Celebrities are known to lead a lavish life of excess, and it’s no surprise they would splash out big bucks on their big day. For many, the focal point of a wedding is the wedding dress, which can cost quite a bit of money.
Of course, money is no issue for celebrities, with many spending millions on their dream dress. These are the most expensive celebrity wedding dresses of all time.
Grace Kelly – $65,000 (over R960 00)
Grace Kelly exemplifies class, and her wedding dress was no different. The iconic film star turned royal stunned in a long-sleeve, high-necked victorian-style gown with lace detailing for her 1956 wedding to Monaco’s Prince Rainier III. The dress, which featured hand-sewn pearls and 125-year-old lace from Brussels, reportedly retails for over R960 00.
Jessica Biel – $100,000 (R1 477 290)
Jessica Biel opted against tradition by wearing a blush-coloured gown for her 2012 wedding to Justin Timberlake. The Giambattista Valli Haute Couture number featured delicate ruffles and is estimated to be worth R1 477 290.
Victoria Beckham – $100,000 (R1 477 290)
Posh Spice never disappoints when it comes to fashion. For her 1999 wedding to David Beckham, she wore a champagne-coloured Vera Wang number complete with a 6-metre train, estimated to be worth R1 477 290. She still owns the dress and plans to pass it down to her daughter Harper.
Princess Diana – $115,000 (R1 698 883)
Princess Diana’s wedding dress has gone down in history as the most iconic gown to ever exist. The Alexander McQueen ivory taffeta gown was adorned with sequins, frilled lace and 10 000 pearls. It’s thus no surprise that it would fetch a pretty penny, with an estimated cost of R1 698 883.
Elizabeth Taylor – $187,931 (R2 776 285)
This iconic actress has said ‘I do’ a record 8 times, but her most famous one was her very first back in 1950. At the tender age of 18, the starlet married Conrad “Nicky” Hilton (great-uncle to Paris and Nicky and heir to the Hilton hotel empire) in a gorgeous princess-cut satin gown featuring pearl embroidery. In 2013, the dress went up for auction and sold for R2 776 285.
Mariah Carey – $250,000 (R3 693 225)
It was a stunningly expensive dress never-to-be-worn. Mariah Carey was set to marry billionaire businessman James Packer back in 2018 but their engagement was unfortunately called off. Fans did, however, catch a glimpse of her custom Valentino wedding dress in her music video for her song, ‘I Don’t’. The dress was worth a reported R3 693 225.
Amal Clooney – $380,000 (R5 613 702)
The beautiful human-rights lawyer tied the knot with George Clooney in a stunning Italian ceremony. She chose Oscar de la Renta to design her perfect dress, which would be the last one this iconic designer would create before his passing in 2014. The off-the-shoulder wedding dress was appliquéd with fourteen yards of Chantilly lace and was hand-embroidered with pearls and diamante stones, and reportedly retails for R5 613 702.
Kate Middleton – $434,000 (R6 411 438)
Another royal to inspire countless copycat wedding dresses, Kate Middleton’s gown is still much loved today. Created by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, the Victorian-inspired dress featured lace appliqué , hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace, 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops and a two-metre long train. All of this was achieved for the price of R6 411 438.
Kim Kardashian – $500,000 (R7 386 450)
Would it be a list about excess if it didn’t include Kim Kardashian? The reality star turned businesswoman wowed the crowd in a custom Ricardo Tisci for Givenchy Haute Couture design for her 2014 wedding to Kanye West. The long-sleeved dress featured sheer paneling and cutouts, and is said to be worth R7 386 450.
Victoria Swarovski – $1 million (R14 772 900)
She may not be a household name but her surname is. Heiress to the Swarovski fortune, Victoria Swarovski, shook the world when she wed Munich-based entrepreneur Werner Mürz in an over-the-top, three-day extravaganza back in 2017. Of course, the dress was adorned with, you guessed it, Swarovski crystals. 50o 000, to be exact. The custom-made gown was designed by Michael Cinco, weighed about 45 kg and is worth more than R14 772 900.
Feature image: Instagram
