With a budget of 40 million euros, the 2011 royal wedding was enough to make more than one wallet pale. However, it is not even among the most expensive in the world: another ceremony far exceeds it.
Anyone who has ever had to organize a wedding knows: saying “Yes!” is not given. Between the reception room, the caterer, the DJ, the photographer, the outfits, the invitations, the accommodation of the guests, or even the possible wedding planner… The average budget for a wedding in France is around 20,000 euros. A figure that may seem astonishing to those who have never walked to the altar, but which seems paltry in comparison to the impressive celebrity weddings that make the headlines. And here again, the world’s biggest celebrities do not even rival the financial power of certain industry moguls, whose wedding expenses reach unprecedented heights.
We imagine that royal weddings are among the most exorbitant… and yet. The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, celebrated in 2011, cost “only” 40 million euros – and brought in no less than 700 million thanks to tourism and the merchandising that followed. That of Charles and Diana, 30 years earlier, had far exceeded this stage: its cost, adjusted for inflation, is estimated at no less than 150 million. Despite these staggering sums, the British Crown is still far from equaling the most expensive wedding in history. 600 million euros is the estimated budget for this expensive union: it is therefore four times more than the marriage of Charles and Diana, and even fifteen times more than that of William and Kate. The most surprising thing is that these are not Hollywood stars, members of a royal family, or even big, internationally known CEOs.
It’s actually the wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, two Indians whose names probably mean nothing to you. However, the groom’s father is the richest man in Asia: boss of Reliance Industries, his fortune is estimated at 115 billion euros. In 2024, Mukesh Ambani spared no expense to give his youngest son what the press later described as “the wedding of the century”.
In March, a first engagement party was given with great fanfare with a private concert by Rihanna, whose fee alone climbed to 9 million euros. At the end of spring, a “pre-wedding” was organized in the Mediterranean: a luxury cruise, this time with a Katy Perry concert. On July 5, another pre-nuptial ceremony took place, and Justin Bieber hosted the festivities. Then, the official ceremony lasted three days in Bombay, India, during the July 14 weekend. 2,000 guests – including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, actor John Cena, and singer Nick Jonas and his wife Priyanka Chopra – were present on Friday. On Sunday, the list grew to 14,000 guests!
Custom-made outfits by major fashion houses, priceless jewelry, gigantic flower sculptures… Every detail was carefully thought out to make this wedding a unique event in the world, far surpassing the extravagances of stars or other famous billionaires like Jeff Bezos, the extremely wealthy boss of Amazon, who spent 10 million for his wedding in Venice in June 2025.
