Weddings are mainly known as ceremonies and celebrations that symbolize the joining together of two people through marriage, but they can also be an opportunity to display wealth, social status and cultural significance.
Historically, royalty and wealthy families have thrown lavish weddings to showcase power and forge political alliances. Over the last decades, the tradition of hosting sumptuous wedding ceremonies continued with celebrities and socialites holding extravagant and expensive parties to celebrate their marriage.
In the past decades, however, weddings have gotten smaller. According to a survey of 10,000 couples from The Knot, in 2023, the average wedding party consisted of eight people versus 10 in 2019, and the average guest list was 115 versus 131 in 2019.
A study provided by wedding planning and registry website Zola revealed the average wedding in 2023 cost $29,000. The price can vary according to the brides and grooms’ choice of catering, entertainment, photography, nuptials, outfits and even the cake.
According to psychologist Tirrell De Gannes, millennials see marriage as less important “due partially to popular television shows ‘that trivialize it’ — like ‘Married at First Sight,’ ’90-Day Fiancé’ or ‘Love is Blind,'” WWD previously reported.
“It’s great to have the typical, traditional wedding celebration but it’s also great to have that amazing thing that will stand out in terms of memories,” De Gannes said.
In March, Pinterest released its 2024 wedding report, which reinforced the ongoing shrinking size of gatherings. “This year, people on Pinterest are leaning into the ‘quiet life’ as they plan smaller nuptials like wedding dinner parties and choose venues that connect with nature like gardens, forests and small backyards,” said Sydney Stanback, global trends and insights lead at Pinterest, as reported by WWD.
This change of view towards marriage has also affected the wedding industry, with designers pivoting to accommodate a new style of bride who is looking for nontraditional dresses and even outfits that can be worn again after the wedding.
In 2022, Pronovias released its Unconventional Brides Collection, which featured crepe wedding trousers, a long-sleeve crepe blazer and a crepe halter top, among other contemporary styles. Other designers like Vera Wang, Danielle Frankel and Sally LaPointe have included pieces that cater to this new bride.
But not everyone is embracing the quiet life trend for their wedding ceremonies. For some with boldface names, their wedding plans — and gowns — are still crafted to impress.
In May, Iris van Herpen made headlines for designing the first 3D-printed wedding gown for Brazilian tax lawyer Mariana Pavani to walk down the aisle. Bridal designer Ines di Santo also channeled romanticism with classic wedding gowns introduced at her immersive New York Luxury Bridal Fashion Week presentation in April.
Here, WWD takes a closer look at some of the most expensive weddings of all time and the dresses that walked down the aisles.
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Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, $600 Million
Image Credit: Getty Images Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Asia’s wealthiest man, Mukesh Ambani, married Radhika Merchant on Friday in Mumbai. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ceremony was estimated at $600 million, making it one of the most expensive in history.
The wedding celebrations started in January 2024. It included a European cruise in May with concerts by Backstreet Boys and Katy Perry, and a traditional sangeet night in Mumbai with a performance by Justin Bieber.
The final ceremony featured high-profile guests including Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, as well as numerous international dignitaries.
Styled by Rhea Kapoor, the bride wore an ivory Zardozi skirt with a trailing design, a 5-meter head veil and a tissue shoulder dupatta. The outfit was adorned with stones and sequins throughout. For jewelry, the bride wore a set of diamonds that her grandmother, mother and sister had worn at their respective weddings.
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Amit Bhatia and Vanisha Mittal, $55 Million
Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images The wedding of Vanisha Mittal, daughter of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, to London-based banker Amit Bhatia in 2004 reportedly cost around $5 million, an average of $99 Million after inflation, according to the Guinness World Records.
Their engagement ceremony was held at the Palace of Versailles, while the wedding ceremony took place at the Vaux-le-Vicomte, a historic 17th-century castle 55km from Paris.
According to India Today, the wedding outfits were created by a team of top Indian designers, including Tarun Tahiliani, Suneet Varma and the duo Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla.
More than 1,000 high-profile guests were flown in on private jets, including celebrities, businesspeople and global dignitaries. The wedding celebration featured an exclusive performance by Kylie Minogue.
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Prince Charles and Princess Diana, $48 Million
Image Credit: Bettmann Archive Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding remains the most expensive in British royal history. According to Business Insider, their ceremony, held on July 29, 1981, at the St Paul’s Cathedral in London, cost $48 million, which would be an average of $164 million today after inflation.
Dubbed the “wedding of the century,” the ceremony was attended by 3,500 guests and watched by an estimated 750 million people worldwide on television.
Diana wore a wedding dress with a 25-foot train, considered the longest in royal wedding history. David and Elizabeth Emanuel, also known as the Emanuels, designed the dress.
The gown was crafted from ivory silk taffeta and antique Carrickmacross lace, which had previously belonged to Diana’s great-grandmother-in-law, Queen Mary. Embroidery, sequins and over 10,000 pearls adorned its waistline, hem and train. The dress later fetched $381,000 at auction.
Charles and Diana separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996.
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Prince William and Kate Middleton, $37 Million
Image Credit: Getty Images Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding took place on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London. According to CBS, the ceremony reportedly cost an average of $34 million, or $48 million after inflation.
Middleton wore a wedding gown designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The dress, crafted by 30 seamstresses, featured intricate lace work and a 9-foot-long train and took a year to complete. She also wore the Cartier Halo Tiara, borrowed from Queen Elizabeth II’s vault.
The event was attended by 1,900 guests and watched by an estimated global TV audience of 300 million people, with 72 million live streams on YouTube.
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Queen Letizia and King Felipe of Spain, $25 million
Image Credit: Getty Images King Felipe of Spain (now King Felipe VI) and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano married on May 22, 2004, in Madrid. According to BBC Mundo, the ceremony cost $25 million, which translates to $41 million after inflation.
The ceremony took place at the Cathedral Santa María la Real de la Almudena. Letizia wore a gown designed by Spanish fashion designer Manuel Pertegaz and the Prussian Diamond Tiara, loaned by her mother-in-law Queen Sofia. Her dress was made of Valencia silk with a high collar, long sleeves and a wide skirt that flowed into a 15-foot train. It featured gold embroidery depicting fleur de lys and ears of wheat.
A lunch for approximately 1,500 guests was served at the Prince’s Patio of the Royal Palace, where both King Juan Carlos and Prince Felipe gave speeches.