The Most Expensive Pro Athlete Weddings Of All Time
Weddings are expensive. From photographers to venues to food to music, people shell out heaps of cash to celebrate their big day. In fact, the average cost of a wedding in 2021 was $28,000, per The Knot. Keep in mind, that figure is an average, and there are lots of people who keep their costs well under that number. But on the flip side, there are others who go way, way beyond that number.
Most people don't publicize the cost of their wedding, but when you're famous, it's a little harder to keep it a secret. Sports stars are some of the wealthiest people in society, so they have the most money to spend on all the frivolities that make weddings lavish as heck, and very memorable.
We rounded up some of the most expensive weddings of all time held by professional athletes. Although none of them happened in 2021, they all far surpassed the national average. Let's get into it.
Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian got hitched on TV
It's likely you only remember Kris Humphries from his infamous relationship with reality star Kim Kardashian. As Kourtney Kardashian once told David Letterman, "I think if she was gonna do it for publicity, she'd pick someone that people knew." But basketball fans did know him outside of his marriage, because he did have a career of his own in the NBA.
After dating for a couple years, and documenting much of the relationship on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," the two married in a pricey ceremony in Montecito, California, all of which was filmed for the show. And the total price tag? According to OK!, it apparently got up to $10 million. That whopping bill covered food for 450 guests, their stunning estate venue, and Kim's custom Vera Wang gown. But what the public remembers more prominently than the price tag was the duration of the marriage, as it famously lasted for a short 72 days before she filed for divorce. Since then, Kim's married and divorced rapper Kanye "Ye" West, and found love with "Saturday Night Live" star Pete Davidson.
Following his split from Kim, Humphries appeared on "Good Morning America" and talked about — you guessed it — his split from Kim. "Through everything, I'm just focused on family and preparing for basketball," he said. "For me, it's just certain things happen in life and you've got to move forward."
Lamar Odom and Khloé Kardashian wed on TV, too
Kim Kardashian's sister Khloé Kardashian also had a very expensive wedding to an NBA star. Although it didn't cost quite as much as her sister's, Khloé had her own fairytale ceremony with former Laker Lamar Odom. This too was filmed for "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," and fans likely remember that the basketball player proposed after just a month of dating. Sources claimed to TMZ that the vow exchange cost an estimated $1 million, and E! supposedly paid for the event. What's more, as Access reported at the time, OK! Magazine supposedly shelled out a cool $300,000 to the couple for their wedding photos.
While they did make it past the 72-day mark, Odom and Khloé split after four years of marriage. Since then, Odom has retired from playing basketball, and Khloé has had a child with another NBA star, Tristan Thompson.
Though Odom and Khloé's marriage did not work out, the exes have remained supportive of one another. A rep for Odom told Us Weekly in 2022 that the NBA alum "will always carry a fondness for Khloé and her family in his heart"; Khloé told her sisters on a 2019 episode of "KUWTK" that while she doesn't want to rekindle their romantic relationship she does "miss him all the time."
Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto had a huge guest list
Being one of the greatest basketball players of all time can earn you a handsome living. Michael Jordan is a billionaire, so the millions that he reportedly spent on his 2013 wedding to Yvette Prieto are barely a drop in the bucket. Per Us Weekly, Jordan and Prieto's nuptials reportedly cost $10 million. The two exchanged vows in front of 300 guests, including other NBA greats like Patrick Ewing and Scottie Pippen. That $10 million went toward their venue, a couture wedding gown, Swarovski crystals, and a private jet to fly them to Palm Beach for the event.
Sources in attendance praised the ceremony. "The attention to detail was magnificent... The room was filled with thousands of candles, thousands. It was heavenly," a guest told Us Weekly of the affair. Hopefully part of the wedding budget went toward having firemen on standby in case one of the thousands of candles went awry.
The couple is still together, and less than a year after tying the knot, Prieto gave birth to their twin daughters.
Eli Manning and Abby McGrew married in Mexico
Perhaps after reading about weddings that cost multiple millions, $500,000 really doesn't sound like that much. But here's your casual reminder that $500,000 is not only a ton of money but is still far above the national average wedding cost. And that's apparently what quarterback Eli Manning and Abby McGrew spent on their wedding in Mexico, an estimation per New York Daily News.
From the sounds of it, the event was quite stunning. The couple, who met in college, celebrated their ceremony on a resort in Cabo. According to New Orleans Magazine, McGrew donned "a Monique Lhullier creation" that "was made of intricate lace," and "cigar rollers were on hand" so guests could enjoy only the freshest of cigars. Per the New York Daily News, the minister began the ceremony by saying to guests, "Welcome to one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever presided over." We'll trust the minister's words.
After marrying, the two stayed another week to celebrate their honeymoon. And these days, the couple might have more time for another week-long vacation given that Manning retired from football in 2020.
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren's luxe event
When GOAT golfer Tiger Woods wed model Elin Nordegren in Barbados in 2004, the day cost a cool $1.5 million, per CNN. The star-studded affair's guest list included Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Charles Barkley. The hefty price tag covered their stunning resort venue, Nordegren's Vera Wang dress, live music from Hootie & the Blowfish, and a fireworks display to end the night.
The bills only racked up further after the ceremony when the two hopped on Woods's yacht. Per InStyle, he gifted the big boat to Nordegren to commemorate the occasion. "Elin and I celebrated this wonderful occasion with our close friends and family, and we look forward to starting our new life together," Woods shared on his website after the ceremony, per ESPN.
Although Woods spent over a million dollars on his wedding, he spent even more on his divorce. Way more. Per TMZ, Woods paid Nordegren $100 million when the two split. But since he's currently worth an estimated $800 million, we think he'll be fine. He could even throw another $1.5 million wedding.
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian had a fairytale affair
Tennis star Serena Williams married her venture capitalist husband Alexis Ohanian back in 2017. And while the total wedding cost has never been disclosed, she apparently wore a gown that cost $3.5 million, per Brides. Oh, but it was not the only gown of the evening. Williams wore three dresses to mark the occasion: an Alexander McQueen gown for the ceremony, a Versace party dress for the reception, and a second Versace dress to end the night.
The New Orleans wedding isn't the only romantic portion of their love story. Williams shared with Vogue their engagement tale, saying, "I came home one day to find my bags already packed for me, and I had absolutely no idea where I was going until I got on the flight. Alexis flew me out to Rome, back to the exact table where we'd met. We were both really nervous but also excited to take this huge step. It was such a beautiful moment."
The Beckham wedding was so posh
David Beckham and Victoria Beckham had one posh ceremony, and it was quite expensive. People with money have always shelled out a lot of dough on weddings, but the Beckhams' nuptials were quite expensive — even compared to events of today.
When David and Victoria got hitched in 1999, the BBC called it "one of the biggest celebrity weddings of the year." Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest celebrity weddings of the year came with a hefty price tag. Per CBS News, they reportedly forked over $800,000 to celebrate with their nearest and dearest. Sure, that's nothing compared to the $10 million that Michael Jordan spent, but this was in 1999. $800,000 then would be $1.3 million in 2022.
So what exactly did that $800,000 cover? Of course, a venue fit for royalty. The two were married at Luttrellstown Castle. And to keep the palatial theme, Posh wore a Vera Wang ball gown replete with an 18 karat gold tiara. Becks has since acknowledged how over-the-top their ceremony was, telling Vanity Fair, "We did throw a lot at [the first wedding], because it was the thing to do around that time." We can't say we wouldn't do the same.
LeBron James and Savannah Brinson's wedding gala
Michael Jordan and LeBron James have at least two things in common: they're both often considered the greatest basketball player of all time, and they both reportedly spent $10 million on a wedding.
As the AP reported at the time (via USA Today), James married his high school sweetheart Savannah Brinson in San Diego in September 2013. To commemorate the day eight years later, James posted a photo to Instagram and wrote, "Our own personal Met Gala 8 years ago." Although we've never been to the Met Gala, and we didn't attend the wedding of King James, we can imagine it's an apt comparison.
The main difference between the Met Gala and the NBA superstar's wedding? The Met Gala only lasts one night. James, on the other hand, threw a wedding that happened to be a three-day affair, which explains the cost. Still though, most parties — even three-day-long parties — don't usually cost that much money. But hey, most parties aren't thrown by one of the best professional athletes to set foot on this planet.
Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood hosted famous friends
Hockey player Mike Fisher wed country singer Carrie Underwood in a lovely wedding that reportedly cost the couple half a million dollars, according to Radar. The two married in 2010 at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation in Georgia. According to Us Weekly, they hosted around 200 guests, some of whom are quite famous: Per Glamour, all three original "American Idol" judges. We wonder what Simon Cowell gives as a wedding gift.
For the event, Underwood wore a couture Monique Lhuillier gown and a 40 carat diamond and white gold tiara. The venue also wore custom duds for the occasion: According to People, "The hotel name on the entry carpet and room keys were replaced by a custom rug and keys bearing the couple's signature 'CM' motif, which was repeated on the dance floor and on the backs of the head-table chairs in the reception ballroom."
"We could not feel more blessed to have found each other and to have shared this day with our friends and family that mean so much to us!" the two shared in a joint statement after exchanging their vows, per Us Weekly. The couple is still together today and share two children, and Fisher has since retired from his career in the NHL.
Carmelo Anthony and La La Anthony's sweet day
When basketball player Carmelo Anthony married television host La La Anthony, née Vasquez, it was an affair to remember. (And if you would like to revisit it, you can, thanks to the VH1 series "La La's Full Court Wedding.") The total amount they spent was never disclosed, but her jewelry alone cost more than the average price of a house in the United States the year they tied the knot. In 2010, the average house cost was around $222,900; La La's bridal accoutrement cost $250,000, per Us Weekly.
According to the outlet, the two were surrounded by 300 people, including Kim Kardashian, LeBron James, and Serena Williams. And it sure sounds like the guests enjoyed a fantastic menu. "We had a mixture of seafood and chicken and meat and the vegetarian products," La La told ESPN. "The desserts were crazy. We had a candy bar and red velvet cake. It was heaven for anyone who likes to eat, I'll tell you that much." Sounds sweet to us.
In 2021, La La filed for divorce after 11 years of marriage, and from the sounds of it, she won't be shelling out hundreds of thousands for another wedding anytime soon. "Marriage, I don't think I can ever do that again. I mean, some amazing person would have to come. I don't see that happening again," she shared on "The Angie Martinez Show."
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union's expensive union
Actor Gabrielle Union and former basketball player Dwyane Wade had an idyllic wedding day in August 2014. The two wed in Miami's Château Artisan, and the bride wore a Dennis Basso gown, per E! News. The groom wore a Dsquared2 tux.
The guests wore black and white but all eyes were on the bride and groom as they made their respective entrances, something Wade wanted. As he told The New York Times, "Everyone wants to look good on their wedding day, and I'm not going around the back. My fiancé may have the bigger moment, but I want everyone to turn and see me when I'm walking down the aisle. I want my entrance." And the price tag for said entrance? $5 million, as reported by Hollywood Life — and that does not include the amount he spent on her engagement ring. Her 8.5 carat cushion cut set him back nearly $1 million.
The couple is still together today and share a daughter, as well as Wade's kids from prior relationships.
Eric Johnson and Jessica Simpson's glam Cali wedding
When marrying the owner of a $1 billion brand, it's expected that your wedding is going to be expensive. When Jessica Simpson tied the knot with football player Eric Johnson in 2014, the two spent $1.4 million to entertain their guests. Sure, at the time, Simpson's lifestyle brand wasn't worth quite as much as it is now, but she still had Champagne tastes, and used them to pick the stunning details, including a California ranch venue, a Carolina Herrera dress, and the singer's jewels, which cost an estimated $750,000, per E! News.
Fans of the singer will remember Simpson was famously married to 98 Degrees member Nick Lachey for a few years in the early aughts. But for Simpson, we only have one question about her wedding to Johnson: did you serve chicken or fish?
In 2021, the two celebrated their 11th anniversary of dating, and Simpson praised her husband on Instagram saying, "Time goes by, the perfect children you gave me are growing older, but with you and I time does not exist."
Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLoughlin wed in Italy
Soccer player Wayne Rooney and Coleen Rooney, née McLaughlin, threw a wedding bash luxurious enough to rival any American athlete's. The two reportedly spent about £5 million on the nuptials, which is about $6.6 million for those of who are rusty on our conversion calculations. So what does £5 million get you? For these two, it got 64 guests flown out to board a yacht and witness the ceremony on the Italian riviera, as well as Christian Louboutin shoes for the bride. Oh, and may we not forget the gown: As The Guardian reported, the bride's Marchesa ceremony dress supposedly set them back £200,000. Oh, and may we also not forget that, as Hello! noted, the celebration spanned four days. Naturally, Coleen wore four different wedding dresses.
But an expensive wedding does not equal an easy marriage. In their Amazon Prime documentary "Rooney," the Rooneys opened up about the marital struggles they faced and what they had to work through after infidelity in the marriage on the athlete's part. "Forgiveness I'd say is different. It's not acceptable what he's done but it's happened and that was a stage of life that we were in at the time. But we've moved on," McLaughlin said of their relationship.
Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich fancy lakefront event
In 2017, pro dancer Julianne Hough and NHL star Brooks Laich married in a stunning ceremony, replete with fireworks and a charter boat ride along a lake in Idaho. "It was really important to me that we had our ceremony outdoors," Laich told People. "Julianne and I are very adventurous and free, and wanted the setting to be in nature." It was adventurous, but it was not totally free: The entire affair cost around $275,000, according to E! News. Per People, Hough wore Marchesa, Laich wore Brooks Brothers, and it was, as a source told E! News, "a very fun wedding for a great couple."
Alas, Laich at Hough separated after a few years of marriage. As People reported in 2020, the two announced their marriage was over. "We have lovingly and carefully taken the time we have needed to arrive at our decision to separate," they said in a statement. In 2022, the divorce was finalized, and Hough has since been linked to model Charlie Wilson, and Laich began dating Katrin Tanja Daviosdottir, an Icelandic athlete.