Their accomplishments on the field of play allowed these professional athletes to throw lavish weddings that set them apart from the rest of the crowd.
Planning a wedding can be as costly as it can be stressful. While the average citizen has a strict budget to follow for throwing the bash, these professional athletes who had lavish weddings had no such problems.
Kardashians and Their NBA Beaus
It’s no secret that the Kardashians enjoy the limelight and don’t shy away from having a high-profile partner. Before Kimye was a thing, Kim Kardashian tied the knot with former NBA player Kris Humphries.
Contrary to the popular belief that Humphries was a nobody, he did play in 800 games throughout his career. However, he didn’t stay with any team long like most Kardashian marriages. The marriage only lasted 73 days, which isn’t a great ROI on a $10 million shindig.
Kim’s sister, Khloe, also had her own NBA marriage with Rhode Island and Los Angeles Laker legend Lamar Odom. This blessed union of souls lasted four years—which comes out to 36 Kardashian years— before they had a tumultuous split that ended with Odom going to rehab. Nevertheless, the made-for-TV wedding was only $1 million, a fraction of the cost compared to Kim’s.
Mike Fisher Shoots & Scores a Country Superstar
Hockey may be the least-watched of the four major sports in the United States. Nonetheless, that doesn’t keep its players from settling down with an A-lister. Mike Fisher’s stat page doesn’t reflect a future Hall of Fame player, yet his marriage to Carrie Underwood should get him in on the first ballot.
The couple kept it under $1 million, settling on $500,000 at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation in Georgia. The guestlist approached 200, with other pop cultures icons like Simon Cowell and other American Idol judges in attendance.
Michael Jordan & LeBron James Continue To Mirror Each Other
The never-ending debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James can get ugly when you compare their accomplishments on the court. But we’ll judge who the true greatest is based on their extravagant weddings.
After dishing out $168 million—the most expensive divorce settlement in the entertainment industry— one would think the greatest shooting guard ever to play basketball would swear off marriage. But MJ got back on the horse, getting hitched to Yvette Prieto in a $10 million ceremony, proving the Jumpman brand is strong as ever.
Unlike Jordan, James has only had one nuptial, marrying his high school sweetheart Savannah. As the two tend to do, however, the James gang spent the same $10 million as Jordan. With that said, we doubt “His Airness” would struggle to make the new NBA Playoff format like LeBron.
If You Wannabe My Lover, You’re Gonna Have To Spend
Finally, let’s focus on the world’s favorite sport—soccer. In America, European footballers may not have the star power they did in their homeland, but everyone knows the name, David Beckham. In addition to everyone knowing the soccer “pretty boy” from the film Bend It Like Beckham, we also know he married Posh Spice.
At the height of their popularity in 1999, the future Victoria Beckham told David what she wanted (what she wanted), which was an $800,000 wedding. While that doesn’t come close to the $10 million price tag, it was a pre-millennium ceremony—therefore, quite lavish.
A look at the professional athletes who had lavish weddings shows the limitless potential when a budget is the least of their concerns. Regardless of the price tag of the night of greatness, all that matters, in the end, is living happily ever after.
