In the ’90s, singer Mariah Carey was on top of the world. The diva was at the top of all of the Billboard charts, and she and music exec-boyfriend Tommy Mottola had a beautiful wedding ceremony. When the pair tied the knot, they reportedly only dropped about half of a million, but when you factor in inflation, that would be about $1 million today.
The elegant affair was held in 1993 at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York City. The guest list was comprised of all of the biggest names in the business, including Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy Osbourne, and Barbara Streisand. Mariah walked down the aisle in a puffy Vera Wang gown with a 27-foot-long train trailing behind her. The couple held an intimate but lavish reception at the Metropolitan Club after the nuptials.
A Neverland Wedding
Larry Fortensky met Elizabeth Taylor in 1988 during his stay at the Betty Ford Center, where they both checked in for substance abuse issues. The two hit it off and ended up getting married in 1991, making this the 8th time Taylor would tie the knot. The couple spent just around $2 million for the event and had it at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.
The wedding, though not quite as expensive as some of the other ceremonies on the list, was still packed full of celebrities and luxury. The star-studded guest list included big names like Eddy Murphy and Liza Minnelli. The bride was walked down by Michael Jackson in her pastel Valentino gown valued at $25,000. The wedding was so high profile that members of the paparazzi were literally jumping out of planes to get inside and get some photos.
Martin Lee Ka Shing's Whopper Wedding
Director of Hong Kong and China Gas Company, Martin Lee Ka Shing, isn’t concerned about spending his money – especially when it comes to making his fiancé happy. The billionaire decided on a fairly small ceremony, with 150 guests who were all flown to Sydney for his wedding in 2006. The entire affair cost a reported $90 million – enough to provide food for an entire country.
Martin married former model and actress Cathy Tsui in a ceremony that was put together by some of the best wedding planners on the planet. The nuptials took place in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, which boasted a view of the Opera House. The bride wore a 50-carat diamond necklace, along with her new 5-carat ring.
An Intimate Affair
When Hollywood royalty like Blake and Ryan come together to celebrate their love, you know they’re going to do it in the biggest possible way. The adorable, fun-loving actors tied the knot in 2012, in a secretive ceremony at Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina, which just so happens to be where parts of The Notebook were filmed. The nuptials were so intimate that only 35 guests were there to witness them.
Lively wore a custom-made gown designed by Marchesa, which she later revealed that she accidentally burnt a hole in during the reception while Florence Welch (from Florence and the Machine) performed. Although the stars wouldn’t divulge exactly how much they spent on the occasion, some reports put it at least over $1 million. After all, Reynolds did give Blake a 12-carat ring, and that has to come with a big bill.
Chelsea Clinton’s Lavish Affair
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US President Bill Clinton, married investment banker and longtime friend Marc Mezvinsky in 2010. The couple had a lavish interfaith ceremony in upstate New York that was rumored to have cost nearly $5 million. Security at the event was crazy, and even included a no-fly zone over the venue, which cost an estimated $200,000.
Clinton wore a custom-made Vera Wang gown when she walked down the aisle on her father’s arm. The wedding cake was an elaborate, multi-tiered, gluten-free creation, to appease Chelsea’s allergy to it, and cost over $10,000. Compared to some weddings on this list, Chelsea had a fairly small guest list of about 500 people, which included stars like Barbara Streisand, Steven Spielberg, and Barack Obama.