Meet the World's Most Expensive Weddings: Beginning with Trump and Melania

10. Donald Trump & Melania Knauss – $1 Million

Donald Trump’s 2005 wedding in Palm Beach, Florida, was a lavish affair. The wedding cake alone weighed 900 kilograms, and Melania’s 4-meter train gown cost $200,000. The dress was adorned with 1,500 colored stones and pearls, weighing 27 kilograms. Guests included Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the event featured multiple singers and magicians. Trump had been married several times before, but none of his previous weddings came close to this extravagance.

9. Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes – $2 Million

On November 18, 2006, Hollywood star Tom Cruise married American actress Katie Holmes in a 15th-century Italian palace, Odescalchi, one of Italy’s most picturesque landmarks. The bride’s stunning gown was designed by Giorgio Armani. Forbes immediately listed this wedding among the most expensive in the world.

8. Elizabeth Hurley & Arun Nayar – $2.5 Million

Elizabeth Hurley and Indian textile heir Arun Nayar married on March 2, 2007, in an eight-day celebration spanning Asia and Europe. Hurley’s family attended festivities at Sudley Castle in Scotland, while Nayar’s family celebrated at Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, India. Hurley wore traditional Indian attire for the Indian ceremony, which followed local customs.

7. Paul McCartney & Heather Mills – $3 Million

Paul McCartney spent $3 million to propose to Heather Mills and host their 2003 wedding in Glashlough, Ireland. The ceremony, attended by 300 guests, included fireworks, performances, and a lavish dinner. The wedding took place on a luxury yacht valued at $20 million. Their marriage ended in 2008, with Mills receiving $50 million in the divorce settlement.

6. Liza Minnelli & David Gest – $3.5 Million

The March 16, 2002 wedding in Manhattan drew over 850 guests. The 12-tier, 6-foot-tall cake alone cost $40,000, and over $700,000 was spent on flowers. Despite the grandeur, the marriage lasted only a year.

5. Delphine Arnault & Alessandro Vallarino Gancia – $7 Million

On September 24, 2005, Delphine Arnault, daughter of French billionaire Bernard Arnault, married Alessandro Vallarino Gancia in Côte d’Azur, France. Her gown was designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, and the venue was adorned with 5,000 white roses. Notable guests included Elizabeth Hurley and Karl Lagerfeld. The wedding became known as “the wedding of the year.”

4. Wayne Rooney & Coleen McLoughlin – $15 Million

Wayne Rooney and TV presenter Coleen McLoughlin married on June 12, 2008, in Portofino, Italy. The four-day celebration on a luxury yacht hosted 64 guests, all flown in via private jets. Despite the simplicity of the ceremony—pizza was served for dinner—the lavish design of the bride’s gown and other extravagant elements drove costs sky-high, reportedly $3 million for the dress alone.

3. Vikram Chatwal & Priya Sachdev – $20 Million

The son of a wealthy Indian hotelier, Vikram Chatwal married Indian actress Priya Sachdev on February 18, 2006, in a 10-day celebration across Mumbai, Udaipur, and Delhi. 600 guests from 26 countries attended, arriving via private jets. Notable attendees included Bill Clinton and Naomi Campbell.

2. Aleksandra Kokotovic & Andrey Melnichenko – $30 Million

Russian billionaire and MDM Bank founder Andrey Melnichenko married former Miss Yugoslavia Aleksandra Kokotovic on September 3, 2005, at a Côte d’Azur beachfront hall in France. The ceremony featured a soloist in a grand church, and two famous American singers performed at the evening celebration, each earning $3.6 million.

1. Vanisha Mittal & Amit Bhatia – $78 Million

The most expensive wedding in history belongs to Vanisha Mittal, daughter of Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, and banker-investor Amit Bhatia. Held on November 18, 2006, at the 17th-century Versailles Hall in France, the five-day celebration included 1,000 guests, 100 dishes prepared by a top Kolkata chef, $1.5 million in drinks, and elaborate 20-page silver invitation books. Forbes immediately recognized it as the priciest wedding ever, a title still recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.