Here’s How Much Your Favorite On-Screen Weddings Would Actually Cost In Real Life

Ever dreamed of walking down the aisle like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City or Lady Mary in Downton Abbey? Well, you might have a mini heart attack when you discover just how much these fictional weddings would actually cost in real life! So, here’s a look at 20 on-screen ceremonies which range from relatively affordable to utterly bank-busting.

20. Mamma Mia! – $5,590 (using Google’s currency converter)

“Money Money Money” sang Christine Baranski, Julie Walters and Meryl Streep in the 2008 jukebox musical that took the world by storm. Luckily for the latter and her bride-to-be-daughter played by Amanda Seyfried, Mamma Mia!’s central wedding didn’t actually cost that much. According to Bride magazine, $5,590 covered the whole lot.

As those who flocked to cinemas to see ABBA songs performed rather flatly by a bunch of A-list actors will already know, the guest list included three father figures, too. But the fact that Sophie got hitched to Dominic Cooper’s Sky at her family’s Greek hotel will no doubt have helped to bring the price down. And the bride’s dress apparently only came in at around $750.

19. The Proposal –$14,108

The wedding of Sandra Bullock’s Margaret and Ryan Reynolds’ Andrew in The Proposal may have been one of convenience. Spoiler alert: they only tied the knot to prevent the former being deported from the United States to Canada. But Cosmopolitan estimates that the pretend couple still had to fork out more than $14,000 for their sham ceremony.

Margaret’s engagement ring alone apparently cost roughly half that amount. And the pair also had to spend $3,000 on catering, $625 on flowers and $265 on the bride’s dress. They saved a bit by staging their nuptials at Andrew’s family home – although it did cost the crew a daily rate of $2,500.

18. Love Actually – $15,644

Richard Curtis’ unashamedly sentimental anthology may have had eight different love stories. But there was only one wedding. Keira Knightley and Chiwetel Ejiofor were the lucky pair who got to walk down the aisle as Juliet and Peter, with Andrew Lincoln pulling double duty as best man and slightly creepy videographer. And it cost much less than you may think!

Yes, despite its London setting and use of a gospel choir, Cosmopolitan reports that Peter and Juliet’s wedding came in at a relatively affordable $15,644. This included $7,245 on the bride’s dress, $1,850 on her engagement ring and just over $5,000 on the catering. Also, both the flowers and the venue were priced at less than a grand each.

17. My Best Friend’s Wedding – $23,155 (using Google’s currency converter)

Julia Roberts played against her usual girl-next-door type in the 1997 box office smash My Best Friend’s Wedding. And the Oscar winner spent most of the rom-com trying to sabotage the nuptials of the man she once made a marriage pact with. Spoiler alert: her meddling didn’t work and the ceremony went off without a hitch.

It’s a good job, too, as her BFF and his new beau would have spent more than $23,000 saying “I do,” according to Bride magazine. The dress that Cameron Diaz’s Kimmy walks down the aisle in cost approximately $7,000 alone. Then there’s the fee for the lavish Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago.

16. My Big Fat Greek Wedding – $25,175

Nia Vardalos’ Toula barely got any say in the planning of her big fat Greek wedding to John Corbett’s Ian. So, let’s hope she wasn’t landed with the bill at the end, as Bridal Guide notes that her family of meddlers managed to spend just over $25,000 on the ceremony. Almost a fifth of that figure apparently went on her wedding dress, while nearly half went toward feeding her large extended family!

The slightly garish blue bridesmaid dresses would have brought the total up a further $3,000 – with similar amount going on the décor of the church, too. But Toula’s family would probably have made one saving. Apparently, the banquet hall they chose is unlikely to have charged a rental fee.

15. 27 Dresses – $27,735

Released in the days when Katherine Heigl was considered a viable rom-com lead, 27 Dresses saw the actress initially personify that old saying “always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” Yet after playing second fiddle at more than two dozen weddings, Heigl’s Jane finally gets to walk down the aisle with James Marsden’s Kevin. The ceremony may have been a relatively small beachside one, yet it still cost a fair whack.

Jane would have spent approximately $7,000 on her lucky 28th wedding outfit designed by Amsale Aberra, Cosmopolitan notes. She also would’ve forked out more than a grand on flowers and 12 times that amount on the intimate New York setting. Throw in the near-$8,000 diamond ring and you’re looking at a total cost of nearly $28,000!

14. I Love You, Man –$38,035 (using Google’s currency converter)

While most of the weddings on this list are viewed from the perspective of the bride, this heartwarming 2009 comedy allowed the groom to take center stage. In I Love You, Man, the ever-charming Paul Rudd needs to find a best man ready for his nuptials to Rashida Jones. And just in time, Jason Segel’s slacker arrives on the scene.

Although the film focuses more on the pair’s bromance, there is the traditional big wedding at the end. Peter and Zooey’s ceremony is a rather pared-back affair compared to the usual rom-coms’, with the latter’s dress only costing roughly $400, according to Bride. But with the venue coming in around $25,000, it’s still a relatively expensive do.

13. Friends – $61,146 (using Google’s currency converter)

There were no fewer than seven notable weddings shown across the phenomenally successful Friends’ ten seasons. Ross was responsible for two of them, Phoebe and Rachel had one-a-piece, while poor Joey remained the only unmarried friend. The most popular with viewers, though, was undoubtedly the holy matrimony of Chandler and Monica.

You may remember that the pair first got together in season four at Ross’ wedding to Emily. But three seasons later it was their turn to tie the knot. Spoiler alert: Chandler very nearly chickened out at the last minute. Though according to Bustle, the nuptials came in at over $60,000, and this may have spurred the joker to come to his senses!

12. Bridget Jones’ Baby – $80,181

It took a while – three movies over 15 years to be exact. But in 2016’s Bridget Jones’ Baby, the titular heroine and her on/off lawyer love interest Mark Darcy finally made it down the aisle. And as you would expect, the happy couple went all out for the occasion.

The lavish country estate they said “I do” at would certainly have broken most brides’ banks, that’s for sure. Bridget’s super-stylish white wedding gown is unlikely to have come straight off the rack, too. So it’s little surprise to learn that the new Mr. and Mrs. Darcy ended up spending more than $80,000 for the day of their dreams, according to My Imperfect Life.

11. Bride Wars – $84,562

Anne Hathaway’s Emma and Kate Hudson’s Liv didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory in 2009’s much-maligned Bride Wars. The best friends spent pretty much the entire film feuding about booking the same day for their respective weddings. And no doubt the price tag added to that stress, as Cosmopolitan notes that the nuptials cost a whopping $84,562!

Thankfully for Liv, she did get her money’s worth after making an honest man out of Bryan Greenberg’s Nate. Approximately $12,000 went on the Plaza Hotel venue, a similar amount was spent on the bride’s Vera Wang custom-made gown and $10,000 went on her diamond ring. Emma would still have been able to enjoy the $1,362 flowers, though, as well as some of the $50,000 forked out on the catering.

10. Bridesmaids – $85,220

It was a tough – if laugh out loud – journey to get there. But in the end, Kristen Wiig’s Annie was able to put her jealousies aside to watch BFF Lilian get hitched at the end of 2011 smash Bridesmaids. The ceremony was one of the few things about the raucous comedy that went without a hitch, which is a good job considering it cost more than $85,000, Cosmopolitan notes.

Designed exclusively for the occasion by Elie Saab, Lilian’s wedding gown was responsible for a whopping $30,000 of this figure – as was the catering. The swanky venue of the Los Angeles Botanical Garden set the happy couple back another $3,500, while the bride’s 2-carat ring came in at $20,000. We’re not sure whether Wilson Phillips’ guest appearance is included in the total price, though.

9. Father of the Bride – $93,759

Steve Martin’s George Banks found it impossible to let go of his bride-to-be daughter in the 1991 update of the classic Spencer Tracy comedy. And looking at the figure he had to fork out for her wedding, we can understand why. According to My Imperfect Life, the marriage between Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s Annie and George Newbern’s Bryan would have set the exasperated father back almost 100 grand!

That’s right: thanks to suggestions from Martin Short’s scene-stealing wedding planner, the meeting of the Banks and the Mackenzies cost a total of $93,759! Of course, that was probably small change to the parents of the groom. Bryan’s mom and dad lived in a mansion in the exclusive community of Bel-Air, after all.

8. Steel Magnolias – $98,500

Christopher Confero – an event designer from Atlanta – sure went into detail while estimating how much Julia Roberts’ wedding cost in Steel Magnolias. In a piece for website The Street, the expert took everything from linen and lighting to make-up and music into consideration for Shelby’s marriage to Jackson in the 1989 weepie. Confero came up with the jaw-dropping price tag of $98,500!

You might be surprised at what the biggest cost was, too. It wasn’t the venue, which would have been entirely free considering it was the family home. And it wasn’t the catering, wedding dress or photography, either. No, Confero believes that roughly $25,000 would have been spent on floral arrangements!

7. American Wedding – $106,647 (using Google’s currency converter)

After two movies’ worth of raunchy teen shenanigans, the third instalment of the American Pie franchise saw its two main lovebirds finally come of age and become husband and wife. There was no expense spared when it came to their ceremony, either. Bride magazine reports that Jim and Michelle’s wedding cost more than $100,000!

A good chunk of that figure was spent on the rather extravagant setting: the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay in California. And with all of the pair’s old high school pals in attendance, we can’t imagine the catering came cheap, either. Let’s just hope that apple pie wasn’t on the menu...

6. Twilight – $117,448

No doubt that many viewers who grew up watching the young adult franchise that is Twilight dreamed of recreating Edward and Bella’s big day. But judging by its price tag, only very rich diehard fans are likely to have been able to do so. According to wedding planner Rebecca Joyce, the vampire-human coming together would have cost nearly $120,000.

The bride’s custom-made Carolina Herrera dress takes almost a fifth of that figure. Other big spends include the $8,000 band, the $5,000 dancefloor and the $50,000 floral arrangements. And even though half of the guests wouldn’t be tucking into anything other than blood, the catering still came in at $10,000.

5. Sweet Home Alabama – $139,258

Reese Witherspoon’s Melanie and Patrick “McDreamy” Dempsey’s Andrew opted for a relatively modest wedding day in 2002’s Southern romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama. Their venue of choice – a history museum – cost just $7,500, according to Cosmopolitan. The catering, floral arrangements and the bride’s mermaid dress only set them back a similar amount, too.

But it’s fair to say that Andrew wasn’t as financially cautious when it came to Melanie’s engagement ring. Cushion-cut from Tiffany’s, it cost an eye-watering $125,000! It was all for nothing in the end, as well. Spoiler alert: Melanie ends up ditching him at the altar for the man she’s still technically married to.

4. Sex and the City – $159,700

As you would expect from such a glamorous franchise, Sex and the City’s big wedding wasn’t a low-budget affair. Cosmopolitan notes that Carrie and Mr. Big spent nearly $160,000 finally walking down the aisle in the 2008 big screen spin-off. Although thanks to the former’s gal pals, the latter very nearly got cold feet.

A whopping $70,000 of that figure was spent on feeding the hundreds and hundreds of guests. The New York Public Library setting didn’t come cheap either – setting the newlyweds back a further $60,000. Carrie’s Vivienne Westwood-designed dress and the engagement ring made from black diamond also pushed the total bill up by more than $20,000.

3. Downton Abbey – $219,882

Downton Abbey fans had to wait until the beginning of the third season to see Lady Mary walk down the aisle with the dapper Matthew Crawley. But the period drama’s production team ensured that the wait was worth it. The ceremony – which took place in the 1920s – was the kind of grandiose affair fit for a royal. My Imperfect Life notes that it cost an eye-opening near-$200,000, too.

The wealthy couple exchanged their vows in a historic church filled with hundreds of well-wishers. But all eyes were undoubtedly on Michelle Dockery’s Lady Mary thanks to her immaculate white wedding gown – complemented by a leaf-shaped, glittering accessory in her hair. Dan Stevens’ Matthew also cut a dashing figure in his well-tailored suit.

2. The Godfather – $249,178 (using Google’s currency converter)

Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster classic The Godfather might not be the first movie you think of when it comes to big-screen weddings. But in among all the gunfire, nefarious dealings and horse heads in beds, there was also a marriage ceremony. And as you’d expect, it wasn’t a quiet, intimate affair.

The bride Connie Corleone was, of course, the daughter of the Big Apple’s most fearsome crime lord. So, there was no expense spared when she tied the knot with Carlo Rizzi in the 1972 hit. Despite staging the event at the Corleones’ sprawling estate, Bride magazine notes that the whole thing still cost nearly $250,000!

1. Crazy Rich Asians – $40 million

Living up to the hit rom-com’s title, the marriage between Sonoya Mizuno’s Araminta and Chris Pang’s Colin cost a jaw-dropping $40 million. The characters themselves make sure that everyone watching knows how exorbitant the ceremony is, too. So, how did the newlyweds spend more than the GDP of a small country on a single day?

Well, described by Mizuno as “mad and amazing,” Araminta’s custom-made wedding dress would have no doubt racked up a nine-figure sum alone, Entertainment Weekly notes. And when you consider that the bride actually walks on water thanks to a manmade river – not to mention the full live band, pyrotechnics and iconic Singapore setting – it’s little wonder the total amount is so obscene.