An heiress whose oligarch grandfather shelled out £3.5million for Mariah Carey and Sir Elton John to sing at her wedding has said she planned the whole thing to take revenge on an ex-boyfriend.
Irene Belenova, the granddaughter of Russian businessman Valery Kogan, wed Daniel Kenvey last January in London, when they were both 19.
In a video uploaded to Instagram, Irene states her name and then says: ‘I only got married to p*** of my ex-boyfriend who I’m now back with. Everything works out well.’
‘It worked’: Irene toasted to the success of her plan to use her lavish wedding to get back with an ex-boyfriend
Extravagant nuptials: Kogan’s granddaughter Irene kisses her new husband before Sir Elton, who reportedly charges £1million per private function performance, sang 12 songs for guests
It is unclear whether the video is tongue-in-cheek, but her admission is applauded by the group of friends she was with at Sant Ambroeus restaurant in New York.
Irene’s wedding last year took place at London’s Landmark Hotel, where the Presidential Suite costs £1,450-a-night, and featured a star-studded bill of performances.
Mariah Carey is said to have been paid £2.5million to fly in from the US and sing the 2005 ballad We Belong Together to the couple.
The Sun reported that the bride wept when Sir Elton John, who charges no less than £1million, dedicated the song Tiny Dancer to her during a 12-song set.
Actor Antonio Banderas, who now lives in London, also made a speech during the star-studded wedding, which ended with a DJ set from producer Mark Ronson.
The bride wore a dress by one of Britain’s most exclusive fashion brands, Ralph & Russo, which made Cheryl Cole’s famous black wedding gown.
Elton John’s set reduced the bride to tears, leaving her crying on her husband’s shoulder during the performance
Elton John dedicated one of his best-loved hits, Tiny Dancer, to Irene during his performance at her wedding in the London Landmark Hotel in January 2017
Party time: Irena wearing a dress by Ralph & Russo, Britain’s most exclusive fashion brand, which has been worn by princesses from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and Beyonce
Sir Elton John and Mariah Carey (pictured) were paid millions to sing at a Russian oligarch’s 19-year-old granddaughter’s wedding
Fairytale Wedding: The Ralph & Russo dress reportedly required four people to carry the train down the aisle
The fashion house also boasts clients including Beyonce and Angelina Jolie, who wore one of their dresses to meet the Queen.
The dress made for Irene was so extravagant that four people had to help her down the aisle, Cosmopolitan reported.
The menu from the day shows the luxurious food offered to guests, including tuna tartare, risotto, sea bass with caviar and fillet of beef.
Photos uploaded to Instagram show the vast selection of food enjoyed by the guests, including sea bass with caviar sauce, fillet of beef and pear and pistachio bakewell
The couple with DJ and producer Mark Ronson (centre), who uploaded the photograph to his Instagram and said ‘Best wedding ever’
Kogan, 64, who appeared on the Forbes rich list with an estimated £2billion as Russia’s 41st richest man in 2014, has an enviable portfolio of properties around the world.
In 2013, Kogan invested at least £80m to build the most luxurious mansion in Israel, designed in a style resembling the White House.
He reportedly tore down seven villas in Caesarea to build his new mansion, where his neighbour is Irsaeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu.
Reclusive: Kogan, 64, a married father of two has never given an interview during his 25-year career which took him to 41st wealthiest Russian in the Forbes rich list in 2014
Vast property empire: In 2013, Kogan invested at least £80million to build the most luxurious mansion in Israel, designed in a style resembling the White House