by Karen Chamchuk

Created on: April 28, 2009   Last Updated: June 22, 2010

When you think of movie star weddings you think of over-the-top celebrations where no expense is spared and everything is done to the extreme. Some might choose to have a three-day banquet for hundreds of guests, beautiful ice sculptures on display at the church or over-the-top locations for tying the knot. Regardless of whether or not you are famous, you won the lottery or have earned your dough the hard way, the following are a few examples of how movie stars and everyday people alike can splurge on their wedding and make it a full-blown extravaganza.   

When choosing to splurge on your wedding, you can spend your money on one of three different areas: people, places or things. Or, if your budget allows, you can splurge on all three.  Try to stay within a budget or you may have to spend the first years of your marriage living in a cardboard box.

PEOPLE:

For devout Catholics, hiring the Pope to officiate at your wedding ceremony might be something to consider. This would probably cost about $50,000.  You would need to to have some close connections in the Catholic community to make this happen. 

Another idea is to hire The Rolling Stones or Harry Connick Junior to perform at your reception and this would set you back around $500,000.  It might be worth the price just to be able to see your Aunt Gertrude cut a rug.

Hire a top notch photographer and videographer to capture the memories of your special day.  This will cost you between $3,000 and $4,000. 

PLACES:

If both you and your partner are not scared of heights, then bungee jumping off the Grand Canyon after exchanging vows might be the most memorable way of saying "I do." You should set aside approximately $3,000 if you choose to splurge on a venue like this.

Having the wedding in a far-away tropical location and paying for the plane tickets and accommodations for your guests is one of the more expensive ways to get married. If you only invite 20 people to your wedding, this would cost approximately $20,000 for the airfare and accommodations alone.

Renting the Sistine chapel is another extravagant way to tie the knot and would probably cost you about $15,000.

Getting married in a helicopter thousands of feet above the ground and then skydiving down to your guests is another over-the-top option. This stunt would probably cost about $1,000 for the bride and groom to jump.

If you

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