Elizabeth Hurley wanted to feel like a princess when she wed Tyco Vice President Arun Nayar in 2007, and what Elizabeth Hurley wants, Elizabeth Hurley gets! The couple tied the knot in an extravagant international affair that spanned the course of a week and cost nearly $2.5 million.
The first part of the festivities was the Anglican wedding, which was held at Sudeley Castle in England. After the traditional wedding, they flew out to India for a Hindu ceremony, along with a week full of other activities. Flights between the countries for the couple and their guests ran them around $300,000, along with the $100,000 they spent on hotel rooms.
Christina Aguilera’s Big Day
In 2002, superstar Christina Aguilera met music producer Jordan Bratman in Atlanta while she was there working on an album. The two instantly hit it off. Bratman wound up moving back to Los Angeles with her and three years later – they got married in a beautiful ceremony that cost around $2 million.
Although Christina Aguilera has always been very humble, she of course still wanted to have the fairytale wedding of her dreams, and she did just that. 150 guests were invited to a small ceremony at the Staglin Family Vineyard in Napa Valley, California, where the couple exchanged vows amidst a sea of multi-colored roses. Christina said, “I do,” in a custom-made Christian Lacroix dress and Louboutin heels.
Sir Elton John’s Wedding
Elton John’s marriage to his partner, David Furnish, happened in the midst of the UK’s legalization of same-sex marriage in 2014, so the ceremony was understandably over-the-top. The couple reportedly dropped over $2 million on the celebration, which took place in England at the Windsor Estate.
The couple were fairly modest in their choice of tuxedos, spending only $10,000 for both of them. But what they saved from wardrobe, they made up for with edibles, spending upwards of $130,000 on luxuries like champagne and caviar. Celebrity friends including Ed Sheeran and Victoria Beckham attended the celebration, which came 9 years after they had already been in a civil partnership.
Angelababy Ties the Knot
Those in North America may not recognize the name above, but they may know a thing or two about Chinese actress Angel Yeung, one of the most popular actresses in the Eastern world and fondly known as the “Chinese Kim K.” Aside from her major roles in her country, she’s crossed over into international acting with smaller roles in films like "Hitman: Agent 47." In 2015, Angelababy married fellow actor Huang Xiaoming, in an over-the-top ceremony that cost over $30 million.
2,000 guests were in attendance at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, but even more were watching the ceremony online. The nuptials were held in a beautiful holographic castle that looked like something straight out of a fairytale, and the cake was an impressive 10 feet tall. Yeung walked down the aisle in a gorgeous custom Dior gown made from ivory satin and tulle. In the end, Yeung spent about three times more on her special day than Kim K did on all her weddings.