All brides want to shine in their wedding dresses, but most of us will need to accomplish this on a strict budget.
For the rich and powerful, the opposite seems to be true.
When it comes to ritzy weddings, the famous sure know how to show off, especially in the dress department. In fact, over the last few years, there’s been a pattern of spending BIG on wedding gowns. And when we say big, we mean $100,000 bucks big — and more!
Here’s what they looked like, and the women who gleamed while wearing them.
9. Nicky Hilton
Nicky Hilton, sister to the scandal-attracting Paris Hilton of hotel fame, is the latest bride to join the $100,000 wedding gown group.
She married James Rothschild, a descendant of two very wealthy parents with links to banking and brewing. Her dress was an ivory custom-made Valentino couture gown, embellished with crystals and edged with lace. She paired it with a cathedral length veil, both of which were estimated at $100,000. This stunning gown certainly drew attention at the wedding, especially when she accidentally got it caught under the tyres of her Bentley. First world problems!
How much did it cost? US$100,000
8. Victoria Beckham
They have a love story that reads like a celebrity fairytale, so it was no surprise when Victoria and David Beckham tied the knot in 1999, it was a luxury affair. They were married at a castle in Ireland (see the fairytale theme), and apparently sat on golden thrones at the event (again, fairytale).
To top it all off, Victoria Beckham wore a simple, champagne-coloured, strapless gown designed by none other than Vera Wang.
How much did it cost? US$100,000
7. Jessica Biel
Jessica wore a gorgeous pink custom ‘Giambattista Valli’ gown which is super flowy and pretty, when she was married to the hottie Justin Timberlake. I think it suits her perfectly. The couple was married back in 2012 and now have a son, Silas Timberlake!
How much did it cost? US$100,000
6. Melania Knauss (aka Mrs Donald Trump)
When Melania Knauss married Donald Trump in 2004, you just knew it was going to be a big event. And the dress was the perfect example of just how far the big hitters will go to impress at their nuptials.
The bride attended Paris’ best haute couture fashion shows to figure out what to wear to marry a billionaire, before settling on a Christian Dior gown with a value of around $125,000. To be honest, we aren’t surprised. The dress, an enormous white satin strapless number, took about 550 man-hours to sew and was made up of around 300 feet of material.
This was set off with about 1,500 crystal rhinestones and pearls, along with a 13-foot train and an even longer veil. Talk about the weight of married life!
How much did it cost? $125,000
5. Catherine Zeta-Jones
A Hollywood love story that’s lasted the years, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas had a wedding to remember.
After falling in love on the set of Entrapment (ironically), they married the following year. And nothing attracted more attention than Catherine’s choice of dress.
The gown was designed by Christian Lacroix. It was custom-made and satin-sheathed, and included ivory beads that were individually sewn in. She rocked the six-foot Chantilly lace train, and even wore a diamond tiara. We don’t even want to think about how much the crown cost, but we know the dress was an eye-watering $140,000.
How much did it cost? US$140,000
4. Aman Alamuddin (aka Mrs George Clooney)
Amal looked truly stunning on her wedding day to the delicious Mr Clooney. She wore a stunning Oscar De La Renta gown with a huge 14 yards of Chantilly Lace which was totally hand beaded! Wowsers!
How much did it cost? US$380,000!
3. Kim Kardashian West
Is anyone really surprised that Kim Kardashian spent a lot of money on her wedding? We weren’t, although we did choke on our coffee a little when we found out the entire wedding cost a whooooooping $12 million. But that’s not hard to manage when you’re spending half a million on your dress alone.
Was it worth it?
Well she certainly looked stunning in the Givenchy Haute Couture gown, designed by Riccardo Tisci. The dress was long-sleeved, and featured lace panels and pearls, as well as a cathedral-length veil. The dress was so massive, and so valuable, that it apparently had its own hotel room at the event. Ah, rich people problems.
How much did it cost? US$400,000!
2. Lady Diana Spencer
For a royal wedding, it’s go big or go home.So it was when it came to the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. Also known as the ‘Wedding of the Century’, the future Princess Diana wore a stunning ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown custom designed by Elizabeth Emanuel. Diana had seen Emanuel’s work before, and she delivered in style.
The dress featured a 25-foot train and was decorated with embroidery, sequins, and around 10,000 pearls. The royal word was the dress only cost a few thousand dollars, but fashion experts have priced it at closer to $150,000.
How much did it cost? $115,000 – $150,000 back in the 80’s, which means it’s more than $400,000 today!
1. Kate Middleton
Another royal wedding, another couple who blew us away with their wedding dress budget.
This time, it was Prince William and Kate Middleton, who married in April of 2011. The dress worn by the bride was one of the biggest wedding secrets, and kept under wraps until her big day.
It was an Alexander McQueen gown, designed by Sarah Burton. The dress featured an ivory satin bodice, and a full, flowing skirt. Constructed with lots of valuable handmade lace on the sleeves and the skirt trim, the craftsmen behind it had to wash their hands every 30 minutes just to keep it gleaming. That’s dedication, but for what it cost, we’d be dedicated too!
How much did it cost? We’ve heard $400,000!
Which one is your favourite wedding dress? Do you think it’s worth the cost?
