Tamara Ecclestone, Formula 1 Princess, Marries In $18 M Bash

Tamara Ecclestone, a British socialite and heiress to her father Bernie’s fortune, reportedly spent $18 million on a lavish wedding on Tuesday in the French Riviera. The nuptials were spared no ...
Tamara Ecclestone, Formula 1 Princess, Marries In $18 M Bash
Written by Amanda Crum

Tamara Ecclestone, a British socialite and heiress to her father Bernie’s fortune, reportedly spent $18 million on a lavish wedding on Tuesday in the French Riviera.

The nuptials were spared no expense as Ecclestone and stockbroker Jay Rutland partied with 150 guests, many of whom were celebrities. Ecclestone wore a couture Vera Wang gown and danced to a live Elton John performance, which some reports say must have set her back around $1 million. They also rented out every single room in the extravagant Grand Hotel Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, a five-star hotel. At least one guest didn’t find the party to measure up to the hotel’s high standards, however, and dished some dirt on the fete:

“It felt like a free-for-all. It was all very informal and relaxed, and guests were left to go up and get their own drinks. It was almost too informal. There were around 150 guests in total and around 40 to 50 were Jay’s friends. It was very chavvy. During the three-day event, some of them were mooning — and one was seen throwing up after over-indulging. A lot of Tamara’s friends thought there might be eligible bachelors they could meet, but many couldn’t wait to leave the party,” said the source.

But despite the luxury, Rutland says he didn’t marry his bride for her fortune.

“I admire her enormously. She does not show her wealth . . . Money is not important. It’s not what attracted me to her,” he said. “Tamara is the most caring and sensitive person I know by a mile. She is incredibly faithful and loyal, and is an incredible sister, daughter and friend.”

Despite his protests that money doesn’t matter, many tabloids are grabbing onto the fact that Rutland was banned for insider trading last year. After meeting Ecclestone in January, he proposed within a month.

The celebration’s bill is reportedly being footed by Ecclestone’s father, but there’s been no comment from him on the matter, or on how extreme the party was. Invited guests included Paris Hilton, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Nicola Roberts, Jason Statham, Princess Beatrice, Sarah Ferguson, Marck Ronson, Lionel Richie, and Sean Connery.

Rather than leave the beach party in a boring limo, the happy couple took off on a yacht and continued their celebration.

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