Most women dream of looking like a queen or a princess during her wedding day. As the bride walks down the aisle, the gorgeous wedding dress becomes the center of attention. Some bridal dresses have mile-long trains while others have rhinestones, beads, pearls and other intricate decorations.
Naturally, the more intricately designed a wedding gown is, the pricier it would be. This is especially true if the gown is made by a popular fashion designer. If you’re a bride who is about to say your “I dos” with your soon-to-be-husband, you may not necessarily afford to have the most expensive gown made, but you can definitely take some design inspiration from our list. Check out the top 25 most expensive wedding dresses in the world:
Gown: The Diamond Wedding Gown
Gown Designer: Renee Strauss and Martin Katz
Price in US Dollars: $12 million
Drum roll for number 1 on the most expensive wedding dresses top. Designed by Renee Strauss and Martin Katz who is a master jeweller, the Diamond Wedding Gown costs a whopping $12 million. The dress was made in 2006 and what makes it so expensive is the inclusion of 150 carats of glittering diamonds in the fabric. No bride is lucky enough to have worn this dress yet, but it was made for the Outstanding Bridal Show at the Ritz-Carlton event held on the same year.
Gown: White Gold Dress
Gown Designer: Yumi Katsura
Price in US Dollars: $8.5 million
Also created in 2006 by Japanese designer Yumi Katsura, the White Gold Dress is made of luscious silk and satin fabrics. A rare 5-carat white gold diamond, an 8.8-carat green diamond and 1,000 pearls were used to adorn the gown. Just like the Diamond Wedding Gown, no bride has been lucky enough to wear this dress in a real-life wedding. Although number 2 on the most expensive wedding dresses list, this beauty hasn’t found a buyer.
Gown: Peacock Feather Wedding Dress
Gown Designer: Vera Wang
Price in US Dollars: $1.5 million
Same thing goes for number 3 on our most expensive wedding dresses top. Costing a whopping $1.5-million, fashion designer Vera Wang created the iconic Peacock Feather Wedding Dress. As the name implies, the bridal gown veers away from the traditional white. Instead, it’s made from 2,009 male peacock feathers so the dominant color is green. The gown reportedly took two months to finish, and the work was done by eight handicrafts men.
Bride: Petra Ecclestone
Gown Designer: Vera Wang
Price in US Dollars: $1.3 million
The first dress who’s found an owner in our most expensive wedding dresses top is billionaire’s Petra Ecclestone. Petra Ecclestone is a British heiress, model and fashion designer. When she married billionaire James Stunt in 2011, she wore a Vera Wang dress which reportedly cost $1.3 million Guests were treated to champagne, performances from David Guetta and the Black Eyed Pease, amidst a medieval castle setting.
Bride: Kate Middleton
Gown Designer: Sarah Burton
Price in US Dollars: $400,000
Perhaps one of the most famous wedding gowns in recent history is Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen dress which reportedly cost $400,000. Kate married Prince William of England and the real-life princess wore a gown which is made from French Chantilly lace, English Cluny lace, ivory and white satin. This puts Kate on number 5 in our most expensive wedding dresses top.
Gown: Mauro Adami Wedding Dress
Gown Designer: Mauro Adami
Price in US Dollars: $372,564
Next in our most expensive wedding dresses top is a beautiful Mauro Adami dress. Another breath taking dress which is considered to be one of the most expensive in the world was made by Italian designer Mauro Adami. The fabric is spun from platinum and silk threads, giving the material a unique, metallic sheen. The dress was part of the designer’s Domo Adami Collection which was shown in 2008.
Bride: Coleen Rooney
Price in US Dollars: $300,000
Coleen Rooney is an English TV presenter, columnist and product endorser who married football captain Wayne Rooney. The couple flew their family and friends to Italy and Rooney’s gown is said to cost $300,000. This is one of the most expensive wedding dresses, but the bride said it was all worth it!
Gown: Platinum Wedding Dress
Price in US Dollars: $250,000
The Platinum Wedding Dress is literally made of platinum. Costing a quarter of a million dollars, the dress is made in China’s Anhui Province. Instead of the traditional white, the Platinum Wedding Dress has a fiery red color with an oriental design. Number 8 in our most expensive wedding dresses top is still looking for a proud owner!
Gown: 9,999 Carat Gems Wedding Dress
Price in US Dollars: $158,874
Made in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province of China, the 9,999 Carat Gems Wedding Dress was finished in 2007. The fabric of the gown is made from high quality material, but what makes it so unique – and so expensive- is the gems used to decorate the intricate gown. 9,999 carats of gems were used to adorn the gown which no bride has been lucky to wear just yet. Most expensive wedding dresses sometimes remain in the museum because of their huge price!
Bride: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Gown Designer: Christian Lacroix
Price in US Dollars: $140,000
When Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta-Jones married Michael Douglas in 200, she wore a Christian Lacroix gown. The dress reportedly cost $140,000 and it has a 6-feet train. The bodice of the gown was adorned with diamonds which are sewn using luxurious silk thread. Katerine’s dress is one of the most expensive wedding dresses ever, but the bride looked stunning!
Bride: Melania Knauss
Gown Designer: Christian Dior
Price in US Dollars: $118,000
Melania Knauss is a fashion model who married business tycoon Donald Trump in 2005. Her bridal gown was designed by Christian Dior and reportedly cost $118,000. It’s said to have weighed fifty pounds and has a 13-foot train. Donald Trump had to be in our most expensive wedding dresses top, right?
Gown: ‘Bach Ngoc Xiem Y’ Wedding Dress
Price in US Dollars: $117,000
Displayed at the Ruby Plaza in Hanoi, Vietnam, the ‘Bach Ngoc Xiem Y’ Wedding Dress is not for a bride who’s faint of heart. The garment costs $117,000 and is made from top-grade silk and satin. The adornment of the gown includes 222 diamonds and 100 rubies. This beauty on number 12 in our most expensive wedding dresses list is still looking for a buyer.
Bride: Princess Diana
Gown Designer: David and Elizabeth Manuel
Price in US Dollars: $115,000
Number 13 on our most expensive wedding dresses list is a beautiful princess and her magical dress. $115,000 may seem like a quite low price for the iconic wedding dress of the late Princess Diana because it’s practically priceless now. The Princess of Wales who married Prince Charles in 1981 wore a gown made by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, who used hand-woven lace and pure ivory silk taffeta. It’s also adorned with thousands of tiny pearls and sequins which were manually sewn into the fabric using gold thread. The gown has a 25-foot train.
Gown: Imperial Pearl Syndicate Gown
Price in US Dollars: $100,000
Made way back in the 1950s, the value of the Imperial Pearl Syndicate Gown continues to increase today. The dress uses 100,000 cultured pearls which are hand-sewn into the bodice. The bridal dress has a satin sash and a ballerina skirt.
Bride: Victoria Beckham
Price in US Dollars: $100,000
When Victoria Beckham married David Beckham in 1999, she wore an exquisite bridal gown which is said to have cost $100,000. Talk about the most expensive wedding dresses in the world!
Bride: Madonna
Price in US Dollars: $80,000
What else can you expect from the queen of pop? When singer Madonna married Guy Richie in 2000, she wore a regal dress which cost around $80,000. One of the most expensive wedding dresses for one of the most famous divas ever!
Bride: Kim Kardashian
Gown Designer: Vera Wang
Price in US Dollars: $75,000
During her first marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries, reality TV star Kim Kardashian wore three different bridal gowns. They were all designed by Vera Wang, and reportedly cost $25,000 each. Three dresses that put Kim on number 17 in our list.
Bride: Grace Kelly
Gown Designer: Helen Rose
Price in US Dollars: $68,000
Number 18 in our most expensive wedding dresses top belongs to a classic beauty. When style icon Grace Kelly married Prince Rainer in 1956, she wore a stunning gown with long sleeves, a cinched waist and a high neckline. The gorgeous dress has a value of around $68,000 now.
Bride: Keely Shaye Smith
Gown Designer: Richard Tylor
Price in US Dollars: $60,000
When you’re married to James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, expect nothing but the best. Television host Keely Shaye Smith wore a $60,000 Richard Tylor gown when she married the Hollywood actor in 2001. And this piece of clothing landed her on number 19 in our most expensive wedding dresses top.
Bride: Tori Spelling
Price in US Dollars: $50,000
In 2004, actress Tori Spelling said her “I dos” with Charlie Shanian. The entire wedding cost around one million dollars, and she wore a stunner dress which has a value of about $50,000.
Bride: Jennifer Aniston
Price in US Dollars: $50,000
When Jennifer Aniston married actor Brad Pitt in 200, she wore a $50,000 wedding gown. Pitt is now married to Angelina Jolie while Aniston is seeing actor Justin Theroux. Let’s hope her new wedding dress will put her back on our most expensive wedding dresses list!
Bride: Katie Holmes
Gown Designer: Giorgio Armani
Price in US Dollars: $45,000
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise uttered their vows in a 15th century Italian castle. Holmes’ bridal dress was custom-designed by Giorgio Armani, and reportedly cost $45,000 to make. The marriage didn’t last, but the dress made history, landing on number 22 in our most expensive wedding dresses top.
Bride: Liza Minelli
Gown Designer: Bob Mackey
Price in US Dollars: $45,000
With Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor serving as her A-list guests, Liza Minelli married David Gest in 2002. She wore a Bob Mackey gown which cost $45,000.
Bride: Heather Mills
Price in US Dollars: $40,000
Being married to a Beatle does have its perks, such as the fact that you can wear a $40,000 bridal gown. Heather Mills wore this when she wed Paul McCartney in July 2002. One of the most expensive wedding dresses for a beautiful and delicate lady!
Bride: Christina Aguilera
Price in US Dollars: $30,000
Christina Aguilera married Jordan Bratman in 2005. She wore a sleeveless bridal dress which cost around $30,000. Christina didn’t go over board and this brought her the 25th place in our most expensive wedding dresses top.
Some of the marriages of these brides did not last long, while others have stayed strong. No matter what happens, the brides with the most expensive wedding gowns will surely have future bride-to-be’s borrowing some style inspiration from what they wore on their big day.