If there’s any group of people that knows how to put the wow factor into a wedding day, it’s celebrities. After all, even if you haven’t signed up to an exclusive feature in Hello! (or better yet, Vogue), if you know the world’s media is going to be on tenterhooks waiting for a first glimpse of your photos, you might as well give them something to talk about, right? From multiple gown changes to enough flora to deck out Chelsea Flower Show, if you’re seeking inspiration for your own nuptials, what better place to start than these seriously jaw-dropping celebrity weddings.

Anya Taylor-Joy and Malcolm McRae

In perhaps once of the most spectacular acts of celebrity wedding secrecy ever, Anya Taylor-Joy and husband Malcom McRae fooled the world into thinking they were getting married in Italy in October 2023, only to reveal in April 2024 that they had already been married for two years. The pair tied the knot on April Fool's Day 2022 in New Orleans in a highly alternative ceremony that drew on the pair's love of all things gothic.

The venue: New Orleans & Palazzo Pisani Moretta, Venice

Unsurprisingly, given the highly private nature of the day itself, few details are known about Taylor-Joy and McRae's first wedding day. What we do know is that the ceremony took place in a Catholic church in New Orleans and the reception featured anatomically-correct heart cakes. More is known about a second celebration hosted in Venice in October 2023. This second, larger event took place at the Palazzo Pisani Morretta: a stunning 15th Century palace on the Grand Canal that has welcomed guests including Tsar Paul I of Russia and Joseph II, the Holy Roman Emperor.

The dress: Custom Dior

The dress was the only thing about the day which didn't come as a surprise to fans, as Taylor-Joy had already released images from her second Italian celebration where she donned the same Dior gown. The champagne-hued dress in question was covered in intricate embroidery detailing important moment's from the couple's life together and paired with a dramatic cathedral-length veil.

The guest list

Taylor-Joy tagged Cara Delevingne as the photographer when revealing her first wedding day on Instagram, suggesting this was an extremely A-list affair. But with further details in short supply, it might be a while until we find out who else made the cut for the highly secretive couple's ceremony. However, we do know that among the 150 guests who gathered for the second celebration in Italy were stars including Julia Garner, Nicholas Hoult, and Miles Teller.

The price tag: $100,000-200,000

Given the (fairly) intimate nature of both events, Taylor-Joy and McRae's wedding doesn't come close to the most extravagant on this list – but it does still have a fairly hefty price tag. Private hire of the Palazzo Pisani Morretta is very much on request and, while Taylor-Joy saved money by wearing the same gown for both occasions, given a custom Dior wedding gown can fetch tens, if not hundreds, of thousands (the most expensive wedding dress ever made was a $31 million Dior creation for an unnamed Chinese celebrity), we feel confident in our estimate.

Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge

Introduced through mutual friends, designer and model Sofia Richie married music executive Elliot Grainge in 2023 in what was dubbed the royal wedding of the year. Richie’s famous father, legendary musician Lionel Richie, and Grainge's parents (music mogul Sir Lucian and Lady Caroline Grainge) had been friends for more than two decades before the pair got together. Grainge popped the question in Hawaii after a year of dating – all documented on Instagram to Richie's 10 million+ followers – with the bride-to-be captioning the shot: “Forever isn’t long enough."

The venue: Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes

There are few hotels as iconic as the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, South of France, where the rich, royal, and royally rich flock during the summer months to sip champagne in style. According to the New York Post, it’s possible that the pair spent more than £1 million to rent the space for the weekend, with the cheapest rooms going for north of £2,000 per night (with the pair's private villa costing more than £30,000). But with three world-class restaurants, a pool, private cabanas, tennis courts and yoga spaces, we have no doubt guests were well looked after from the moment they arrived. Organised by wedding planner to the stars Banana Split, flowers came courtesy of Roni Floral Design, while the firework display will go down with a bang in celebrity wedding history.

The dress: Chanel haute couture

Anyone who follows fashion will already know all about the bride’s three custom-made Chanel dresses. Richie made multiple trips to the Chanel haute couture salons in Paris, working closely with première Olivia Douchez to design the show-stopping outfits. Accompanied by her mother-in-law Lady Caroline, as well as her best friend, Ali Meller, distinct looks were created for the rehearsal dinner, which took place on Friday night at a private estate, the ceremony, and the after-party.

Richie told Vogue: “It has always been a dream of mine to have Chanel design my wedding dress… At my first fitting at the Chanel salons in Paris, I immediately envisioned the dress I wanted to get married in: a beautiful lace-embroidered halter gown with a long train. Within the dress are subtle details, including an embroidered heart to represent the love that Elliot and I share, as well as a blue embroidered S&E on the inside of the dress above my heart.”

The bride looked back at archival couture shows for inspiration for her other two looks. Richie’s famous sister, Nicole, designed a pair of diamond earrings to match the rehearsal dinner dress, while the rest of the bridal jewellery came from Fred Leighton. Grainge looked handsome in a Ralph Lauren suit at the rehearsal dinner and a Tom Ford tuxedo on the big day. The bridesmaids were in all black, with each girl choosing her own designer gown – so long as it was A-list, of course.

The guest list

Snaps of Cameron Diaz, Benji Madden, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Joel Madden took Instagram and TikTok by storm, as well as surprise performances by Stephen Sanchez and the Good Charlotte gang (Nicole’s husband, Joel, is the band’s lead vocalist). And, of course, father-of-the-bride Lionel is worth a mention, too.

The price tag: £3 million

It is estimated by various sources that the extravaganza cost the model over £3 million in total, with the venue making up a third of that sum alone.

Nicola and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham

After first meeting at Californian music festival Coachella in 2017, Nicola and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham got engaged in the summer of 2020, just six months after going public with their love story. Despite their celebrity status, like many, the couple were forced to move and re-mould their nuptial plans due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but in the end went for an all-out party, bringing together their loved ones in the States after months apart.

The venue: Palm Beach, Florida

The glamorous couple opted to tie the knot in the bride’s luxurious childhood home, a £76 million ocean-front compound in Palm Beach, Florida. The couple were reportedly inspired by Iman and David Bowie’s big day when it came to their own three-day celebration.

The dress: Valentino haute couture

Peltz opted for haute couture Valentino for her big day. The design process took a whole year to complete, with multiple trips to and from the atelier in Rome. Although originally imagining herself in an embellished piece, in the end she opted for simplicity, with her dress featuring an elegant open back, lace veil and a memorable 11-foot train. Her mother instructed the designers to complete the piece with a loving message in discreet baby blue embroidery as a surprise for the bride. It read: “Nicola, my heart. You are me, I am you. All my love, all my life, my beautiful girl, inside and out. Love, mom.”

Beckham, meanwhile, donned a white, tailed Dior tuxedo (all the men were in Dior, other than Peltz’s father), while mother-of-the-groom and fashion icon Victoria wowed in a long, sleek, slip-dress style gown of her own design, complete with French lace. The mother-of-the-bride opted for custom-made Versace all weekend.

The guest list

Nearly 500 guests, including the Beckham clan (obviously), Serena and Venus Williams, Jordana Brewster, Gordon Ramsay, Spice Girls Mel B and Mel C, and Eva Longoria, were spotted at the star-studded nuptials. Marc Anthony performed four songs on a rotating stage, while Snoop Dogg hit the decks for a DJ set.

The price tag: £3-15 million

While venue hire costs can be discounted, (because the house belonged to the bride’s family), the food, flowers and music certainly made up for it. The menu was prepared by Thierry Isambert Culinary & Event Design, with the addition of a Wendy’s food truck at the after-party (the chain is owned by Peltz’s dad). It’s reported that £50,000 of rare orchids decked out the venue, while £200 bottles of Bollinger champagne flowed like water. The whole shebang is estimated by British tabloids to have cost somewhere between £3 and £15 million. With Peltz's father, Nelson Peltz, said to be worth an estimated £1.3 billion, and Beckham's parents a combined £345 million, money was clearly no object. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

While life in the spotlight hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Meg and Harry since they tied the knot in 2018, their regal nuptials are still worth a spot on any list of top celebrity weddings. The service, music, flowers, decorations, and reception were all paid for by the royal family. A week before the televised ceremony was broadcast to the nation (and the world), the Queen signed the Instrument of Consent (an official document granting the marriage). Tabloid titter-tatter around bridesmaids and absent fathers circled for weeks in the lead-up to the event, and the big day certainly didn’t disappoint when it came to glamour, gossip, and patriotic pomp.

The venue: St George’s Chapel, Windsor

Harry and Meghan wed at St George's Chapel within the grounds of Windsor Castle, making them the 16th royal couple to celebrate their marriage at the historic spot since 1863. A group of 200 close acquaintances were invited to an after-party at Frogmore House, just a short walk away.

The dress: Givenchy and Stella McCartney

Simple but stunning, the boat-neck gown designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy is rumoured to have cost just over £200,000. Meticulously crafted from double-bonded silk cady, the bride worked closely with the designer on all aspects of the shape and structure, from the demure neckline to the figure-hugging silhouette. In terms of footwear, Megan’s elegant shoes were based on a couture Givenchy design and made of silk duchesse satin. Designed to represent the unique flora of each Commonwealth country, the five-metre-long veil was crafted from silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza. Held in place by Queen Mary's diamond and platinum tiara, the bandeau was complemented by earrings and a bracelet from Cartier. For the evening party, Meghan chose a striking Stella McCartney white halter neck gown.

The guest list

Around 600 guests attended the show-stopping ceremony with only 200 remaining for the evening reception (a modest crowd in contrast to the Prince and Princess of Wales who wed in front of 1,900 guests, while Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had 2,000). Famous faces included Idris Elba, Oprah Winfrey, Amal Clooney, the Beckhams, Carey Mulligan, and James Corden. Sir Elton John also performed at the lunchtime reception which was hosted by Her late Majesty the Queen. Many of the 1,200 guests for this part of the day were selected by regional Lord Lieutenant offices to represent a broad range of backgrounds and age groups, with invitees being announced on Twitter, along with details on how they had served their communities and thus earned a spot on the list.

The price tag: £34.5 million

It is reported that the star-studded nuptials cost around £34.5 million pounds – a touch higher than Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are rumoured to have spent closer to £30 million. While security and pageantry no doubt contributed enormously to the bill, other costs included photos by Alexi Lubomirski (who also shot the couple’s engagement pictures) and invitations by Barnard Westwood. The cake (lemon and elderflower) was made by Violet Bakery's Claire Ptak, while the flowers (branches of beech, birch, and hornbeam, coupled with white garden roses, peonies and foxgloves) were arranged by Philippa Craddock. As well as a performance from Sir Elton, music included several well-known hymns masterminded by James Vivian, director of music at St George’s Chapel.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

The ink may still be drying on the couple’s divorce papers amid West’s continuing descent from grace but that won’t stop us looking back in wonder at the wedding that broke the internet. Tying the knot on 24 May 2014 in a spectacular Italian ceremony, the nuptials of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West spanned an entire weekend – and the continent of Europe. Proceedings kicked off with a hen party in Paris at the Hôtel Costes, followed by a pre-wedding lunch hosted by Valentino Garavani at his and Giancarlo Giammetti’s estate, Château de Wideville, just outside Paris. Thame day the couple hosted a rehearsal dinner for around 600 guests in the Palace of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors, which included a performance by Lana Del Rey.

The venue: Forte di Belvedere, Florence

Guests were flown on private jets to Florence for the big day, where the couple wed at the 16th-century Forte di Belvedere. Originally built in the 1590s to protect Florence and the family that ruled it, the Medicis, the medieval fort signified power and wealth. And how… Bedecked in flowers (including that flower wall), even Portofino had never seen anything quite like it.

The dress: Givenchy haute couture

The not so blushing bride wore custom Givenchy haute couture designed by Riccardo Tisci to her wedding ceremony, with the gown estimated to have cost around £500,000. The surprisingly traditional dress was crafted from handmade white lace and boasted a high neckline with pearl detail, sheer panels, and an elegant backless cut, finished off with a beautiful long silk veil. Kardashian later changed outfits, stepping out in a second Givenchy dress, which featured more beading and a lower neckline. 

The guest list

Unsurprisingly, there were a staggering number of celebrities in attendance, from Hollywood stars to fashion designers and socialites. As well as the full roster of Kardashians and Jenners, Jaden Smith, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Serena Williams, Q-Tip and Carmelo Anthony were just a few of the stars that watched Kim and Kanye get hitched.

The price tag: £12 million

The overall cost of the wedding is said to be close to the £12 million mark. The venue itself totalled around £240,000 alone, and that’s without any extras (flowers, decorations, music, etc). Guest transport, meanwhile, came to £45,000 per private jet to fly between Paris and Florence. Then, of course, there was the £2,400 three-tiered cake, a performance from Italian singer Andrea Bocelli… the list goes on.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend

If you were on the internet in the late noughts it was hard to ignore the development of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s love story. Having met in 2007 on the set of Legend's music video, the singer finally got down on one knee in 2011, proposing on the beach while holidaying in the Maldives. The resulting high octane wedding day will go down in history for its refined glitz, glamour, and elegance.

The venue: Villa Pizzo, Lake Como

The couple headed to Italy’s idyllic Lake Como on 14 September 14 2013, holding their legendary nuptials at the lavish Villa Pizzo. The luxurious villa dates to the 1400s and “prides itself as being one of the most exclusive wedding locations in Northern Italy.” The couple chose the historic spot having spent one of their first holidays together at Lake Como.

The dress: Vera Wang

Teigan didn’t disappoint when it came to all three of her Vera Wang wedding dresses. First and foremost, the lavish ceremony called for a traditional princess look, which she delivered in abundance with a classic ivory ballgown, before switching to a figure-hugging mermaid dress beneath a sheared organza skirt soon after. The after-party, meanwhile, saw Teigan change vibe and go all out in a fitted red number. The beautiful bridesmaids were clad in blush Amsale gowns.

The guest list

The dazzling guest list included Kanye West, Stevie Wonder and Brooklyn Decker, who was one of Teigan’s bridesmaids. Wonder performed Ribbon in the Sky for the lucky onlookers while the groom performed All of Me, which he wrote specially for the occasion and released a month before the wedding to chart-topping success, while Biz Markie was DJ for the night. 

The price tag: £3-5 million

While the exact cost of Chrissy Teigan and John Legend’s is unknown, it certainly added up to the millions. A four-tiered carrot cake layered with cream cheese frosting earned many squares on the supermodel’s Instagram grid, while local floral and event designer Mindy Rice was responsible for some luscious designs. Photographer Aaron Delesie captured the day, while wedding planner Lisa Vorce held it all together. Needless to say, none of these things come cheap.

Read more: The most spectacular celebrity destination weddings