Listen carefully and you may just hear a faint ringing this month, but don’t fret! That is not the sound of you losing your hearing, but rather the sound of wedding bells filling the air. Couples all across the country are preparing their summer nuptials and as prices continue to rise, one study says the average wedding now cost nearly $33,000—the largest amount yet! An article published by E! broke down some of the more costly elements that have gone into various celebrity unions over the years. We’ve used their numbers to compile the following list of wedding bills that would break the average person’s bank.
Paul McCartney & Heather Mills, 2002: $3.2 million
The Beatles singer-songwriter held an Indian-themed wedding in Ireland for his second trip down the aisle. The price of their divorce settlement 6 years later? A whopping $50 million…ouch!
Chartered aircraft from London Heathrow to Belfast: $12,500 per jet, one way (adjusted for inflation)
Castle rental for reception: $40,000
Flowers: $145,000
Fireworks: $150,00
4-tier chocolate cake: $4,500
George & Amal Clooney, 2014: $4.6 million
It pays to have friends like The Clooneys! They voluntarily foot the travel bill for all the guests of their destination wedding in Venice, Italy.
Bachelor dinner: $1,750
Bachelorette dinner: $2,000
Cipriani hotel suites, three nights, 95 rooms: Apprx. $3 million
Alternate accommodations at The Aman Hotel: $4,650/night per suite
Water transportation around Venice: $36,500
Ceremony and reception set-up: $300,000
Munaretto flowers: $250,000
5-course reception dinner for 100 guests: $30,000
250 bottles of champagne: $50,000
200 bottles of Grey Goose vodka: $80,000
600 bottles of Casamigos Tequila: $30,000 (waived for Clooney who is a co-owner)
Custom Oscar de la Renta gown: $380,000
Giorgio Armani tuxedo: $5,000
Sunday post-wedding lunch at Cipriani: $15,000
Prince William & Kate Middleton, 2011: $34 Million
This highly-anticipated royal wedding brought an estimated $690 million boost to the local economy, including tourism and merchandise!
Security: $32 million
Alexander McQueen gown: $434,000
A luncheon reception for 600 guests at Buckingham Palace and a dinner reception for 300 hosted by Prince Charles: $600,000
Flowers & foliage, including eight 20-foot-high trees: $800,000
White buttercream wedding cake and chocolate cookie groom’s cake: $80,000
Chelsea Clinton & Marc Mezvinsky, 2010: $3-$5 million
The former first daughter was all smiles as she said “I do” in front of 400 guests at the Astor Courts estate in Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Catering: $750,000
Premium windowed, air-conditioned tents: $600,000
Flowers: $500,000
Tables: $109,000
Invitations: $60,000
Custom Vera Wang gown: $20,000
Diamond jewelry: $250,000
Grooms Burberry tux: At least $2,000
5-foot, 11-tier gluten-free chocolate wedding cake: $11,000
Security: Apprx. $200,000
Kim Kardashian & Kanye West, 2014: $2.8 million
Believe it or not, Kim and Kanye’s elaborate intercontinental wedding still cost less than Kanye’s $3.3 million proposal in San Francisco!
Kim’s Givenchy Haute Couture gown: Apprx. $500,000
Glam squad available to guests: $380/person
Hotel George V in Paris: Rooms starting at $750/night
St. Regis or Four Seasons: Rooms starting at $885/night
Bachelorette dinner: $409/person
Family’s stay at the Villa San Michele in Florence: $1,800/night per room
Westin Excelsior for guests: $68,000 for 100 rooms
Ground transport around the city: $70,000
Air transport: $74,000 per trip between Florence and Paris
Forte di Belvedere, wedding venue rental: $409,000
Flowers, Fiori Della Signoria: $136,000
Catering: $110,00
7-foot-tall cake: $6,685
