Weddings come with a hefty price tag but none as much as these handmade, diamond-drapped, gowns fit for royalty. If platinum, emeralds or peacock feathers tickle your fancy – this is how much a wedding gown made exclusively of them would set you back…
1. The Diamond Wedding Gown
The gown is valued at $30 million (R427 430 400). Designed by Malaysian designer Faisol Abdullah, the hefty price tag on this gown is because of the expensive materials used to make it. It consists of 751 diamonds and the center of the dress features a 70-carat pear-shaped stone. Not only does the dress feature diamonds but the train is encrusted with them too.
2. Yumi Katsura White Gold Dress
The price tag on this dress is whopping $8.5 million (R120 989 000). It was created by Japanese stylist Yumi Katsura and the costly design is made from silk satin and features zari-embroidery handwork. It consists of 1000 pearls, a 5 carat white gold diamond and a green 8.8 carat diamond emblem. There are only two of these dresses in existence.
3. Peacock Wedding dress
This feathery dress contains over 2000 peacock feathers and is valued at $1.5 million (R21 330 000). The dress was made in Nanjing in a wedding dress factory. The bodice of the dress is made with suzhou and brocade embroidery.
4. Danasha Luxury Gown
Designed by Jad Ghandour and Danasha Luxury – the gown costs a total of $1.5 million (R21 330 000). It includes gold, diamonds and various other precious gems. The aim of this lavish gown was not to be a novelty – it was created to be stylish, elegant and not just covered in expensive jewels – but an extravagant gown.
Danasha Luxury Gown,handmade,features 75 carats high-spec diamond and 18k gold.Price $1.5 million #luxury pic.twitter.com/iKrRsHHt
— Expensivedrive (@Expensivedrive) January 2, 2013
5. Kate Middleton’s Wedding Dress
The Duchess of Cambridge wore an Alexander McQueen wedding gown. The dress featured lace sleeves which took influence from Grace Kelly’s wedding gown. The dress included a train measured at nine feet long (2.74 metres). Kate’s stunning wedding ensemble was topped off with Queen Elizabeth II’s tiara which contains 1000 diamonds. Her wedding dress is valued at $388,088 (R5,523,268).
Picture: Twitter
Louis Ducruet, grandson of legendary Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly, wed Marie Chevallier in an elaborate ceremony this weekend. The happy couple had a two-day wedding celebration that…
Most brides would give their right and left arm to be able to wear an Elie Saab original on their wedding day. To be able to adorn four of his gowns in one wedding is unheard of unless you marry his son of course. The Lebanese fashion designer’s son Elie Saab Jr married Christina Mourad on July 19 in an elaborate weekend-long affair. The three-day celebration took place in Lebanon and his new daughter-in-law had the privilege of wearing four Elie Saab gowns. Two were custom made just for her special day and the other two were part of his Haute Couture collection.
The pre-party celebrations had Mourad in a Haute Couture themed Fall-winter jumpsuit from the 2019/2020 collection.
For the wedding ceremony she wore a one-of-a-kind Elie Saab gown. The dress was made from ivory silk and included 500,000 sequins. It featured a high neck bodice along with a 4.5-metre train.
The special ceremony was held at Bkerké and the aisle was decorated with candles and lots of greenery. Neiman Azzi was the planner-extraordinaire behind the joyous occasion.
The beautiful bride changed into a second Haute Couture gown for the reception. A heart-shaped corset featuring a full skirt. This train was only 3.5-metres long. It was adorned with 650,000 sequins and 150,000 Swarovski Strass pieces.
The festivities were held in the mountain resort of Faqra in Lebanon and the guest list included Dita Von Teese, Sara Sampaio, and Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The venue was transformed into a magical experience – table tops were covered with mirrors and the space included a massive moon sculpture.
To end off their lavish wedding weekend, Christina wore a beautiful dress from the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2019 collection. It included a coral-shaped brooch from her father-in-law.
Their after wedding day party was held at Elie Saab’s home in Lebanon.
Both dresses took almost 900 hours to make. It also took 200 hours to tailor, 150 hours of draping, 450 hours of embroidery and 80 hours for the embroidery design. They employed a total of six tailors, three pattern makers, twelve embroiders and ten petite mains to get the gowns ready in time.
Picture: Instagram/Elie Saab Jr.
By Keenan Martin It’s become an unspoken rule for the groom to take a peripheral role at weddings. So while you may not steal the attention of those…
Amanda Knox, who was acquitted of killing her roommate Meredith Kercher in 2007, is getting married. Knox and her fiancé Christopher Robinson are planning a space themed wedding and have even created a website to ask family and friends for funding in the hope of raising $10,000 (R140,000). On the website, people are requested to donate money to various sections including venue, decor, photography, etc.
The couple received backlash for their crowdfunding exercise. People on social media questioned the need and real reason for it. Accusations allude to it being another publicity stunt. The couple have denied claims of wanting to crowdfund their wedding. In a tweet, Knox called out those hating on them saying the wedding will be barebones if it needs to be.
To those hating on us all day, you’ve been duped by the outrage machine. You gave ad $ to tabloids that profit by making you angry about things that don’t matter. Our wedding will be crazy & fun & barebones if it needs to be, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter.
— Amanda Knox (@amandaknox) July 23, 2019
They said the reason for donation is because they ‘don’t need anymore stuff’. Unlike a normal gift registry, where the couple request kitchen appliances, homeware items, their gift registry consists of wedding sections like venue, decor, special effects, live band, photography, dinner and open bar. Under each section is a ‘donate’ option. When clicking donate, it links to a PayPal page where you can pay. There is no option for your own desired amount, there are set prices for each section ranging from $25 (R350) to $2000 (R28,000).
Knox was accused of murdering her flatmate Meredith Kercher when they were both exchange students and roommates living in Perugia, Italy. They shared a flat with Filomena Romanelli and Laura Mezzetti. On November 2, 2007 Meredith’s lifeless body was found on her bedroom floor covered with a duvet.
Knox and her boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito, were tried and found guilty of murder. They were convicted and sentenced to prison in Italy. The couple spent almost four years in jail before her sentence was overturned by an appeals court in October 2011 – after it was found that there was not enough evidence against them.
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You should also read: Best wedding planning APP’s and tools for more guidance. Get your wedding makeup artist booked and secured seamlessly with these fool-proof guidelines:
1. Do your homework
Unless you have a make-up artist on speed dial or a trusted MUA friend, it’s best you do some proper research on who to book. Gather a list of makeup artists in your region and go to their websites or social media pages to see examples of their work. This isn’t only to see the quality of the final product, but to get an idea of their style and general aesthetic. It’s best to opt for someone who specialises in weddings as they will be more likely to provide you with makeup that will last the longest. Once you’ve seen one or two that you like, request a quote.
2. Book early
If your wedding date is set in stone, there’s no reason not to tick one more booking off your checklist. Most makeup artists are booked far in advance, especially in wedding season, so try to make the booking as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
3. Always book a trial
You might think everything will work out perfectly on the day, but to be extra sure, book a trial so that your MUA can be aware of exactly what you want. This way you can also see how quickly he/she works and what you’ll look like on the day. Make changes if necessary and see how long it lasts. Go out for dinner with your bridesmaids after your trial so they can give their opinions and so you can see how the makeup wears in between drinking and eating.
4. Communicate
At your trial, it’s essential to bring along photos of what you want to give your makeup artist a clear view of what you expect. It’s also ideal to show him/her photos of yourself where you really liked your makeup. Be very clear about what you don’t want and what you would like to stay away from. That said, don’t let your MUA try to convince you to do something you wouldn’t normally do. The same goes for on the day – communicate and be clear about your feelings.
5. Be prepared
Wear something in a similar colour to your wedding dress for your trial, and also try to wear something with a similar neckline. Although your MUA should inform you of the specifics beforehand, it’s best to try and have everything done as you would for your wedding – your hair, your spray tan, your lashes and eyebrows. Also, don’t forget your veil or hair accessories if you’re having a hair trial too.
6. Get all the details beforehand
Ask your prospective MUA for any specific terms and conditions, payment details, travel arrangements etc, to make sure no unwanted surprises pop up on the day. If there’s a contract involved, even better – this just makes things so much easier for both parties. They also need to provide you with a timeline of when certain people need to be ready to have their makeup done (if you book for more than one person).
Image: Unsplash