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Friday Fashion Flashback: 5 most expensive wedding dresses ever, from Priyanka Chopra to Queen Letizia of Spain
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From gold-thread embroidery to millions of crystals, this Friday Fashion Flashback looks at five of the world’s most expensive wedding dresses.
For Friday Fashion Flashback, we revisit the most unforgettable fashion moments, extraordinary creations and iconic pieces that have stood the test of time. This week, we look at some of the most expensive wedding dresses ever created, from royal bridal gowns to celebrity couture. (Also read: Friday Fashion Flashback: The Indian Maharaja who commissioned Cartier’s most extraordinary necklace with 2,930 diamonds )
1. Queen Letizia of Spain — $8 million ( ₹75.6 crore)
Royal wedding gowns don’t get much more extravagant than Queen Letizia of Spain’s Manuel Pertegaz creation. When Letizia married then-Crown Prince Felipe in 2004, she wore an ivory gown with long sleeves, a high collar, a deep V neckline and a dramatic train. According to The Knot, the dress is estimated to have cost $8 million, or approximately ₹75.6 crore.
The extraordinary valuation was linked to the real gold threads woven into the fabric. Gold embroidery depicting symbols, including the Prince of Asturia's crest, fleur-de-lis, and ears of wheat, adorned the gown and its train. The figure has also been reported by Marie Claire, which notes that the gown’s gold-thread embroidery was a major reason for its extraordinary estimated value.
2. Serena Williams — $3.5 million ( ₹33.1 crore)
Tennis champion Serena Williams went full princess for her 2017 wedding to Alexis Ohanian, choosing a dramatic custom Alexander McQueen ball gown designed by Sarah Burton. According to The Knot, the gown is valued at around $3.5 million, placing it among the world’s most expensive celebrity wedding dresses. That works out to approximately ₹33.1 crore at the current exchange rate.
The strapless gown featured a voluminous ballgown skirt and a dramatic cape. Serena wore two additional Versace dresses later during the celebrations, making her bridal wardrobe a three-look affair. Vogue confirmed that her ceremony gown was custom-made by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
3. Priyanka Chopra — $2 million ( ₹18.9 crore)
Priyanka Chopra’s 2018 wedding to Nick Jonas gave the world several spectacular bridal looks, but her custom Ralph Lauren gown for the Christian ceremony remains one of the most talked-about. According to The Knot, the gown and accompanying look were estimated to cost $2 million, equivalent to approximately ₹18.9 crore today.
The price becomes easier to understand when you look at the craftsmanship. Vogue India reported that the gown took 1,826 hours to complete and featured 2,380,000 mother-of-pearl sequins on the strapless column dress underneath.
The outer layer was hand-beaded and hand-embroidered by 15 artisans in Mumbai and featured 11,632 Swarovski crystals, 5,600 seed beads and 32,000 pearlescent sequins, according to Ralph Lauren’s own account of the making of the gown.
The 75-foot tulle veil added even more drama. The gown also included deeply personal details: eight words and phrases, including Nick Jonas’ full name, their wedding date, her parents’ names, “family”, “hope”, “compassion” and “love”, were embroidered into the design.
4. Queen Elizabeth II — $1.6 million ( ₹15.1 crore)
When then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in November 1947, she wore an ivory duchesse satin gown designed by renowned British couturier Norman Hartnell. According to the Royal Collection Trust, Hartnell drew inspiration from Botticelli’s Primavera, using floral motifs to symbolise renewal and rebirth in post-war Britain.
The gown featured an elaborate 15-foot train and was decorated with thousands of pearls and intricate floral embroidery. According to Brides, around 10,000 seed pearls imported from the United States were used on the dress.
5. Victoria Swarovski — $1 million ( ₹9.45 crore)
When Swarovski heiress Victoria Swarovski married Werner Mürz in Italy in 2017, her wedding dress was practically a crystal-covered spectacle.
According to Brides, the custom Michael Cinco gown was adorned with 500,000 Swarovski crystals and was valued at more than $1 million, equivalent to more than ₹9.45 crore today. The dress reportedly weighed around 100 pounds and was paired with a 26-foot lace-edged veil.
Stay tuned for next week’s Friday Fashion Flashback, as we uncover another fascinating story from the world of fashion, heritage and style history.
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