What's the difference between this week's wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton and everyone else's? Logistics and money.
The affair -- no, make that spectacle -- is rumored to cost as much as 80 million pounds, according to reports in the U.K. press which couldn't be verified. Security alone it is slated at 20 million pounds.
No matter how you measure it, the total costs are likely to dwarf the 4 million to 30 million pounds it reportedly American weddings typically cost about $27,000, according to the latest survey from TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com. That includes flowers, photography, music and party favors, and on these particular details there is little information available about the royal wedding. In all likelihood, the royal family will spend at least 10 times what the average American pays for such items.
However, there are many items the family won't have to pay for at all -- such as renting a reception venue, or hiring a caterer. As A-list celebrities, the royals also may get some nice discounts from wedding vendors.