Sultans of bling: Brunei prince weds in glitter & gold

It was a wedding that redefined opulence. Prince Abdul Malik, son of the Sultan of Brunei -- one of the wealthiest men on the planet -- on Sunday married former systems data analyst Dayangku Raabi'atul 'Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah in a spectacular ceremony at the monarch's 1,788-room palace in Brunei's capital.

Prince Abdul Malik, 31, is the youngest child of the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife Queen Saleha and second-in-line to become the next Sultan of Brunei.

The prince and his 22-year-old bride -- dressed in matching gold outfits embellished with diamonds -- exchanged vows before a galaxy of foreign dignitaries, nobility, friends and family.

Photographs of the ceremony showed the bride carrying a bouquet made of dazzling gems, rather than flowers. She wore a breathtaking diamond tiara studded with six teardrop-shaped emeralds.

A diamond necklace with a central pendant of three emeralds the size of grapes, glittered around her neck, while a matching brooch of two egg-shaped emeralds dangled from a diamond setting.

Even her shoes, a pair of Christian Louboutin heels, had been embellished with diamonds.

After the wedding ceremonies ended, Brunei's newly-wed royal couple changed into more opulent evening outfits for the wedding banquet. Prince Abdul swapped his gold wedding suit for ceremonial military dress, embellished with diamond epaulettes and collar.

The newest member of the royal family changed into a beaded purple floor-length gown embroidered with silver thread for the wedding banquet.

The dignitaries were escorted to a banquet in a palace hall that can accommodate 5,000 guests.

The wedding is taking place over a period of 11 days -- it started last Sunday when a royal marriage proposal ceremony was held and will conclude on April 15.