Celebrity million dollar weddings and what we loved about them

These are the top million dollar weddings of this year, why we all want to be like them, and how we can go about doing it.

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Posted by Angelababy 楊穎 on Tuesday, 13 October 2015

Angelababy and Huang Xiaoming

The wedding of the century: China's star couple Angelababy and Huang Xiaoming spent a whopping estimate of SGD$43 million on their star-studded fairytale-themed wedding (guests included Dee Hsu, Lin Chiling, Shu Qi, Vicky Zhao, Li Yapeng and others) at the Shanghai Convention Centre. The venue was transformed into a romantic garden setting, with a stage made to look like an entrance to a huge castle. The bride had on a dramatic and dreamy lace ball gown by Dior that had 100 handmade roses sewn on, complete with a Chaumet bridal tiara that accompanied her floor length veil. While Xiaoming looked sharp and dapper in his Tom Ford suit.

What we loved: The pink and purple tones which were fresh yet sophisticated, lush floral arrangements and fairy lights that decorated the hall, the carousel cake and the charitable gesture that Huang Xiaoming made as a gift to his new bride – inviting 527 disabled children from various charities and setting up a charity foundation in her name.

We also liked that the couple had their tea ceremony dressed in traditional Chinese wedding finery - they looked dramatic and glamorous! Even the groomsmen got into the act dressed in silky Changshan robes.

Have a wedding like theirs: The decor included a lush flower wall which took centrestage as the couple exchanged vows, cut their magnificent cake, and made their speeches. Use a wall with silk flowers (like this one from Ektory), or have the wall as part of your portraits instead of the actual day reception to save on hourly rental.

Instead of building a replica of a castle's facade, project an image of a castle onto the backdrop - work with your lighting team to get the right effect. You can look online for pictures of castles to find the right one to suit your theme. An option to all the lights and candles the couple had: Fairy lights, which may not give a rich golden glow, but will definitely add a magical fairy-tale like ambience.

Reproduced with permission from Rio Photography.

Chelsea Olivia and Glenn Alinskie

A stunning affair: The Indonesian celebrities went all out when it came to their wedding celebrations. Now, Indonesian weddings are generally lavish and boisterous affairs, but this couple took it up a notch. The couple tied the knot in a Catholic ceremony at the Church of Santa Maria Patron of the Assumption in Jakarta, Indonesia. Later, they held their dinner reception at the Hotel Mulia Senayan in Central Jakarta.

What we loved: The aisle was strewn with white petals and the place decorated with fresh cream and pink blooms. To match the gorgeous venue and decor, the bride wore an elaborate ball gown by Indonesian-based couturier Hiantjen, with sheer lace sleeves and a cathedral train while the groom had on a white and black suit.

For their reception, the entire set up was filled with pink and cream roses, transporting guests straight in to a life-sized storybook, as well as larger-than-life animal sculptures like swans, deers, unicorns, and so on. They even built a mini cottage and a 4.5m castle wedding cake, complete with towers, flags and a pair of heart shaped stairs.

Have a wedding like theirs: Instead of real flowers, use silk ones. And instead of having white petals cover the floor of the entire venue, just have them strewn on the aisle for a grand entrance. Focus on a few standout displays to convey the theme effectively. Have a few giant animal or flower sculptures placed strategically around your reception, to give the impression of a whimsical wonderland without having too many decor details.

Booking the right venue for your theme will cut the your decor costs. Instead of having your celebrations at a generic, modern venue then spending tons of money to dress it up to look like a majestic castle, book a venue that has a castle-like architecture instead. It may cost more but you wont have to spend so much on trying to change the look and feel of the place.

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Posted by 周杰倫 Jay Chou on Saturday, 17 January 2015

Jay Chou and Hannah Quinlivan

Just like royalty: The couple had three different wedding celebrations in three countries. The first was a solemnisation, tea reception and a dinner banquet in England planned by luxury wedding planner, UK-based Sarah Haywood.

What we loved: The couple held their solemnisation ceremony in the 12th-century Selby Abbey and at Castle Howard where both were simply decorated, to allow the building's structures to shine through.

Hannah wore a Tudor-inspired ball gown designed by Mikael Derderian with a cathedral train and a heart shape cut out in the back. She accessorised it with a Lumieres d'eau tiara by Chaumet, while Jay donned a back suit with gold embroidered lapels designed by Alexander McQueen and matching shoes.

The couple subsequently held two more celebrations, a circus-themed Chinese banquet for Jay's grandmother and other celebrities, as well as another intimate beach wedding in Gold Coast held for Hannah's relatives. In all occasions the couple wore outfits that matched and emphasized their theme for every different celebration.

Have a wedding like theirs: Instead of a castle, look to heritage venues instead. For instance, the former Supreme Court, the Singapore National Museum, or even colonial houses that evoke a regal vibe. Plus, if you loved Hannah's gown, you'll be pleased to know that the princess gown is gaining popularity once again in the coming Spring 2016 collections.

Instead of having two different bridal gowns for your church and beach celebrations, you can have a pastel coloured evening dress which can double as your wedding outfit for the beach celebrations. All you need is a change of accessories. Also, you can choose to have your beach party at a nearby destination like Malaysia or Thailand. It's a lot cheaper and you can also book similar circus-themed entertainment should you wish to do so.