Grand vows: $74 mn wedding in Reddy family; Russian oil tycoon's $1 bn nuptials

By Shannon Tellis

While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding cost a cool $43 million, we take a look at other high profile weddings that cost an arm and a leg.

Said Gutseriev and Khadija Uzhakhovs
Total cost: $1 billion


Extravagance is an understatement for the splashy wedding that Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Gutseriev hosted for his son Said Gutseriev and his bride Khadija Uzhakhovs in 2016.

Mikhail is said to be worth $4.5 billion. Guests who made it on the list for the billion-dollar reception party were gifted delicate gold boxes engraved with the couples’ names. Private performances by Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias and Sting aside, a nine-tier wedding cake stole the show. The pinnacle of indulgence however, was the bride’s 25-pound embellished Elie Saab wedding dress, which was imported from Paris. The opulent dress was so heavy that the bride needed an assistant to move.

Angela Yeung and Huang Xiaoming
Total cost: $31 million

When Chinese social media star Angela Yeung wed fellow actor Huang Xiaoming in 2015, their $31 million wedding was a sight to behold. Adorned with tens of thousands of roses, the fairytale venue was decorated with a holographic castle, a towering 10-foot cake, complete with a golden carousel, and multiple screens displaying an elegant pre-wedding shoot of the couple. In addition to 2,000 guests who witnessed the vows, the ceremony was also live-streamed for the benefit of the stars’ fans.

Vanisha Mittal and Amit Bhatia
Total cost: $66 million

When your father is one of the richest men in the world, no expense is too much. This was apparent when steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal paid a bundle for his daughter Vanisha’s wedding to Amit Bhatia in 2004. The steel magnate splashed out on a historic 17th century Chateau Veaux le Vicomte in Paris for the wedding and hosted their engagement ceremony at the Palace of Versailles. The lavish six-day celebration featured performances by Kylie Minogue and Shah Rukh Khan and a stunning fireworks display from the Eiffel Tower.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Princess Salama
Total cost: $100 million

As if hosting a seven-day wedding wasn’t extravagant enough, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had a 20,000-seat stadium specially built for his wedding to Sheikha Salama in 1981. To celebrate his nuptials, the groom also spent a week visiting every town on horseback to feast with the locals.

Brahmani and Rajeev Reddy
Total cost: $74 million

Disgraced mining baron and politician G Janardhan Reddy, who was arrested for illegal mining activities in 2011, earned a place in the record books for hosting one of India’ s most expensive weddings. Reddy’s daughter Brahmani married Rajeev Reddy in a lavish five-day celebration in 2016, which saw over 50,000 guests. The Bengaluru Palace Grounds was transformed to resemble the Vijayanagara Empire. However, the true highlight of the wedding was the bride’s trousseau which featured a Rs 17-crore Kanjeevaram saree and diamond jewellery worth Rs 90 crore.