The Prince and Princess of Wales′ 2011 nuptials at Westminster Abbey did more than just go down in the history books – it has officially been crowned the “Wedding of the Century” by nine.com.au readers.
Watched on live TV by millions globally, the historic day saw Kate Middleton become the ultimate modern royal as she married the future King of England.
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ 2011 wedding at Westminster Abbey has been named the “Wedding of the Century” according to a nine.com.au reader poll. AP/AAP
The phrase has been thrown around multiple times over the course of the last two decades, most recently after Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tied the knot in front of 1,000 guests in Madison Square Garden last weekend.
Yet, only three per cent of nine.com.au readers believed the pop star and NFL player deserved the crown, while a staggering 44 per cent voted overwhelmingly for Kate and William.
Even worse off was Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez.
They walked away with zero per cent of the vote, proving that a limitless budget and an A-list guest list still can’t buy public adoration.
Below, we take a look at some of the biggest weddings of the century (so far!), that have captivated fans the world over.
The Prince and Princess of Wales
Kate Middleton’s white wedding gown designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen will go down as one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time.
Fans will remember the Princess of Wales beaming beneath her delicate veil and carrying a bouquet of white flowers including Lily of the Valley as she headed inside the church for her nuptials.
Fans will remember the Princess of Wales beaming beneath her delicate veil and carrying a bouquet of white flowers including Lily of the Valley as she headed inside the church for her nuptials. PA
Once the nuptials took place, the pair greeted crowds on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with a kiss.
The royal couple have now been married for a total of 15 years.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
It’s a Love Story and she said yes!
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in front of a who’s who of Hollywood and the sporting world, at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City on the July 4 weekend.
Travis and Taylor tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in front of a who’s who of Hollywood and the sporting world, at the iconic Madison Square Garden. Instagram
The nuptials are estimated to have cost upwards of a whopping $US30million ($43million); small change for billionaire Swift.
Swift and Kelce, both 36, are said to have had 1,000 guests at their New York City wedding.
In a fun twist, comedy legend Adam Sandler, who is friends with NFL star Kelce and even featured him in his film Happy Gilmore 2, officiated the wedding.
Rumours are rife that a castle was built inside Madison Square Garden for the nuptials.
Guests included the likes of Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid and her partner Bradley Cooper, Graham Norton, Hugh Grant, Dakota Johnson, Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba and Reese Witherspoon.
Music icons Stevie Nicks and Paul McCartney also performed.
British radio DJ and TV presenter Greg James was a guest at the lavish nuptials and shared some details on his BBC Radio 1’s All Day Breakfast with Greg James show.
He said in part about the newlyweds: “They [Taylor and Travis] were having a great time, they both looked amazing, they were having a great time, they were on the dance floor.”
He also revealed that he was sent an invite via a link on his phone, and that the pair had multiple wedding cakes and there was no sit-down dinner.
It’s presumed they had roaming catering inside the venue instead.
Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos
Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, 62, and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos, 56, tied the knot in Italy’s idyllic Venice with no expense spared. AP
Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, 62, and wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos, 56, who was previously married to Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell, tied the knot in Italy’s idyllic Venice in June last year, with no expense spared.
Their nuptials are said to have cost a cool €40-€48 million euros, upwards of $65million.
Sánchez Bezos wore a stunning white lace gown by Dolce & Gabbana for her big day, and even covered Vogue as a bride.
Her dress was classic in style and featured a high neck, long sleeves and a long train, which the bride teamed with a stunning long white veil.
Guests included Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brady, Ivanka Trump, Orlando Bloom and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Reflecting on her romance, the bride told Vogue: “Jeff hasn’t changed me. Jeff has revealed me. I feel safe. I feel seen. He lets me be me. Like I said about Sophia Loren being unapologetically free, he lets me be unapologetically free.”
Guests included Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brady, Orlando Bloom and Leonardo DiCaprio. AP
The Jenners are pictured at the multi-day event in Italy. AP
Sánchez Bezos wore a stunning white lace gown by Dolce & Gabbana for her big day, and even covered Vogue as a bride. Vogue
Dua Lipa and Callum Turner
Singer Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner tied the knot in May this year.
Singer Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner tied the knot this year, in a truly lavish affair. Instagram/@dualipa
After holding an intimate civil ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall in London that month, the pair held a bigger celebration in Sicily’s capital of Palermo in June.
Their nuptials reportedly cost a whopping $2.4 million in total. For the London service, Dua stunned in a Schiaparelli skirt suit creation, and for the Italian celebrations, she stunned in a custom Chanel haute couture wedding gown.
Her friend and musical colleague Elton John reportedly even performed at the wedding. They released Cold Heart together in 2021.
George and Amal
It seems that Italy is a popular destination for the mega-rich to get married.
Heartthrob George Clooney tied the knot with his glamorous humans right lawyer partner Amal Clooney in Venice, Italy in 2014.
Heartthrob George Clooney tied the knot with his glamorous humans right lawyer partner Amal Clooney in Venice, Italy in 2014. Getty
The pairwed at the Aman Canal Grande luxury resort in Venice, Italy, and Amal wore a stunning gown by Oscar de la Renta.
There are mixed reports about the cost of their nuptials, but it’s said to be up there in the millions.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
This union wasn’t to last, but Kim and Kanye pulled out all the stops for their wedding celebrations and thought it was forever when they tied the knot back in May 2014.
The pair held their lavish celebrations across France and Italy.
The pair held their rehearsal dinner at the Palace of Versailles. The pair reportedly had performers dressed up as late historical figure Marie Antoinette and even an orchestra.
This union wasn’t to last, but Kim and Kanye pulled out all the stops for their wedding celebrations in 2014. Vogue
They officially tied the knot in Italy, at the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, with Kardashian stunning in a bridal gown from Givenchy haute couture designed by Riccardo Tisci.
It reportedly cost upwards of a cool $US2.8 million or $4million.
David and Victoria Beckham
While technically not in the 21st century, which started in 2001, you can’t go past the wedding of Posh and Becks for one of most iconic celebrity weddings of all time. David Beckham/Instagram
While technically not in the 21st century, which started in 2001, you can’t go past the wedding of Posh and Becks for one of most iconic celebrity weddings of all time and one worthy of a mention.
In fact, their wedding was one of the biggest of the 20th century and nothing can dethrone them! (You’ll get the reference later).
The union saw one of the best footballers in the world marry a Spice Girl; with the pair holding their Robin Hood-themed wedding at Luttrellstown Castle Resort in Dublin, Ireland, in July 1999.
Their wedding was said to cost a cool £750,000 at the time, or $1.4million.
The pair famously wore matching purple outfits at their wedding reception, as well as son Brooklyn who was just a baby at the time, and Victoria wore a champagne Vera Wang ball gown and a small, gold crown for the ceremony.
The pair also sat on thrones during their wedding celebration.
“I’m trying to think back to when I decided to wear a purple suit, and I don’t know when that happened,” David said in his Beckham Netflix documentary about their big day.
The pair famously wore matching purple outfits at their wedding reception, in an iconic move. Instagram
“I think I just took Victoria’s lead on it, but what were we thinking?” he laughed.
Fashion designer Victoria added: “But it was fun, we weren’t worried about what people were going to say. You just want to express yourself, that’s just who we were.”
Just this week, as they marked their wedding anniversary, David shared a tribute to his wife alongside some throwback shots from the years past, including one of them hugging on their wedding day.
“29 years together , 27 years married & you have given me everything I could ever wish for.. Our proudest achievement will always be our family 🩷 I love you & Happy Anniversary 🩷 @victoriabeckham,” he wrote.
The nine.com.au poll, which runs once a fortnight, canvases the views of the Nine audience on 9Nation, which is an online community of our readers and viewers.
