Top 10 Most Lavish Weddings of 2017: Royalty, International Superstars and an $8 Million Engagement Ring
Not all weddings are created equal! In 2017, some newlyweds pulled out all the stops for their nuptials, incorporating everything from floor-to-ceiling floral arrangements to gold-coated wedding cakes to haute couture gowns. It surely helped that the vast majority of the brides and grooms came from relative royalty within their respective industries (or, in the case of several couples, were actually royalty).
Here’s we’ve rounded up the top 10 most extravagant, decadent wedding of the past year, ranging from wedding bells for Pippa Middleton to an over-the-top ceremony and reception for a Russian oligarch.
1. Swarovski Crystal Heiress Victoria Swarovski’s Extravagant Wedding Album
Why have one wedding day when you can have three? Swarovski heiress Victoria Swarovski celebrated her big day(s) with family and friends in Portopiccolo, Italy, and kicked off the festivities in high style, with a “pasta and love”-themed welcome reception that saw Swarovski and her guests all decked out in red and white. And for the actual ceremony the next day, she swapped up her ravishing, eye-catching red high-low dress for an even more show-stopping number: a couture gown by Dubai-based designer Michael Cinco, which included a 20-foot train and—what else? Countless Swarovski crystal embellishments.
Victoria Swarovski and Werner Muerz exit the church after their wedding on June 16, 2017 in Trieste, Italy. (Photo by Chris Singer/Johannes Kernmayer/CUEX GmbH/Getty Images)
2. Pippa Middleton Marries James Matthews in Traditional Wedding Ceremony
More than six years after her older sister made history walking down the aisle at Westminster Abbey, Pippa Middleton said “I do” to her beau, James Matthews, in a much-anticipated wedding in Englefield, England. The party planner kept her look classic and elegant with a lace Giles Deacon gown featuring a high neck and short sleeves. The Duchess of Cambridge made an appearance, of course, with a photo of her carefully adjusting Pippa’s gown capturing the attention of adoring onlookers.
ENGLEFIELD GREEN, ENGLAND – MAY 20: Pippa Middleton and her new husband James Matthews leave church following their wedding ceremony at St Mark’s Church as the bridesmaids and pageboys walk ahead on May 20, 2017 in Englefield Green, England. (Photo by Justin Tallis – WPA Pool)
3. David Tutera Marries Joey Toth in Lavish, Black-Tie Wedding
Seasoned celebrity wedding planner David Tutera said a few vows of his own this past April, celebrating his nuptials to boyfriend of four years, Joey Toth, in a lavish, black-tie ceremony in Los Angeles. The reality personality and his love hosted a rustic rehearsal dinner in Malibu Thursday and swapped up the general vibe with a lavish, Old Hollywood ceremony and reception two days later.
David Tutera and Joey Toth’s black-tie Los Angeles wedding in April 2017. (Maring Visuals)
4. Nigerian Billionaire Marries Model in $6.4 Million Wedding
A true wealth of love here! Nigerian billionaire Folarin Alakija spared no expense when he and Iranian model Nazanin Jafarian Ghaissarifar got married in an over-the-top ceremony in June. The pair’s nuptials, held at the Blenheim Palace in the English countryside, included a display of one million white roses and matching hanging orchids, as well as a 12-foot wedding cake that was estimated to cost close to $13,000 to produce.
5. Scions Marry in $10 Million Hollywood-Themed Wedding, Lady Gaga Performs
Just in case you were wondering, “Hollywood” is now a wedding theme, and the wedding singer for such a fete is Lady Gaga. In July, two Russian-Armenian scions exchanged vows at the iconic Dolby Theater, better known as the venue for the Oscars. Lavish features from the big day included a Gatsby-inspired, gold gilded wall accentuated by a crystal chandelier and the couple’s names—Lolita and Gaspar—in bright lights; floral arrangements that reportedly cost half a million dollars; and a musical performance by Lady Gaga herself.
6. Rupert Murdoch’s Daughter Elisabeth Marries in Lavish English Wedding
It’s no surprise that Rupert Murdoch was the ultimate father of the bride at his daughter Elisabeth Murdoch’s wedding this past July. The bride and her groom, artist Keith Tyson, got married in the English countryside in a wedding fit for (media) royalty: the couple served a 2008 version of Barons de Rothschild champagne valued at nearly $1,300 a bottle, and guests noshed on an Italian-inspired menu crafted by Michelin-star rated The River Cafe.
Not all party shrub tunnels are equal 👍🏼 @lizdoch @keithtyson23
A post shared by Richard Bacon (@richardpbacon) on Jul 24, 2017 at 6:34am PDT
7. Russian Oligarch Who Gave Fiancée $8 Million Engagement Ring Marries in Extravagant Ceremony
How to top an $8 million, 70-carat engagement ring? With a decadent ceremony including thousands of white flowers, a “floating” wedding cake and acrobats to create an otherworldly feel for your many gathered guests—and hundreds of thousands of Instagram fans. Russian oligarch Aleksey Shapovalov and model Ksenia Tsaritsina, a popular figure on Instagram, also treated their guests to a performance by their favorite rock band, Leningrad.
8. Armenian Billionaire’s Son Marries in Lavish Moscow Wedding Complete With a 15-Foot Cake
Flower arrangements and flickering candles were in tall order at Karen Karapetyan and Lilit Karapetyan’s lavish wedding at the Armenian Apostolic Church in Moscow this past September. The son of an Armenian billionaire and his social media influencer love welcomed guests to a reception with several differently decorated (and all Instagram-worthy) rooms to explore, including one with an entire wall of flowers and another with thousands of chandelier crystals hanging from the ceiling.
9. Prince Philip of Serbia Marries Danica Marinkovic in Royal Wedding
His Royal Highness Prince Philip of Serbia and his fiancee, Danica Marinkovic, got married in October at Belgrade’s Saborna Church, and the guest list was positively regal. Key royal family members who took part in the ceremony itself included Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and His Royal Highness of Prince Peter, who served as the Godmother and Godfather of the wedding.
BELGRADE, SERBIA – OCTOBER 07: Prince Philip of Serbia and Danica Marinkovic during their church wedding at The Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel on October 7, 2017 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Milica Radicevic/WireImage)
10. Two of South Korea’s Biggest Stars Got Married—And You’ll Want to See the Lavish Ceremony Photos
A post shared by Hyekyo Song (@kyo1122) on Nov 3, 2017 at 12:28am PDT
Talk about star-studded! The union between two of South Korea’s biggest stars—Song Hye-Kyo and Song Joong-Ki—was full of fanfare and fans, as the duo, who met on the set of their 2016 hit drama Descendants of the Sun, exchanged vows at Seoul’s famed Shilla Hotel. There, the pair were joined by a number of A-list guests; bride Song Hye-Kyo donned a to-die-for custom haute couture Dior gown.
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