The past few decades have seen the most memorable and costly celebrity weddings circulating the media, from Prince Charles and Princess Diana to the Beckhams. With that in mind, our team at Fireworks Kingdom has analysed the most-used features found at these lavish weddings including fireworks, bespoke gowns, security, and private jets, with some celebrity couples spending £100 million.

Recently fireworks have become increasingly popular for occasions other than bonfire night, Diwali, and new year. Celebrities are known for indulging in luxury and extravagance, making fireworks a common feature at showbiz weddings, with 50% having them. But what else do celebrities spend their wedding budget on?

The Most Popular Celebrity Wedding Features

Celebrities like to go all out, especially on their wedding day. Our team looked at the top 15 features and what percentage of celebrity weddings included these.

• Custom/designer bridal gown - 95%

Our research revealed that the most popular wedding feature is a custom or designer wedding gown - found at 95% of celebrity weddings.

When marrying Kayne West, Kim Kardashian wore a Givenchy Haute Couture gown which apparently cost just under £402K, with inflation.

Meghan Markle’s Givenchy wedding gown and Stella McCartney reception dress combined would have cost a total of £322,436 today.

Victoria Beckham’s Vera Wang dress with a 20-foot train was the cheaper of the three, costing around $100,000 at the time, which converts to £115,184 with inflation.

• Security - 75%

The research found that 75% of celebrity weddings had security, showing it’s extremely important for stars to ensure fans don’t gatecrash their special day. However, it seemed to be more prominent among royal weddings.

It was estimated that in 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton spent around £28 million on security for their big day.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding cost around $48 million in 1981, which today, with inflation and converted to GBP is £110,694,500. It was rumoured that the majority of the budget for the wedding was spent on security.

In 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly spent around £31.5 million on security at their wedding including snipers, undercover police, military technology, and security drones.

• Champagne - 75%

What’s a wedding without a little champagne? Data revealed that champagne ranks in the top three celebrity wedding features. The research found that champagne is at 75% of celebrity weddings.

Hayley and Justin Bieber are rumoured to have spent around £2.6K on bedazzled champagne bottles for their guests at their wedding in 2019.

The Most Expensive Celebrity Weddings

So which celebrities spent the most? Our team researched the top ten most expensive celebrity weddings in history.

• Prince Charles and Princess Diana - £110,694,500

No wedding has ever come close to topping Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s big day. The majority of the wedding budget was spent on security, and other expenses included a wedding dress, fitted with a 25-foot train and covered in 10,000 pearls, and a 225-pound, five-foot-tall cake.

The couple also had a fireworks display in Hyde park the night before the wedding – with Charles lighting the first bonfire while Diana was tucked up in bed. This marriage ended in 1996 and Princess Diana tragically died a year later.

• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - £35,459,020

The more recent royal wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is the second most expensive celebrity wedding in our research, costing a whopping £35,459,020. The couple supposedly spent £504,000 on the lunch and dinner receptions and £52,500 on a lemon and elderflower cake by pastry chef Claire Ptak. The couple are still happily married so the money remains well spent!

• Prince William and Kate Middleton - £29,592,289

The third most expensive celebrity wedding is Prince William and Kate Middleton’s, costing around £29,592,289. The two receptions cost around £683,584, not to mention the traditional white buttercream wedding cake and chocolate cookie groom’s cake - an estimated total of £68,358!

In terms of live performances, Ellie Goulding starred at the reception. It was rumoured that at 2.30am there was a firework display in the courtyard too. The pair also remain married and are now parents to three children.

How Much Do the Common Celebrity Wedding Features Cost?

Fireworks are amongst the top most common celebrity wedding features, with half of the couples in our research incorporating it into their big day. Wedding fireworks are a beautiful and bespoke way to make the day memorable. Paul McCartney and Heather Mills are believed to have spent £158,734 on a fireworks display at their reception.

Our findings revealed that tiaras were donned by just under a third of celebrity brides. When marrying Micheal Douglas in New York City in 2000, Catherine Zeta-Jones supposedly wore a diamond tiara worth a staggering £337,486!

Claire Wilson, Marketing Director at Fireworks Kingdom: “Celebrity weddings often cost more because of the scale of the celebrations. With guest lists ranging from hundreds to thousands of attendees, transport and venue choices can cost huge sums.

“The celebrity couple also need to invest in full security teams to keep any gatecrashers at bay - an issue you shouldn’t have at the standard wedding.

“There are several wedding features listed that anyone can replicate to give their big day a memorable edge. Rather than splashing the cash on designer flower bouquets, you can create your own at a local florist. Champagne doesn’t need to be costly either - there are budget options available from certain supermarkets.

“While an orchestra or celebrity musical performances may be out of the equation for most weddings, you can hire a string quartet for a stately wedding reception, and then opt for a DJ or band to liven up the evening reception party.

“A fireworks display can also amplify the evening celebrations. You can design and light your own fireworks display, just ensure that safety protocols are adhered to. Be sure to check with the venue and local council for noise limits and other restrictions first.”

So, there we have it - a breakdown of the most expensive and famous weddings. Contact us if you would like to recreate a celebrity wedding with a fireworks display on your big day. At Fireworks Kingdom, we stock some of the best fireworks in the UK to make your wedding day simply perfect.

About Fireworks Kingdom

Fireworks Kingdom was established in 2007 and is a Doncaster based fireworks supplier. We sell fireworks both in store and online at highly competitive prices. At Fireworks Kingdom we have an extensive range of fireworks to suit any occasion and budget - from sky-filling rockets to low-level fireworks such as fountains and barrages to present you with splashes of light and make every occasion special. Whether you are planning a wedding, a gender reveal party, a New Year’s Eve gathering or any get together we can provide you with what you need.

We have teamed up with the world’s largest fireworks manufacturer, Brothers Pyrotechnics, to provide you with only the best. We understand that loud fireworks are not for everybody and that’s why we provide a range of silent, low noise and quiet fireworks to ensure that everyone can celebrate big occasions without the need for big bangs.