How Much These Pop Star Weddings Cost
According to a study by The Knot, the average cost for an American wedding in 2021 was $27,000. Taking into consideration that such an event can require such costly demands as a venue, attire, food, drinks, a photographer, transportation, and a wedding planner to help pull all these elements together, it's no surprise when a ceremony and reception rack up a serious bill. But, the more money someone has, the easier it is to raise that price tenfold. After all, fame and fortune can sometimes result in an event with more theatrics. Things like fireworks, massive carriage rides, exotic animals, and destination weddings to castles and small islands can often become par for the course.
Being an internationally renowned singer is a high-paying gig, which can help given how much these pop star weddings can cost. In 2018, VIP package tickets for Beyonce and Jay Z's "On The Run II" tour were said to have run as high as $1,991. A year later, Jennifer Lopez's 38-date 2019 world tour was said to have earned her in the region of $54.7 million, according to Variety. Meanwhile, as of 2022, The Jonas Brothers were said to be worth an estimated $150 million. So, paying for a wedding, no matter how grand or tempered, is no real sweat off their backs. How much does a pop star really spend for their big day? Grab a handful of confetti, and let's find out.
Bennifer had a $400,000 three-day wedding celebration
After two decades, the long-awaited marriage between two of Hollywood's favorites finally happened. In 2022, actor and filmmaker, Ben Affleck tied the knot with his former flame — the beloved pop star, and actor, Jennifer Lopez. Although they first eloped in Las Vegas, the two still hosted a three-day wedding celebration a month later which clocked in at over $400,000 for just the festivities alone. An altar appeared to be set up beside a massive lakeside reception area on Affleck's 87-acre Georgian estate.
Adding to that cost were additional budget blowers such as Lopez's wedding dress. The stunning custom-made Ralph Lauren gown featured a veil with an approximately 20-foot-long train that was estimated to potentially have cost the star over $1 million. As she walked down the aisle, Grammy-winner Marc Cohn sang "True Companion," which was a surprise to the groom and could have cost the bride upwards of $25,000 – unless the musician simply did it in the name of true love.
Admittedly, the couple had racked up wedding bills long before they ever officially tied the knot. According to Brides, when Affleck first proposed to Lopez in 2002, he gifted her a 1.2 million dollar engagement ring. The second time around, he upped the ante with an engagement ring estimated to be worth up to $10 million. What a way to kick things off!
Carrie Underwood rented out the entire Ritz Carlton
Ice hockey player Mike Fisher proposed to "American Idol" season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood, surrounded by snow in Ottawa, Canada. And he did so with a canary yellow diamond ring valued at $150,000. The 5-carat ring was just the beginning of a lavish celebration.
First off, the venue was no small feat. Carey Williams, an editor for the Herald Journal in Greensboro, shared that Underwood and Fisher had booked each and every one of the 251 rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia. At the time, the nightly cost of each room was said to be between $300 and $1,500. And then there was the 5,400 square-foot Presidential House suite that the newlyweds got to share, which was valued at $4,000 per night. The couple's reception was decorated in pink, with ribbons, flowers, and sparkles adorning the space.
The "Before He Cheats" singer had two dresses: One for the ceremony and one for the reception. Acclaimed designer Monique Lhuiller told People, "[Underwood] wanted something grand and special" for her first gown, and then something good for dancing for the second. The exact price of these two unique dresses aren't available, but a Lhuiller original can cost up to $4,000! Even Underwood's dog Ace was dressed to the nines in a pink tuxedo adorned with Swarovski crystals. Underwood's big day was no small undertaking.
Britney Spears' wedding jewelry cost over half a million dollars
"Toxic" singer and 2000s icon Britney Jean Spears tied the knot for the third time in an elaborate wedding ceremony with her newest beau, actor and personal trainer Sam Asghari. Although the two have a 13-year age gap, the wedding the couple hosted was one for the ages.
Asghari gifted his new bride with two wedding bands designed by Stephanie Gottlieb, who specializes in fashion and bridal jewelry. Both rings were platinum and contained several diamonds that sparkled in all of the photos. On top of this, Spears was adorned with a heart-shaped white gold tennis bracelet that added 27 carats to the mix and a diamond choker, bringing the estimated total of her jewelry to $570,000!
The jewelry was designed to accompany the pop star's custom Versace wedding gown. Gottlieb told Elle, "We were tasked with creating beautiful and iconic pieces that would add to her overall ensemble, sticking true to what we do with our own designs and styling her in something unique and memorable." And whatta dress to match. The Donatella original featured a long train and an elegantly simple style — plus a deep leg slit perfect for showing off Spears' famous legs.
Miley Cyrus' wedding dress was only $8,000
Unlike many superstar weddings, "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus held an unexpectedly private ceremony for her and her fiancé Liam Hemsworth's nuptials. But along with the intimacy of their marriage came an impressively small bill. As estimated by Elle, the couple was only set back $17,560!
Firstly, they saved big bucks by having their wedding at their home in Malibu. In its estimation, Elle priced the couple's Vroom Vroom Balloons at $675, the cake at $220, and the rented glassware at only $45, making it a pretty affordable affair. In an Instagram snap of the newlyweds, Cyrus is wearing a beautiful silk Vivienne Westwood gown. Westwood is known to be a pricey designer, but Cyrus could have gotten the gown for only $8,600, according to E!.
It would seem that the most expensive part of their long-awaited marriage was prior to the wedding itself. Hemsworth proposed to the "Wrecking Ball" singer back in 2013 with a $250,000 engagement ring designed by Neil Lane, featuring a 19th century diamond and 3.5 carats. Infamously, the couple got engaged twice after one of their many breakups, but the ring remained the same. Although the two stars' affordable wedding ended in divorce, the duo proved that a beautiful wedding can be achieved with a budget way under the average.
A royal wedding inspired Mariah Carey's dress
Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding was one of the most expensive in recorded history. And the elusive chanteuse, Mariah Carey, took great inspiration from the event when planning her wedding to music producer Tommy Mottola in 1993. In an interview with Page Six, the gown's designer Vera Wang shared the thought process behind the dress. "I think the train was something like 22 feet; it was very much like Diana at Westminster Abbey," she went on, praising Carey's wedding ceremony: "It was just one of those weddings that was truly a fairytale in the sense of scale ... It was rock 'n' roll ... or rock 'n' royalty." It has been said that the piece cost $25,000, but has not been confirmed.
The two married at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, which in 2018 was estimated at $2,000 to rent for a ceremony. But that was probably the cheapest expense. The "All I Want for Christmas" singer's engagement ring was reportedly half a million dollars and the wedding itself is said to be another $500,000. The wedding was witnessed by 50 flowers girls and a star-studded guest list, and about six people that had to carry the extravagant train for the bride.
Although the event was stunning, their five years as husband and wife were unpleasant for Carey, to say the least. Not all fairytale weddings end happily ever after.
Christina Aguilera's expensive winter wonderland wedding
Christina Aguilera is a pricey wedding singer. Hiring her for your special day is said to cost $2 million or more. The pop icon's own wedding is estimated to have cost the same amount if not more. One gig could have paid for her entire wedding!
Wedding planner extraordinaire Michael Gapinski created a beautiful, winter wonderland-themed tent for Aguilera and fiancé Jordan Bratman to marry under in Napa Valley's Staglin Family Vineyard. As for the reception, photos by Joe Buissink captured the hundreds of birch trees, chandeliers, glittery floral centerpieces, and white faux fur to help call to mind the former "The Voice" judge's favorite month, December.
In Sarah Owens' book "The Complete Guide to Events Management," we are given a cost breakdown: As he watched Aguilera walk down the aisle, Bratman wore a $5,000 tuxedo while the blushing bride was perfectly fitted into her $30,000 gown that looked well worth the price — French fashion designer Christian Lacroix designed for the bride a Spanish-style garment that fulfilled Aguilera's fantasy. "I wanted something that would hug my curves and flare out for dramatic appeal," she'd shared (via InStyle). The wedding bands the lovers exchanged after sharing handwritten vows were estimated at $80,000 combined, and the newlyweds stayed in a cottage nearby, estimated at about $3,500 a night. Unfortunately, the marriage ended in divorce. It appears not all fairytales end happily ever after.
Posh Spice gave her son a posh wedding
Victoria Beckham lived up to her stage name Posh Spice for her wedding back in the 90s. And she made sure when her son, Brooklyn Beckham tied the knot that he had all the same. Back in 1999, the former Spice Girls singer married soccer star David Beckham in the Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin, Ireland. And, as a castle would suggest, the ceremony was worthy of the royal treatment. The couple even sat on lavish thrones. And not only did Posh wear a custom Vera Wang wedding gown with a 20-foot-train estimated at $100,000, but she topped it all off with an 18k gold tiara for good measure. Her ensemble reportedly cost $100,000, and the entire wedding is said to have cost the two £750,000 which equals over $1 million U.S. today!
And the Beckhams also spared no expense when it came to their son Brooklyn's marriage to actress Nicola Peltz. Elle surmised that the young couple's wedding venue, Peltz's family estate in Palm Beach, is worth over 100 million dollars. Although they didn't drop money on a location, everything at the event had a high price point: with champagne that cost $350 per bottle and 400 orchids totaling at $90,000, and a Valentino wedding dress that could have run her $10,000, the celebration came out to $3.5 million. Like mother like son!
Sir Elton John celebrated the legalization of civil unions with a $1.3 million wedding
After dating for almost three decades, the rocket man himself, Elton John, was legally allowed to marry his partner, composer and filmmaker David Furnish. Although they registered for civil partnership in 2005, they were finally able to have the biggest blowout celebration possible after gay marriage was legalized across the U.K.: On December 5, 2014, the nine-year anniversary of their civil partnership, they exchanged their vows at Windsor Guildhall where, only eight months prior, Prince Charles and his longtime lover Camille Bowles had married.
In "The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning," we are given a breakdown of different pricey and public events, including John's long overdue wedding to Furnish. Their suits were $5,000 and their wedding bands are almost a quarter of a million dollars and were designed by celebrity jeweler Spexton. The caviar served totaled at $10,000 and the champagne itself retailed at almost $300 per bottle, resulting in $120,000 being spent on the alcohol alone. Well, considering the couple had over 600 guests, that price might just be reasonable.
Justin Bieber's wedding grill cost $25,000
There are many accessories that are common at weddings: handkerchiefs, corsages, earrings, bouquets, cufflinks, etc. But Justin Bieber and his then wife-to-be Hailey Baldwin took it a step further. For their second wedding celebration in South Carolina, the Canadian "Yummy" singer wore a custom-made lavender grill on the bottom row of his teeth. Her five-carat diamond set cost $25,000. That's about as much as the average American wedding costs! They weren't the only accessory with a high price point. Not only did Baldwin rock a $400,000 engagement ring, but she was also decorated with $123,000 worth of Tiffany earrings.
The data for this wedding cost differs depending on the source, especially since it was such a private event. But in an exclusive article, Daily Mail priced the affair at $1.3 million, with over $300,000 in flowers, at least $3,500 on champagne, and the location — the Montage Palmetto Bluff — and all of its 152 bedrooms running them at least $114,500.
Their wedding planner Mindy Weiss is undoubtedly a pricey investment, with her fees totaling approximately $45,000, per The Washington Post. These include travel, a videographer, lighting, wedding staff, and brilliant wedding favors with tote bags full of hangover and day-after remedies. The Biebers had a true party.
Material girl Madonna rocked an $80,000 wedding dress
Per a survey conducted by The Knot, the average wedding dress in America is estimated to cost around $1,000. For her marriage to Guy Ritchie in 2000, it was suspected that world superstar Madonna multiplied that average by 80, bringing her wedding dress to a whopping $80,000. The material girl was complemented well by the custom Stella McCartney, who also happened to be her maid of honor. Madonna accessorized the gown with a veil, a diamond cross necklace, and an antique 19-carat bracelet that Ritchie had gifted her. Although she and Ritchie split after eight years of marriage, she didn't sell that wedding dress the way she did after her divorce from Sean Penn: Back in 2014, the custom Marlene Steward sold for $80,000. Before the custom McCartney, Ritchie proposed to Madonna with a Neil Lane wedding ring, and although the exact cost of the band isn't available, a Lane ring can be upwards of $20,000.
Their vows were exchanged in the Scottish Highlands in the Skibo Castle. The castle is home to 21 guest rooms and 12 lodges and, since they had a star-studded guest list, it's fair to speculate that the two rented out the entire 75,000 acres. Knowing that the cost to become a member of the castle's distinguished Carnegie Club is $32,000, to rent out the whole venue could be up in the hundreds of thousands! Talk about a material girl.
Justin Timberlake's wedding was estimated at over $6 million
Former NSYNC member and Grammy award winner Justin Timberlake married model and "The Illusionist" star Jessica Biel at the Borgo Egnazia resort in a luxuriant $6 million wedding back in 2012. After five years of dating, Timberlake proposed to Biel with a sizable 6-carat diamond ring estimated to cost $130,000.
Per E! News, Bridal Bar Founder Harmony Walton speculated that renting out the resort in Southern Italy could have been $1 million on its own. "If they've booked out a whole hotel — and chances are, they have — they're probably footing the bill for all of their guests ..." Because it was a destination wedding, Walton also explored the possibility that Timberlake and Biel could have also been paying for travel for their guests, helicopter tours of Italy, vintage cars, and more, all adding to the estimated $1 million.
But the clothes for the ceremony were definitely a big part of the bill. Timberlake worked with designer Tom Ford to create the perfect, custom tuxedo. Although the exact price isn't listed, we can speculate that the garment was in the $6,000s if not more, considering Ford's luxury tuxes cost about $5,000. Biel, however, wore a stunning and nontraditional Giamgattista Valli gown. Unlike most wedding dresses, the actor's haute couture dress was a blush pink accompanied by a matching veil. The colorful couture piece's cost? Brides says $100,000!
Jay-Z proposed to Bey with a $5 million ring
Hip-hop legend Jay-Z proposed to the alien superstar herself, Beyoncé, with a $5 million engagement ring that was clearly worth every penny. The emerald rock he asked her to marry him with was a gag-worthy 18 carats, and that was only the beginning of their costly wedding excursion. The ceremony and celebration themselves were small. The internationally renowned music icons had 40 guests over at Jay-Z's penthouse but spared no expense on decking it out. Jay-Z, in a true act of passion, is said to have spent $8 million to have 70,000 of his bae's favorite flowers — white dendrobium orchids — flown in from Thailand for the special occasion.
As for the bride's dress, it was designed by none other than the woman who started it all, Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles, which makes it a priceless garment. But, like many couples who are drunk in love, Bey and Jay-Z had not one, but two wedding ceremonies. After their OG nuptials in 2008, the power couple renewed their vows a decade later with the singer wearing a $12,000 Galia Lahav gown that hugged every curve. For both occasions, the two looked like a billion bucks.
Sir Paul McCartney spared no expense for his second wedding
In a remote castle in Ireland, the former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney said "I do" to his fiancée, model Heather Mills during a ceremony estimated around £2.5 million ($3 million in U.S. dollars). Before his marriage to Mills, McCartney was married to American photographer and Wings member Linda Eastman, a relationship from which the couple had four children, including Stella McCartney. Unfortunately, after almost three decades together, Eastman died from breast cancer. Over a decade later, he was ready to try for love again after falling head over heels for Mills.
The two hosted an extraordinary wedding celebration. The couple was host to 300 guests that they entertained after the ceremony with $150,000 worth of fireworks decorating the night sky. With the venue, the celebration, and the extraordinary expenses included, the wedding is rumored to have set the couple back $3.2 million (per Reuters).
Luckily, the wedding dress was a spared expense. The blushing bride was able to get her gown, originally cost at £10,000, from designers Eavis & Brown for free, under the assumption that the duo would get lots of press out of it. Unfortunately, no such attention was granted, and the designers made a public stink. The May-December lovers also did not last very long, and their divorce cost more than their wedding. Sir McCartney did remarry, but had a much more modest celebration with Nancy Shevell.
Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra had a traditional Indian blowout
Over the course of three days, one third of the Jonas Brothers, Nick Jonas, married Bollywood star and Miss World 2000 Priyanka Chopra. Starting off with a $300,000 engagement ring, we knew the celebration is going to be just as extravagant. In keeping with Chopra's Hinduism and Jonas's Christianity, the internationally beloved partners hosted multiple pre-wedding rituals, followed by two ceremonies, one a traditional saat phere and the other a traditional Christian wedding. Over the course of the three days, the power couple were estimated to have spent around $565,000 for their Indian nuptials (per E! News). But, with over 72 hours of wedding, how were they able to keep the cost under a million?
It was reported that the lovers married at the Umaid Bhawan Palace, a venue that is estimated to have cost them over $460,000 for the five nights they stayed there with their 225 guests. And, with that many mouths to feed, food wouldn't be cheap either; Daily News and Analysis also believed the couple spent over $60,000 on catering while in India. Chopra's red lehenga gown was custom-made by fashion designer Sabyasachi, whose prices go upward of $5,000. For the final ceremony, the couple wore Ralph Lauren.
For the couple, their wedding was the perfect mashup of their cultures. And it looked worth every penny.