Did you know that the average UK wedding now costs £30,355 and the average US wedding costs £27,800? From the venue to the flowers, the expectation and price of your special day just keeps going up.
Of course, celebrity nuptials no doubt encourage this expenditure. This year alone we saw Meghan Markle change from custom Givenchy to custom Stella McCartney for her wedding to Prince Harry, whilst Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘low-key’ backyard wedding to Brad Falchuk starred a custom Valentino gown, £130 napkins and £620 plates.
So, we were super surprised and relieved to find out that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, who secretly wed over Christmas, went for (relatively) thrifty options instead.
E! laid out the cost, estimating it as a meagre $17,560 (£13.8k).
That’s less than half of both the average US and UK weddings, so how did they do it?
Firstly, the couple, like Miley’s own parents, said their vows at home, meaning the venue was free.
Similarly, it is believed that Hemsworth, who donned a suit and vans, was wearing items he already owned, meaning his outfit was also free.
The glassware, believed to have been rented from a local company would have come to a rough total of $45 (£35), the balloons around $675 (£531) and the three-tiered cake and three dozen cupcakes from the local bakery Ivey Cake, would be around $220 (£173).
As ever, the most expensive items for the big day were the flowers (darn those perishable, pretty things), dress and, of course, alcohol.
For the gorgeous floral archway, bouquets and arrangements the two actors splashed $1,500 (£1,180), the dress, a Vivienne Westwood number, retailed for £5,485 and the free-flowing Veuve Clicquot came in at $1,000 (£787).
For a couple of millionaires, that's pretty darn pared-back in our opinion.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
