Celebrity Weddings - When Too Much Is Never Enough
It’s no new revelation that the wedding industry is phenomenally expensive, with price tags for dresses alone easily spiralling into four or five digits. However, the business seems to have reached new heights of late, as the loved-up elite battle it out for the title of most expensive nuptials. Case in point – the 2008 marriage of footballer Wayne Rooney to long-term girlfriend Colleen McLoughlin.
In true star style, the most anticipated wedding of the year set the couple back a staggering five million, a sum only remotely alleviated by OK! Magazine reportedly footing £2.5 million of the bill for exclusive photography rights. You probably don't need anyone to tell you that is a hell of a lot of money, but to reiterate, it is - mega big family house in the most prestigious area of London anyone?
Of the perks bestowed upon the guests, who were shipped out to a secluded Italian resort by private jet, were luncheon on a luxury yacht, several balls featuring live performances from Westlife and other pop legends and champagne breakfasts every morning to boot.
This price tag has received a mixed reception from gossip editors and the general public at large, most of which we bet are secretly writhing over their lack of invite. On the attack, many believe that such conspicuous consumption is vulgar to say the least, especially given the backdrop of natural disasters gripping China, Ethiopia and Burma, lest we forget the anxiety-inducing credit crunch at home. It might be called the big day, but is it becoming too big? Others are more forgiving however, eager to point out that not only are the expenses of the 22 year olds their own business, so to speak, but given the money, most would spend the same staggering amount too. Hhhhm.
Either way, one thing’s for sure, the latest issue of OK! will probably sell faster than this year’s tickets to Glastonbury - certainly us at Biography are pooling our pennies to buy it.
While we're on the note of ridiculously flashy celebrity weddings, take an envy-inducing peek at some previous ones, which might just give the Rooneys a run for their money, literally:
Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar
The big day in the loosest sense of the word, Elizabeth Hurley and hubbie Arun Nayar were not content to just wine and dine their guests in a Medieval castle in England, but transported hundreds of them to Nayar’s native India for seven days as well. Using the beautiful blue city of Jodhpur as a base, the 2007 week long affair saw a string of lavish celebrations, with guests even being accommodated in luxury tents for one night. The exuberance peaked during their traditional wedding ceremony, which involved a procession of elephants, horses and camels.
