A grand total of $45million was spent when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedded in a lavish, attention-grabbing ceremony last Saturday, May 19 2018!
If the wedding was held in Nigeria, it would cost way more than an eye-watering ₦16Billion!
Of course, being the celebration of a royal fairytale wedding, there was bound to be a bit of lavishness here and there and on that, Prince Harry and Meghan did not disappoint.
What’s many would find surprising, however, is what actually took most of that money!
₦14.42Billion on security alone
Of the $45 million wedding budget, $40 million went to security! That in Naira is a whopping ₦14.42Billion.
So the royals did not particularly splurge on over-the-top dresses with a million crystals, neither did they spend all that on food or décor, they prioritized the safety of the celebrants, guests, and the 100,000 people who lined up the streets to cheer on the royal couple.
In comparison, $32 million of a $34 million budget was spent on security when Prince Williamand Kate Middleton tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in 2011.
How much was the wedding dress?
Meghan’s wedding dress will likely cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” according to Bromley, E!’s royal expert Melanie Bromley.
The new Duchess chose a Givency Haute Couture wedding dress which is believed to be high-priced, but not as high as the rumoured $400,000 Kate Middleton spent on her wedding dress in 2011.
The bride may probably have paid for the dress herself.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if Meghan decides to foot some of the costs herself so she can have the dress of her dreams,” Bromley tells Bazaar. “She’s independently wealthy, and she’ll want a gown fit for a duchess.”
Aimee Dunne, a Luxury wedding planner tells CNBC that the food and beverage could be $680,000.
$67,000 would have been spent on the cake, Bridebook projects.
Venue, décor
Bridebook also suggests that $470,000 was spent covering venue costs. The glass marquee for the reception is projected at $400,000; and the flowers, $130,000, suggests Aimee Dunne.
Other costs
Bridebook says roughly $22,000 would have been spent on photography and videography, $27,000 for the stationery, $400,000 for music, $175,000 for decorations, $8,000 for wedding rings, $2,287 for bridesmaid and page boy outfits, $235 for St. George’s Chapel church fees, over $10,000 for the groom’s uniform, over $13,000 for hair and makeup, $74,000 for entertainment, over $4,000 for wedding favors, and over $160,000 for the honeymoon.
Who paid for the wedding?
The palace announced prior to the wedding, that it would foot the bill for “the core aspects of the wedding, such as the church service, the associated music, flowers, decorations, and the reception afterwards,” Taxpayers are likely responsible for security costs, The Independent reports.
Source: News Agencies
