A Russian couple has spent a billion dollars on their wedding, it has been reported. An incredibly lavish affair, the so-called ‘billion dollar wedding’ saw the union of Said Gutseriev, 28, and Khadija Uzhakhovs, 20.
The wedding was paid for by Kazakh-born billionaire and father of the groom Mikhail Gutseriev. Gustierev has a networth of $6.2bn according to Forbes which was earned from oil and media.
The fantasy ceremony took place at the upscale Safisa restaurant in Moscow, and was attended by 600 of the couple’s closest friends – as well as a few notable performers.
Sting, Jennifer Lopez, and Enrique Iglesias all took to the stage, delighting the guests at the wildly-expensive wedding. Perhaps unsurprisingly, JLo’s 2000 smash-hit ‘Love Don’t Cost A Thing’ did not feature on the American singer’s set-list.
The ‘On The Floor’ hit-maker went through three costume changes, and joked to the attendees that pronouncing the couple’s names was the “hardest thing I had to do today.”
The guests were chauffeured in via Rolls Royce, in an event which has been dubbed by the Russian media as “the most expensive wedding ever.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDdf7cMJRvy/?taken-by=fotya_shopping
The bride, student Khadija Uzhakhovs, was decked in diamonds as she sauntered her way up the aisle. Dripping in finery, the woman of the moment’s nuptial gown was adorned with precious stones, weighing 25kg. Designed by Elie Saab, it was imported directly from Paris for the ceremony.
Not to be outshone, the rest of the bride’s body was just as dripping in diamonds. She also wore a handbag, a diamond tiara, and a pendant. The bride’s crown cost a rumoured $5 million.
The cake, it seemed, was almost as lofty as the couple’s excess, towering high at nine tiers tall, topped with a crescent moon and star in homage to the couple’s Muslim faith.
Guests were given jewel boxes as takeaway favours from the billion dollar wedding. Flowers dripped from the ceiling. It seemed no expense was spared for the marriage of the oligarch’s son. However, reaction to the lavish affair was not all positive. While many on social media have been dazzled by the event, others failed to see any magic behind the ostentation.
The family hails from Ingushetia, a poverty-striken and occasionally war-torn region in the North Caucasus. The mismatch between the economic situation in the region, and the couple’s lavish spending has been seen by some as a special form of cognitive dissonance.
“It would have been better if they helped those in need, the country is collapsing, there are no jobs, people are poor. This is a feast at a time of plague,” said one internet commentor, Marina Baryshnikova.
The wedding reportedly took place after the Gutseriev family conducted a four year search for the ‘perfect’ bride, according to Russian media.
1 Comment
WOW! I guess searching for a convenient bride is absolutely ok. Why are parents so sad when i’m looking for a Russian girl via marriage agencies?
I feel some relief!!! Thanks a lot for this article!