Planning a wedding is one the most exciting times in a woman’s life. Aside from picking out the venue, invitations, and other necessities, choosing the perfect dress is a special moment that makes any girl feel like a princess. For some lucky ladies around the world, planning their big day is a real-life fairytale, crown and all. While all weddings are momentous occasions for those involved, royal weddings are highly orchestrated, lavish events observed my millions of people. The privileged few that possess a noted title and are part of a royal lineage have the means to throw the most extravagant weddings possible, making them the talk of the town! There a few royal weddings in particular that stand out for being the most impressive, beautiful, and over-the-top weddings to ever take place.

England

Most of us can admit that whether we were at work, home, or on the road it was hard not to keep up with the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The two met in college and after years of dating, Prince William wowed the world by proposing to his beloved with his mother’s ring. The stunning ring features an 18 carat sapphire surrounded by a cluster of white diamonds—a ring truly meant for a princess. Shortly after William and Kate’s engagement, the world became obsessed with the ring. People went to jewelry stores everywhere, searching for similar rings to call their own. While the original ring costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, making it inaccessible for working class individuals, many jewelers designed affordable versions. Emitations.com features a few inexpensive and beautiful versions of the famous ring for women to call their own. The ring holds sentimental value, seeing as how the late Princess Diana once wore it, and is utterly flawless. I love that it is an untraditional ring featuring a gemstone rather than a diamond as the focal point. While the ring received lots of attention, the wedding itself was one of the most watched events ever. William and Kate’s wedding is the third most expensive royal wedding to occur, and was deemed a national Holiday, costing the economy $6 billion! Talk about a pricey wedding!

Dubai

Now, if you think that William and Kate’s wedding was over-the-top, you haven’t seen what the leader of Dubai can whip up for his nuptials! In 1981, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum married the beautiful Princess Salama. It amazes me that their wedding was so extravagant, it is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive wedding to ever take place! The Sheikh’s parents set out to impress by building a stadium at the wedding location. Why a stadium? Oh, you know, to seat the 20,000 people they invited to their son’s wedding is all! The wedding was set to be a magnificent 7 day affair, consisting of elaborate details you only hear about in fairytales. Every wedding has to have music, and Sheikh Mohammed did not hold back when it came to entertaining his guests. 50 Arab and African song and dance troupes performed and paraded for the prestigious guests that came from all over to see this legendary marriage take place. One of the performers had the privilege of composing a special song for the couple. The Sheikh and his bride were so pleased with his performance, they rewarded the performer with a new Mercedes-Benz! 34 private jets were used to fly everyone in, ensuring that everyone attended. As far as gifts go, the newlyweds weren’t upset about not getting gift receipts for the jewels that were brought in for them on camels. If you are as intrigued as I am about the gorgeous wedding the Sheikh and his bride threw, you may be curious about the unrestrained style. Dubai is known for being over-the-top in all regards. You can add a little bit of this exotic style to your wardrobe by adding a beautifulDubai style kaftan from ebay.com. I love the bold color options and the opulent details featured in this kaftan. This isn’t a piece you can wear every day, but I think it’s great for a special event! It adds an eclectic and cultural hint to any fashionista’s style and best of all, you don’t need to be a rich Sheikh to afford it.

Tiaraang

Spain

When Crown Prince Felipe of Asturias of Spain and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano got married in 2004, they went all out as most royals do! The wedding took place in Madrid’s famous Almudena Cathedral and was flooded with over 1,500 guests! Like most other events dealing with high society individuals, security was in full effect. Two months prior to the wedding, a terrorist bomb went off, killing 191 people. To ensure no threats would occur during the wedding, the royals called in 20,000 police officers to secure the premises. When you can afford to have whatever you want at your wedding, the possibilities are endless! For these two Spanish lovers, flowers were a focal point in their décor. Most weddings incorporate flowers, but these two adorned the cathedral with over one million flowers on their big day! Imagine how fragrant it must have been in there! While the groom looked dapper in a royal military suit, the bride was flawless in a simple custom long sleeve dress that featured a 15 foot train. She topped off her look with a stunning Prussian diamond tiara, on loan from Queen Sophia. While most of us gals could get nowhere near a tiara like the one Princess Letizia shined in, I love the beautiful collection of affordable CZ tiaras offered by jjshouse.com. They have an extensive array of tiaras, making it easy for any future bride to find the right one for herself.

With receptions more over-the-top than anything most people can imagine, dresses sewn with gold thread, and guest lists larger than some college graduations, royal weddings are elaborate affairs that are admired by people all over the world. Although not everyone is born into a royal family, we can look to these privileged individuals and get some inspiration for our weddings, or at the very least be entertained by their unimaginable lifestyles.

Author: Maralyn

Maralyn Dennis Hill, The Epicurean Explorer, is president emeritus of International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association, member of Society of American Travel Writers, and Society of Professional Journalists. She is Executive Editor of Luxe Beat Magazine and contributes to other publications. She also speaks and is a guest on many shows. The majority of Maralyn’s articles are now geared to the luxury market, spas, corporate retreats, business events, and culinary tourism, from simple to gourmet. Maralyn’s description of herself: I was born to travel and tell the tale. I’m energized by different cultures in every aspect of their lives, from food, wine, and destination, to how they conduct business. Travel represents a continual geography lesson.