A Look Back at Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Lavish 2014 Wedding — That Spanned Two Countries!

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 2014 wedding will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most extravagant celebrity wedding ceremonies of all time. Though their marriage ultimately didn’t last (Kardashian filed for divorce from the rapper in February 2021), the pair spared no expense for their nuptials, which took place in Florence, Italy, on May 24, 2014.

“Kanye really went all out there with his love,” Kardashian friend Malika Haqq told PEOPLE of the musician’s grandiose gestures.

She wasn’t kidding: The “Flashing Lights” singer, who oversaw every detail of the couple’s big day, not only arranged for multiple private jets to take 200 of the couple’s guests from their rehearsal dinner at the Palace of Versailles in France to their wedding venue in a 16th-century fort in Italy, but he also shelled out for private performances from the likes of John Legend, Lana del Rey and Andrea Bocelli, as well as a life-size wall of flowers.

As another guest later recalled to PEOPLE, “It was a roller coaster, but in the best way. It was a crazy, nonstop, incredible dream.”

West and Kardashian first began dating in 2012 and got engaged one year later with an elaborate, orchestra-filled proposal in San Francisco. By March 2014, they had set their wedding date.

“I really need a good sit down to plan it all out,” Kardashian told PEOPLE while in planning mode. “It’s just going to be the best!”

From Kardashian’s custom Givenchy wedding dress to the extravagant cake, here’s a look back at Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 2014 wedding.

Kardashian and West had a pre-wedding lunch at the home of Valentino Garavani

The Kardashians at Valentino’s mansion for a pre wedding brunch for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

Kris Jenner Instagram

One day before tying the knot, the bride, groom and several of their family members were treated to lunch at the home of Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti near Paris. According to Vogue Australia, the fashion designer toasted the couple with a sweet wish in Italian: “I wish you much success, a lot of love, and a long life.”

They hosted their rehearsal dinner at the Palace of Versailles

The night before their wedding, Kardashian and West invited 200 of their closest friends and loved ones to explore the famed Palace of Versailles outside Paris.

Guests were greeted by plumed horses and riders who stood at attention. “Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have decided to let their guests discover the Château of Versailles during a private surprise tour on Friday, May 23, the eve of their wedding,” read a statement from the couple and officials at the Louis XIV estate. “In making this choice, they are contributing to a better understanding and maintaining the exceptional heritage of the castle of Versailles, which is classed [as a] World Heritage site UNESCO.”

The party later dined in the palace’s Hall of Mirrors, where the couple, dressed in neutral white and tan ensembles with matching plunging necklines, addressed their guests and enjoyed a surprise performance from del Rey of “Young and Beautiful.” The evening ended in a flourish of fireworks.

Kardashian and West tied the knot in a 16th-century fort in Italy

While the couple’s rehearsal dinner occurred in Paris, they flew their guests to Italy for the wedding ceremony and reception the following day. They exchanged vows at Forte di Belvedere, which once protected the city of in Florence, Italy, from attackers, and reopened in 2013 after five years of renovations.

They reportedly shelled out $409,999 for the property and all its splendors, including its grandiose panoramic views. The perimeter of the grounds were lit up with red lights that could be seen from all the way across the river, and guests were treated to contemporary art installations from Vanessa Beecroft (special for the nuptials).

The guest list included many famous faces

John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend John Legend Celebrates His Birthday And The 10th Anniversary Of His Debut Album “Get Lifted” on January 8, 2015 in New York City.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

In addition to most of Kardashian’s famous family members, including mom Kris Jenner and sisters Khloé Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner, the guest list included pals Scott Disick, La La Anthony, Haqq, Brittny Gastineau, designer Rachel Roy, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Q-Tip, Jaden Smith, Common, David Blaine and more. Notably absent, however, was Kardashian’s brother Rob Kardashian.

Getting all of their guests from Paris, where the rehearsal dinner was held, to Florence was no small feat and required two private jets. From the airport, a “fleet” of 45 to 50 cars and vans shuttled them to their destination — a cost that was estimated at $70,000 alone.

Their ring bearer took a nap before the ceremony

Mason Disick taking a nap prior to the wedding of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

Kourtney Kardashian Instagram

While Kardashian’s sisters served as her bridesmaids, her nephew Mason Disick — Kourtney and Disick’s older son — acted as the ring bearer. However, the then-4-year-old was caught sleeping on the job ahead of the ceremony.

“My absolute favorite photo from Kanye and Kim’s wedding is this one of Mason,” Kourtney shared on Instagram. In the photo, Mason is fast asleep in his tiny tux, sitting up against a curtained backdrop.

“We couldn’t find him, it was almost time to walk down the aisle,” the Poosh founder explained. “We finally found him asleep underneath a table in the back room in the old Italian fortress where we were all getting ready.”

Kardashian’s wedding gown was designed by Givenchy

Kim Kardashian in her wedding dress.

Kim Kardashian Instagram

Kim walked down the aisle in a stunning lace Givenchy gown designed by Riccardo Tisci. The bespoke dress featured sheer sleeves, pearl embellishments at the neck and an open cutout at the center of her back.

A close source told PEOPLE at the time of the wedding that “Riccardo personally dressed Kim before she walked down the aisle.”

In a unique twist, the top portion of the gown featured side cutouts that formed an upside-down triangle while the skirt featured a slim band at the top and peekaboo cutouts at the hip.

All in all, the custom design was estimated to have cost around $500,000.

Her veil almost didn’t make it down the aisle

Kim Kardashian gets ready for her wedding to Kanye West on ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’.

E!

While the bride’s cathedral-length blusher veil, which featured wide corded border lace made a serious style statement, it almost didn’t make it down the aisle, as she revealed in an August 2014 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

“It’s taking forever to put this veil on, it’s so heavy … I love this long, huge veil, but it’s the only thing that would make me trip and fall right on my face,” she lamented, adding, “I’m nervous. So, I don’t know if I can wear it.”

In addition to the dramatic veil, Kardashian accessorized with Martin Katz Tobey diamond studs — which were reportedly a gift from West — and her 15-carat Lorraine Schwartz diamond engagement ring, which was accentuated by the new diamond wedding band from the same designer she received on her wedding day. She also wore a pair of ivory satin pumps from Giueseppe Zanotti.

Kardashian skipped a makeup trial

Kim Kardashian gets ready for her wedding to Kanye West on ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’.

E!

Unlike most modern brides, the reality star opted to skip a makeup trial and instead let longtime makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic create her look the day of.

“Kim just let me do my thing,” he told E! News. “So, I kind of created it on the spot. I saw the dress, we spoke about it and she let me do my thing.”

The beauty guru opted to keep things low-key — a decision the entrepreneur was reportedly very happy with. “I didn’t want to make too much of a statement with her makeup,” Dediavanovic said. “We decided to go with something natural and timeless. I wanted to go with something clean and classic — and I wanted her to look almost angelic.”

In addition to her glowing complexion and eye makeup, he achieved the desired effect by enhancing her lashes (“that was a big part of her look”) and keeping things neutral in the lip department. “For the ceremony it was more of a creamy peachy pink lip,” he explained, adding, “For the reception, I went with more of a classic nude lip.”

West and Kardashian’s first-born daughter North made an appearance

Kim Kardashian during her wedding dress fitting on ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’.

E!

Though the former couple now share four children — North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm West, only their first-born daughter, North, was present for their nuptials. At 11 months old, she was carried down the aisle by grandmother Kris, with a source telling PEOPLE of the toddler, “She clapped the whole way down.”

North was also dressed to the nines for the affair in a custom Givenchy gown of her own.

Caitlyn Jenner walked Kardashian down the aisle

In the absence of her late father, Robert Kardashian, who died in 2003 of esophageal cancer, the Selfish author walked down the aisle on the arm of her stepfather, Caitlyn Jenner, to “Con te Partiré,” which was performed live by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

“We barely got my veil in as I was being pushed out the door so fast to walk down the aisle because Andrea Bocelli had started singing and I couldn’t miss it,” Kardashian later wrote in an Instagram post. “I had no idea it was really him until I got to the aisle and screamed inside! So many amazing memories.”

Kardashian and West’s vow exchange was a sweet moment for the pair

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West at their wedding reception.

Khloe Kardashian Instagram

The pair followed pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.’s lead while saying what a wedding guest described as intimate vows that were spoken softly. Following their sweet exchange, the pair reportedly swapped big smiles.

While West has performed for crowds of thousands, he was reportedly nervous about expressing his feelings for Kardashian on their big day. “It was funny how nervous he was,” one onlooker told PEOPLE. “He clearly knew the gravity of what he was about to do.”

Added another: “The groom told me he had practiced [his vows] in front of a mirror several times to commit them to memory … He didn’t make any mistakes.”

They had a gorgeous floral backdrop for their first kiss

West and Kardashian shared their first kiss as husband and wife in front of a huge floral wall of roses and tuberose blooms, a fragrant flower indigenous to Mexico. The couple also decorated the venue with over $100,000 worth of floral arrangements from Thierry Boutemy — one of Florence’s oldest floral shops.

Guests dined at a 224-foot marble table at the reception

A 224-foot imperial marble table — which had to be hoisted in by a crane — served as the focal point of the reception. There, the guests enjoyed a mouthwatering menu prepared by Florence-based catering company Galateo, led by French chef Annie Féolde and her husband Giorgio Pinchiorri (the mastermind behind three-star Michelin restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri). They were treated to the works, including chicken, steak, salmon and tortelloni, plus free-flowing rosé and gold Armand de Brignac Champagne.

Kardashian and West were serenaded for their first dance

Hitting the dance floor as husband and wife for the first time, the duo were treated to a live performance of “At Last” from John Legend. The tune gave way to Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine” and “A Little Tenderness,” “Otis” by West and JAY-Z and “Rock With You” by Michael Jackson.

Their wedding cake was 7-feet-tall

Unsurprisingly, the pair’s wedding cake was just as lavish as their nuptials. The confection, which boasted layers of white cake and fruit, stood at an impressive 7 feet tall. It was also frosted in white icing and adorned with gold-leaf decoration.

Kardashian had a second bridal look

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

Kim Kardashian Instagram

For the couple’s reception, Kardashian slipped into something a little more comfortable (but no less gorgeous), busting out a Balmain mini dress by Oliver Rousteing.

“It was low-cut in a nude color, covered in diamonds and pearls,” a source told PEOPLE of the second look. “She looked hot!”

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