They say you can’t put a price on happiness, but some think differently. Royal weddings are known to be lavish and larger-than-life.
Over the decades, royals across the world have spared no expense to make sure their big day was picture perfect. Here are some of the most expensive royal weddings that have dazzled crowds over the years.
Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini
The Sultan of Brunei’s daughter Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah married non-royal Pengiran Haji back in 2012. The pair wed at the monarch’s 1 700-room palace, and their guest list included 3000 people, which probably greatly contributed to the $20 million cost (R338 718 000) of their big day.
Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano
Spanish Crown Prince married journalist Letizia Ortiz in 2004, before they became King and Queen. The couple had over 1200 guests witness their big day, and was the first Spanish royal wedding in almost a century so they had to do it big.
The bride wore a stunning Manuel Pertegaz gown with gold details and a 14-foot (4.27 metre) train. The wedding reception featured a 7-foot (2.13 metre) high cake and over 1000 bottles of champagne. The government and the Royal House shared the estimated bill of between $25-30 million (R423 397 500 – R508 077 0000).
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Prince Harry and Megan Markle
The fairytale 2018 wedding had a pretty frightening bill at the end of it. The wedding is estimated to have cost about $45 million (R762 115 500), of which $30 million alone was dropped on security to keep the Royal family safe during the day.
Interestingly, the royals paid for the majority of the wedding themselves instead of having the state foot the bill. “As was the case with the wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Royal Family will pay for the core aspects of the wedding, such as the church service, the associated music, flowers, decorations, and the reception afterwards,” read a statement from the Royal Family.
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Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock Wedding
Many tuned in to witness South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock become royalty when she said ‘I do’ to Monaco’s Prince Albert II in 2011. The wedding festivities lasted three days.
Wittstock’s Giorgio Armani wedding gown was made of silk, embellished with pearls and 40 000 swarovski crystals. The 450 guest wedding cost the Crown about $65 million (R1 100 833 500).
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Princess Diana and Prince Charles
The marriage of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles was considered the wedding of the century, and of course it had the price tag to match.
Being such high-profile figures, the royal family shelled out an estimated $600 000 on security and crowd control alone. Princess Diana’s dress cost around $13,000. All together, the wedding is believed to have cost the modern day equivalent of $70 million (R1 185 513 000).
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Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Princess Salama
The prince and Princess of Abu Dhabi hold the record for the most expensive modern royal wedding. They tied the knot back in 1981 in a 20 000 seat stadium they had specially built to accommodate the week-long wedding celebrations. The royals dropped a casual $100 000 (R1 693 590 000) on their big day, of which very few public photos exist.
Feature image: Instagram / The Royal Family
For the eco-friendly bride, sustainability is of extreme importance. However, wedding dresses, in their most traditional sense, are not very sustainable. They take a lot of resources to…
The wedding exit is a special moment as newlyweds step out for the first time as a married couple. Traditionally, excited guests line the steps and hurl handfuls of uncooked rice at the couple on their way.
The rice toss tradition is an interesting yet strange one that can be dated back to the Ancient Romans. Here’s how it started and evolved over time.
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The origin:
In Ancient Roman times, marriage was symbolic of expansion, both in terms of starting a family and growing one’s assets. Because of its affordability and easy availability, rice was used to usher newlyweds into their marriage and encourage both fertility and prosperity. The rice is meant to resemble rain, which is also a positive symbol on a wedding day. Romans also used wheat and oats as alternatives.
The tradition began losing popularity after a rumour grew that birds would eat the rice once the wedding was over and their stomachs would explode from it. In the US, state legislation banned the tradition entirely in 1985 to protect unsuspecting birds. However, this theory has since been proven false, the rice doesn’t actually expand in a bird’s stomach and cause them to explode.
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Modern times:
Nowadays, the rice toss doesn’t hold the same weight it once did as modern couples are more conscious of their surroundings. Eco-friendly, alternative options are more commonly used for the perfect exit moment.
If you’d still like to have a rice toss but in a way that’s kinder on the environment, consider using items like dried petals, fresh leaves, or eco-friendly confetti made of growing paper.
Feature image: Pexels
There has been a reported increase in divorce applications and interest since lockdown came into effect in South Africa. The reasons behind the choice, however, are varied. New…
Since the nationwide lockdown is not yet over, and many romantic spots remain unsafe to visit, your big proposal plans may feel ruined. However, they don’t have to be. Proposing at home can be just as amazing.
An at-home proposal comes with an added feeling of intimacy and closeness. You and your partner can cherish the beautiful moment, in each other’s company, without any external disturbances. It could be truly magical.
So whether you’re planning an at-home proposal due to the lockdown, or if you’re just home-bodies, you need not worry. It will still be the most special experience.
For those looking for ways to pop the big question at home, here are some ideas:
– Dream Holiday At Home
Since the shops are mostly open, you’ll be able to go out and get a few decorations. Think of a holiday you’ve always wanted to take with your partner, then recreate it at home. Maybe make a cardboard cutout of the Eiffel Tower or create mini hot air balloons like to reflect the ones that float around in Cappadocia.
Try to incorporate the theme into your food choices too. It’ll make the entire occasion feel extremely well planned out.
Once it’s all set up and you’re having a great time, find the perfect moment and pop the question!
– Memory Movie
Collect all your favourite photos, videos, Instagrams, and Facebook posts, and put them all together in a slideshow. Choose a romantic song to play in the background, and your movie is sorted!
Lay out some blankets, light a few candles, and take a stroll down memory lane together. Once you’re done reliving your love story thus far, you’ll be ready to begin the next chapter by asking your partner to marry you.
– Games Night
If you and your partner are the types of people who love a good games night (who isn’t, right?), then this is the perfect idea for you.
Suggest to your significant other that you’d like to have a two-person games night, and play games like trivia, Pictionary, or any other game where your partner would have to guess your actions, or drawings.
Once you’re both into the flow of the game, sneak in “will you marry me?” as one of the questions. It’ll be a pleasant and unexpected surprise.
– Breakfast in Bed
If you’d like to keep it simple, try this. While your partner is still asleep, get up and prepare the perfect breakfast. We’re talking eggs, toast, pancakes, strawberries, the works. Add the ring somewhere on the tray, and your plan is complete!
If you’re feeling confident, you could take a slightly different route. Before they wake up, slip the ring on their finger. Wake them up to the most perfect breakfast in bed, and calmly ask “what’s that on your finger?” as you point to the ring. Once they look at their hand, you can get down on one knee and take it from there.
– Special Scavenger Hunt
Leave the very first clue somewhere obvious, where your partner goes often, perhaps next to the kettle in the kitchen, or on their laptop keyboard. Say something like “go to the place where you told me not to leave a mess”, make it something silly and personal.
Each clue should draw your partner closer and closer to where you’ve hidden the ring. Once they find it, be behind them on one knee.
Image: Unsplash
Weddings have largely been banned across the world in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, some countries have loosened restrictions and some citizens have not…
After having most of their lives in the spotlight, it’s understandable that some celebrities would choose to keep an intimate occasion like their wedding a secret. Although it’s frustrating for us, their fans, because we want to know all the details, not having paparazzi around makes for a much calmer atmosphere on the big day.
Here are just some celebrity couples who kept their nuptials hush-hush.
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Many fans might not even know that Margot Robbie is married so this might even be a surprise in itself. The actress married Tom Ackerley in a very secret ceremony in Australia in 2015. Only 50 guests were invited and weren’t even told the location of the wedding before the event.
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This one might be the best kept secret wedding in Hollywood history as there aren’t any details about it even after the fact. The That 70s show co-stars got married without so much as an anniversary Instagram picture to show it happened. The world only found out when Mila wore her wedding ring too when she appeared on The Late Late Show With James Corden.
Another couple on the list you might be shocked to find out are even together. These two teen drama stars got married in 2014 in a secret ceremony.
Ellen Page and Emma Portner
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The world only found out about this marriage after the fact when Ellen posted about her new wife on Instagram. The details are still unknown.