Weddings in affluent societies and among royalty are frequently elaborate events with lavish spending. These weddings show off how some couples would go to great lengths to celebrate their love in style, from week-long gatherings fit for royalty to performances by international superstars. These events redefine the idea of extravagance.

As MyNigeria highlights the glitz, glamour, and astounding price tags of these extraordinary weddings, let's take a peek inside the lavish world of the five most expensive weddings in history, where love meets luxury on an unparalleled scale.

Five most expensive weddings

1. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant ($600 million)

Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, has been in the news recently due to his marriage to Radhika Merchant, daughter of Encore Healthcare's CEO and vice chairman Viren Merchant.

In March 2019, Anant Ambani and Radhika had a pre-wedding event that marked the start of their marriage. The pre-wedding allegedly came with a $300 million price tag. Rihanna and other A-list celebrities performed throughout the three-day event.

International celebrities including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, actor and WWE star John Cena, retired boxer Mike Tyson, Nigerian singer Rema, and Hollywood actor Jean-Claude Van Damme attended the actual wedding, which was held on July 12 in Mumbai. The wedding ceremony's exact cost has not been disclosed, although it is reported to have cost an astounding $600 million.



2. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Princess Salama ($137 million)

It is claimed that the 1979 wedding of Dubai's Crown Prince and his bride cost more than $100 million. During the week-long festivities, a 20,000-seat stadium and a fleet of Mercedes-Benz vehicles for the wedding party were provided.

Over $137 million was spent on the five-day wedding by the king of Dubai. During the ceremony, twenty camels adorned with jewels carried the bride's gifts. The wedding still holds the Guinness World Record for the most costly wedding.



3. Prince Charles and Princess Diana ($110 million)

The most extravagant royal wedding of the 20th century was the one between Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1981. Diana's gown was covered in an elaborate 10,000 pearls, and the couple opted for 27 wedding cakes as opposed to one.

Although the wedding cost approximately $48 million at the time and was ineligible for inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records, its actual expenses, after accounting for inflation, came to more like $110 million.



4. Vanisha Mittal and Amit Bhatia ($55 million)

Vanisha Mittal reportedly spent over $55 million on her 2004 wedding to Amit. Celebrities such as Kylie Minogue performed at the six-day event.

Lakshmi Mittal, an Indian billionaire steel magnate who was the third richest person in the world at the time, is Vanisha's father.

There was a lavish engagement ceremony and guest performances over the six-day celebration. More than a thousand people attended the event; they all lodged at the five-star Hotel le Grand Intercontinental after travelling from India to Paris on twelve aircraft.



5. Prince William and Kate Middleton ($34 million)

Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2011 wedding is said to have cost over $34 million. World-renowned people and nobility attended the wedding at Westminster Abbey.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding was a widely televised affair, with a carriage procession and a reception at Buckingham Palace. However, it wasn't as lavish as his parents' wedding.



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