Budget $chmudget! Lavi$h Love Bashe$ Know No Bound$!

The average cost of a wedding in the United States is $25,764. And that’s if you’re doing things up pretty right. But the royals have a whole different set of financial standards when it comes to family nups –– and they seem to know no bounds!

You see, a royal wedding isn’t just a union between two people and their families (ie: the Scottish Bairds and the Florida Winters). It’s a national (and sometimes international) celebration that entices swarms of the rich and famous, media, and commoners all hoping to catch a glimpse of the happy couple.

As the 2018 wedding season gears up, Harry & Meghan and Alex & Ellie have plenty of decisions to make for their big days (in May and December respectively). Will they be plucking plenty of shillings from Mummy and Dad’s safes for endless indulges. You see, the standards for a proper affair have been set. But some royals of the world have moved the bar up to a whole new level.

Let’s take a gander at some show-stopping international royal weddings (and their price tags):

Royal We: Prince William & Kate Middleton

Dateline: April 29, 2011; London

Check, please: $34 million

The Deets:

• It took place in Westminster Abbey (btw, Will’s mum Diana married Prince Charles at St. Paul’s Cathedral).
• W&K’s wedding cake was an 8-tier extravaganza that cost $80,000.
• The flowers alone cost $800,000.
• Kate’s now-famous wedding dress was designed by none other than Alexander McQueen ($450,000!).

Royal We: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema

Dateline: October 13, 2011; Bhutan

Check, please: unreported

The Deets:

• The entire country was shut down on the day of the wedding.
• The royal bride, a commoner, was not wearing Alexander McQueen but a traditional Bhutanese garment called a Kira. Made of fine silk, royal kiras are exquisite and can take months –– even years –– to complete.
• Bhutan is known as “The Land of Dragons” so the King of Bhutan is known by the so boss nickname “Dragon King” and his new bride gets to be “Dragon Queen.” And get this: With their great looks, happy demeanors, and philanthropic work, they have also been dubbed the “Will and Kate of the Himalayas.”

Royal We: Prince Abdul Malik & Dayangku Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah

Dateline: April 12, 2015; Brunei

Check, please: $30 million+

The Deets:

• Prince Abdul Malik is the youngest son of the Sultan of Brunei who is known as one of the richest people in the world. (Waze Alert: Brunei is a tiny nation on the island of Borneo.)
• The prince and his bride celebrated their wedding at Daddy’s (uhhhh, the Sultan of Brunei’s) 1,788-room palace. It’s the largest residential palace in the whole world. The celebration lasted EEEE-LEVVV-ENNN da-a-a-a-a-ays!
• Both the bride and groom’s wedding attire was adorned with diamonds, and, instead of flowers, the bride carried a bouquet of amazing gems. AND she wore Christian Louboutin heels encrusted with Swarovski crystals.

Royal We: Crown Prince Felipe of Spain & Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano

Dateline: May 22, 2004; Madrid

Check, please: $29 million

The Deets:

• The wedding ceremony was celebrated at Madrid’s Almudena Cathedral, which was decorated with over a million flowers.
• The dresses and suits of the pages, flower girls, and bridesmaids, designed by Spanish designer Lorenzo Caprile, were inspired by 18th-century Spanish paintings.
• The happy couple honeymooned for many weeks in . . . . ready? take a deep breath . . . Spain, Jordan, Koh Muk (Thailand), Fiji, and on a yacht in the Mediterranean, stopping at Greek islands and Italian ports (exhale!)

Royal We: Prince Albert II & Charlene Wittstock

Dateline: July 1, 2011; Monte Carlo

Check, please: $65 million 

The Deets:

• Perennial bachelor Prince Albert II of Monaco (finally) tied the knot at the age of 53 after finding his perfect match in stunning South African Olympic swimmer Charlene.
• They had two ceremonies: the first was a civil ceremony and the second was religious (two observances = beaucoup bucks!)
• Their five-tier cake was deemed the world’s biggest wedding cake –– it actually dwarfed the couple as they stood next to it and was topped with a cornucopia, flowers, and an explosion of stars. (Seriously. You should really google it).

Royal We: Prince Charles & Diana Spencer

Dateline: July 29, 1981; London

Check, please: $70 million

The Deets:

• This wedding, which took place in 1981, was dubbed the “wedding of the century.” And. It. Was.
• Over 750 million people around the world watched the wedding.
• Lady Diana’s dress had a 25-foot train.
• Their wedding cake was five feet tall and weighed 225 pounds (more than the bride and groom combined . . . think about that!)

And the #1 Show-stopping Royal Wedding is-s-s-s-s-sssss:

Royal We: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum & Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum

Dateline: April 26, 1979; Dubai

Check, please: $137 million                            

The Deets:

• The prince of Abu Dhabi had a 20,000 seat stadium specially built for his 7-day wedding.
• There were 34 private and complementary jets specially dedicated to escorting guests from around the world to the wedding, including Royals, Ambassadors, Emirs, and Sheikhs.
• The wedding itself holds the Guinness World Record as the most expensive ever held. (Repeat: EVER. HELD.)

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