15 Most Expensive Wedding Dresses

If you are a bride-to-be, you are probably thinking about splurging on the most expensive dresses for your wedding and trousseau. But the most expensive wedding gown in the world can cost several millions. Take the case of the diamond wedding gown that’s priced at $12 million. Only the obscenely wealthy bride can afford something like that. But you can always check out the most expensive dresses for brides and take inspiration for your own wedding look. We bring out 15 of the most expensive wedding dresses that the world has ever seen.

1. The Diamond Wedding Gown

Price: $12 million

Ranking first among the most expensive wedding dresses in the world is this diamond encrusted wedding gown. Laced with 150 carats of diamonds, this $12 million wedding gown is among the most expensive dresses in the world. Slip into this gorgeous dress and you are sure to feel like a princess. However, the diamond wedding gown was not created for a bride-to-be. It was painstakingly put together for a 2006 Bridal Show held in The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey near Rodeo Drive. Bridal couture designer Renee Strauss teamed up with Martin Katz Jewelers to create this magnificent wedding gown. In our books, this is one of the best wedding dresses ever made.

2. Yumi Katsura White Gold Diamond Dress

Price: $8.5 million

Japanese designer Yumi Katsura is an institution. She has been one of the leading lights of the international bridal fashion industry. Often referred to as the “Missionary of Bridal”, this Japan-based bridal designer has dressed over 650,000 brides. But few could have afforded the designer’s most expensive creation – a white gold wedding dress with a diamond centerpiece and pearl detailing. Using the ingredients of jewelry, Katsura fashioned one of the most expensive wedding gowns ever. Over 1,000 pearls and a 5-carat white gold diamond adorn this expensive wedding dress pushing its price to a handsome $8.5 million.

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Pictures that are Amazingly Not Photoshopped

I Can’t Believe These Photos Are Not Fakes!

We like the use of Photoshop as much as the next guy.   I can always appreciate the skill it takes to use the program and make photos that couldn’t have been made otherwise.   However, there’s the realist in me that can always appreciate a great photograph.  One that’s taken at the perfect angle, with the perfect light, and with such precision that you might not even think it is in fact real.

Well it just so happens these are the exact kind of photos we’ll be sharing with you right here.

You won’t believe these photos aren’t photoshopped……

Believe it or not, these photos are real, not fakes. That's what the authors say. Excluding cropping or tone adjustments,none of these images have been Photoshopped (as in composed from many images or morphed or painted over). I look at them and I can believe them.

Hmmmm. I mean. Kind of. What do you think?

Some of the photos are just well staged. Some others are good optical illusions. There are a couple that are supposed to be just (very) happy coincidences, like the golf ball above. Or is it?

Staged in the sea while they waited for a wave and the surfer to be in the right position (patience!) or two photos merged in one (effortless)?

Intentional fall about to happen (painful) or man pasted on top with fake shadow (no hip broken)?

Car painted over in real life (expensive and complicated) or painted later in Photoshop (so easy and cheap)?

Staged in a stadium (lots of hard coordination here) or composed and sightly morphed later in Photoshop (no headaches)?

Happy coincidence to get this surreal reflection (magic!) or some crazy layer work (more magic!)?

A woman posing over a real miniature model of a street (building that is hard) or pasted on a tilt-shifted city landscape (masking and composing is so easy)?

check out the other pictures:

"click on image for full size"

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10 Unusual and Unbelievable Underground Places

Thousands of unbelievable places to see with the best of all that is weird, amazing and bizarre in the world today. Open up a wonderland of curiosities you never knew existed and amaze your friends, your family, and yourself. Seeing is believing!

(All texts and photos were taken from the amazing collection of Strangest Books) 

 The Catacombs of Paris - Paris, France

Overcrowding in medieval cemeteries in the centre of Paris at the end of the 18th century led the government to the creation of subterranean mass graves. Over the course of 18 months, from 1785, the bones and rotting corpses of 6 million people were moved in large carts across the city at night to a new resting place. Here they are arranged in huge piles at the ‘Empire of Death', as it is commonly known. This network of about 200 miles of underground galleries contains millions of bones and the small part that is open to the public is certain to shock. 

The human bones - including countless skulls - are arranged in many configurations such as crosses, faces, wall ornamentation, or simply huge mounds. Not for those of a nervous disposition. 

 Coober Pedy - South Australia

Coober Pedy is one of the most unusual places in the world. It is a town where (due to the heat) approximately 80% of the population live and work underground. This is a mining town - opal mining to be precise - and following the early discovery of opals here by a teenager there has been a huge influx of miners since 1915. There are tunnels and associated pitfalls everywhere and mining still goes on here today. Other subterranean structures operating in the same manner as an above ground equivalent include a church, shops, pottery, art gallery, hotel, and other assortedoffices and businesses. Most unusual of all must surely be the golf course where not a single blade of grass can be seen. The fairways are bald and the greens are oiled sand! 

 Batu Caves - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

To reach the entrance to the massive Batu Caves you have to climb 272 rock steps, which can prove strenuous in the heat and with macaque monkeys vying for your attention; but this is exactly what over a million devotees do every January to celebrate the spectacular Hindu Festival of Thaipusam. This is a colourful celebration of Lord Subramaniam, a Hindu deity of youth, power and virtue, and is not for the squeamish. It may seem strange and bizarre to outsiders who see grown people piercing steel hooks into their chest, back and face, but this is one of the ways in which many penitents express their devotion. It is said that because they are in trance they cannot feel any pain. Surely a million people can't be wrong. 

 Radon Health Mine - Montana, US

The Radon Mine was originally used as far back as 1924 for silver and lead ore mining. In 1949, the by then abandoned mine was found to have the presence of radioactivity, and a visiting woman (for the purpose of stock investment) discovered her ailment had disappeared. Word spread and soon this was turned into a radon-therapy mine. Low dose radiation therapy is said to be beneficial in easing a multitude of ailments and even pets are treated in the radon-laden air here. They advise you to bring a blanket and pillow if you would like to sleep. Whatever next.

 Wieliczka Salt Mine - Krakow, Poland

This World Heritage Site is remarkable and is certain to astonish visitors as there is no comparable place in the world quite like it. The Wieliczka Salt Mine has been mined continuously since the Middle Ages and miners have carved elaborate underground rooms and intricate sculptures within the Miocene salt. There is a gigantic subterannean cathedral carved entirely from salt including the floor, walls and decorations, with even the glowing chandeliers being made from salt crystals. 

The Salt Mine in Wieliczka has always been extremely popular, from the 14th century when it was shown to the very privileged royal visitors, to today where a million visitors a year pour in to see the labyrinth of chambers, passages, and incredible structures made of salt. 

 Capuchin Catacombs - Sicily, Italy

There are numerous places to view mummified bodies if you are so inclined but the Capuchin Catacombs are without doubt the most gruesome place in the world to see them. Frequently referred to as the ‘Museum of Death' - and not without good reason as there are over 8,000 mummies dating back to the 16th century lining the walls of the catacombs here - this place is eerie, sombre and intriguing. The most bizarre aspect of it all is that they give off no smell whatsoever. The assembled ranks of the dead, many with quite elegant costumes that have decayed over the years, are mainly skeletons - although some still have mummified flesh, hair, and even eyes. 

A law passed by the Italian government in 1881 meant the catacombs were no longer allowed to continue with this mummification process, although special permission from the government saw the interring of a 2 year old child called Rosalia Lombardo in 1920. She is known as the ‘Sleeping Beauty' and it is said that her sister and other members of her family often visited her after her death. Her body is still perfectly intact to this day and she can be seen propped up in a glass case. 

 Milk Grotto Chapel - Bethlehem, Israel

The legends surrounding the Milk Grotto Chapel are many and varied and this is the place where, according to Christian tradition, the Holy Family took shelter during the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod's soldiers. It is said that whilst Mary was breast-feeding the baby Jesus some of the milk was spilt onto the floor. This is supposed to have made the rock crumble and, as this was the milk that fed the Son of God, a remarkable pilgrimage cult has grown alongside the legend. Mothers - both Christian and Muslim - journey here to buy packets of the powdered white stone of the grotto which is said to increase the quality and amount of milk created by lactating mothers, by putting the powdery white stone into drinking water. As the white chalky rock resembles the colour of milk this seems reasonable, but in reality any benefits gained should be attributed to the calcium in the rock. Others take the rock home to place under their bed, but wouldn't it be easier, and cheaper, to simply order a few extra pints from your milkman? 

 Ithaa undersea restaurant - rangali island, maldives

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant is the first ever all-glass undersea restaurant in the world and its distinctive feature is the curved acrylic walls and roof which are 125mm thick. There are 5 of these acrylic arches which are sealed to each other and the structure with a special silicone sealant, and the structure itself was built in Singapore before being shipped to the Island on a massive barge; the barge being equipped with a giant crane to lower it into position in the sea. Incredibly, the structure weighed 175 tons, and a further 85 tons of sand was added to the belly of the structure to sink it into the sea. 

The project cost $5 million to complete which means an astronomical amount of dishes have to be served up to recoup investment costs. Submerged 16ft below sea level the restaurant offers panoramic underwater views, providing diners with a face-to-face experience of the stunning beauty of the Indian Ocean. 

 Waitomo Glow-Worm Caves - Otorohanga, New Zealand

A journey unlike no other you will ever experience is a subterranean boat trip into the spectacular Glow-worm Grotto of Waitomo Glow-worm Caves in New Zealand. The Waitomo network of limestone caves attracts up to a million visitors a year and their guided tour takes you through over 250 metres of stunning underground scenery. The acoustics in the Cathedral Cavern are world renowned, whilst other impressive cave formations include the Pipe Organ, Catacombs, and Tomo, which is a deep limestone shaft. 

The Glow-worm Grotto (as it is known) is spectacularly illuminated by a phenomenon known as ‘bioluminescence' which is produced by the females to attract males whilst in the final stage of their pupal development. Without this magnificent display the cave would be pitch-black. This cave has been known to the Maori population for centuries but it was only in the late 19th century that it was discovered by Europeans, and subsequently opened to the public in 1911. 

 London Dungeon - London, England

London Dungeon is Europe's largest ‘dark' visitor attraction and is appropriately sited under the bleak, foreboding arches of London bridge. It is certainly not for the faint-hearted and visitors see torture, execution, and macabre medieval madness along the way. The Dungeons are some of Europe's premier themed attractions offering visitors the opportunity to take a terrifying journey through the darker side of history. The Great Fire of London, a Boat Ride to Hell, and the Labyrinth of the Lost are all fantastic multi-million pound themed attractions amongst dozens of other exhibits and tableaux. Live actors add to the terror and excitement. There are many hideous instruments of torture to be seen in recreated settings, most of which are unbelievably sadistic and cruel. The dangerous streets of Whitechapel in Victorian London were the hunting grounds for notorious murderer and mutilator Jack the Ripper. One of the most infamous serial killers of all time, you can meet Jack at the London Dungeon. 

Source: oddee.com

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10 Most Expensive Restaurants in the World

I am sure everybody around here loves to eat. But do you love to eat fancy? If so, how fancy can you possibly get? This particular list talks of the most expensive restaurants in the world. Your everyday expensive restaurants are not even cute compared to these. I don’t exactly understand what it is about the food they cook that makes it so expensive. For most of the restaurants it is just the environment and ambience they offer. They charge you for sitting at their restaurant, not for eating their food per say so high-priced meals are a nice cover up. Nonetheless, I am sure you will have an amazing time in these places. Bon Appetit.

10. ALINEA, CHICAGO, UNITED STATES

At number ten we have a restaurant from Chicago in United States. The restaurant started the services on the 4^th May in year 2005. The owner of the place is Grant Achatz and he is also the head chef of the place. There are only two restaurants in Chicago to have received a rating of three stars from Michelin Guide; it is the highest rating, and Alilnea is one of those restaurants. It was reviewed by the critic Sam Sifton in the New York Times. The name of the restaurant comes from the symbol of the same name.

9. VARVARY, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

The restaurant was the idea of Chef Anatoly Komm. He always loved cooking and before he went on into this business, he was forty years old. He is a qualified geophysicist. He opened Versace and Ferre boutiques in Moscow. This particular restaurant of his is a complete hit in Moscow. If you are looking for good food, there is no place better but it comes at a cost. A good meal will cost you around $270 excluding the wine or any other drinks for that matter. You know how wine is, it can practically double or even triple the total check so do that math.

8. THE FAT DUCK, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND

This particular restaurant is the highest rated restaurant in Britain and of course that makes it the most expensive in Britain as well. The head chef around this place is Heston Blumenthal and his dishes are unique. The best part about this guy is that he learned everything all by himself. If you are looking for some good food and complete meals, expect to pay around $300 and that too without any wine. That will cost you extra, so your total check could very well exceed $700 easy.

7. MEZZALUNA, THE DOME AT LEBUA, BANGKOK, THAILAND

You will be able to find this restaurant atop the tallest building in Bangkok and it overlooks the Chao Praya River. Japanese Mackerel in Peppery Tomato Broth, Sweet-Tasting Rhone Lamb, Soulard Duck with Double-Fungus and Lobster with Beets, Pickled Onion and Salad Greens are the signature dishes at this place. You should know that if you are extremely hungry, you will really not be able to eat your fill and I am sure you can guess why that is. So either eat a little before you leave home for this place, or just keep ordering.

6. FRENCH LAUNDRY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

If you are looking for a table at this place you are going to have to wait for a very long time. The reservations are made two months in advance, so if you plan to go their today, it is not going to happen until at least two months. The average check you get for eating at this place is a whopping $957. Usually however, it will cost $270 per person. Also, you should know that this place has a dress code and a very strict one at that so if you are not wearing the proper clothes, you can say goodbye to your table.

5. SOLO PER DUE, UMBRIA, ITALY

This is the smallest restaurant in the country and it is the most expensive restaurant of the country too. It will cost you around $300 for regional cooking. It offers local sheep’s cheese, Abruzzo sausage, wild mushrooms and berries; a meat, fish or vegetable entrée and homemade bread. All of this is complimented with delicious wines from the cellar. You can have yourself entertained by a private firework display as well; that’s something new.

4. ALAIN DUCASSE AU PLAZA ATHENEE, PARIS, FRANCE

This is a very old-school building, full of lights and amazing architecture. What do you expect from the most romantic city in the world? This place will literally empty you for starters, you are going to have to pay around $250 for the starter that is langoustines with caviar. The usual check per head is about $500 and this price does not include any wine and they have around 35,000 bottles of wine in the cellar.

3. MASA, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

The chef Masa Takayama came to the Big Apple with the idea of this particular restaurant. According to the New York Magazine ‘a meal of the highest quality is worth almost any price’. Now, I do not really agree with that, but most people do which is why they are happy to pay around $400 per person to eat in this place. You should know that the per head cost mentioned above does not include tax, tip or sake.

2. ITHAA, MALDIVES

This is the best in the world when it comes to underwater restaurants. It has been constructed around five meters below the sea level and it will over you such amazing views of the aqua life as you enjoy your food. It cost around $5 million to build. The interesting bit is that the restaurant only has fourteen seats. The menu at this place will cost you around $300 per person but people pay if happily for the offered Western cuisine and rich seafood. Now this is one place I would love to go to.

1. ARAGAWA, TOKYO, JAPAN

I am not a very big fan of Japanese food but that does not change the facts. Aragawa, located in Tokyo is the most expensive restaurant in the world. The restaurant only serves one entrée; steak. That particular steak can and will cost you around $600 per person. For the past three years, this place has been the most expensive restaurant. To be quite honest, I would not go this place even if I had that kind of money for one simple reason – I do not like Japanese food.

Source: smashinglists.com

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10 Scariest Rides in the World

How many of you have been to amusement parks and love them? How many of you like to be scared by mere rides? How many of you are into thrill? I am sure most of you out there are complete fans of amusement parks as am I. It is summer ladies and gentlemen and there is no better way to blow of some steam than taking a trip to an amusement park and have your mind blown. Listed below are ten of the scariest rides in the world. Of course, if you live in the United States you are lucky because majority of the rides discussed are located there. You can share you experiences with us in the comments and let us know if we missed any. Enjoy the read.

10. SUPERMAN RIDE OF STEEL, SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND AGAWAM, MASSACHUSETTS

The first one is the Superman Ride of Steel. There are around three different versions of this particular ride in all of United States and this particular one is the best of all. It drops you off into a tunnel from a height of 221 feet at speeds exceeding 77 miles an hour. There are two bunny hills, ten seconds of zero gravity and three camel backs. The ride has won several awards so you better just try this one.

9. MAVERICK, CEDAR POINT AMUSEMENT PARK SANDUSKY, OHIO

Cedar Point is the self-proclaimed home of the rollercoasters. I would vouch for it because it offers around 17 different rollercoaster rides. Maverick was built in the year 2007. It might not be the highest or the fastest but it definitely is one of the best. The total trip takes around 2.5 minutes (which is more than enough) and if offers several twists and turns. There is also a surprise element about this one, but I am not going to mention it. It is a surprise for a reason right?

8. EXPEDITION GEFORCE, HOLIDAY PARK HABLOCH, RHINELAND-PALATINATE, GERMANY

This happens to be one of the largest rollercoasters in all of Europe. It offers a lot of satisfaction as well because the track is quite long. It takes you to a height of 203 feet and lets you go at speeds exceeding 74 miles an hour. This ride offers seven moments where you feel you are flying and that your weight has vanished; zero gravity. I was in Germany a few months back and experienced this one. It is a bad, bad ride. You’ll love it.

7. TOWER OF TERROR, DREAMWORLD GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA

Yeah, I know it is far away but I am not suggesting you to actually go to Australia just to experience this ride. There’s plenty more in the world. This is the fourth fastest ride in the world at around 100 miles an hour. It takes you to a height of 38 stories and then you are in for a zero gravity drop. The drop takes around 6.5 seconds. You know the moment when it is most scary is the second it reaches the top, because you know that THIS IS IT!

6. EEJANAIKA, FUJI-Q HIGHLAND FUJIYOSHIA, JAPAN

This particular name should translate into something like ‘Hey, What the Hell?’. This is the second fourth-dimensional coaster in the world (the first one is discussed below). There are a few differences though, the track is longer and the height is a wee bit taller at 250 feet. When it comes to height, this ride is the seventh in standing. You can also grab a quick and short view of Mount Fuji once you reach the top, but that will not last for long. Enjoy it while you can.

5. KINGDA KA, SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE JACKSON, NEW JERSEY

This happens to be the father of all the roller coasters in the world. You are taken up around 456 feet; that is about 45 stories of a building. How you go to that height is another exciting story. You are launched by a catapult which accelerates the coaster to 128 miles an hour in just 3.5 seconds. Your heart stops once you reach the top. While going down, there is a 270 foot spiral as well. Imagine the thrust it would produce. You will experience both negative and positive G Force so brace yourselves.

4. COLOSSUS, THORPE PARK, CHERTSEY, SURREY, UNITED KINGDOM

This is perhaps the scariest ride in all of United Kingdom. It was built in the year 2002 and it holds the record for the number of inversions which amounts to a total of ten. An exact replica of this ride was built in China in the year 2006 so if you are in China, you can still enjoy this ride. You will not be able to feel your head after you sit this one out; there’s too much spinning you would say. I am sure the picture is a better explanation of the ride.

3. INSANITY STRATOSPHERE HOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS

If you think that for a ride to be scary, it has to be a rollercoaster, boy you are wrong like anything. Go to the top of the tower and take this ride; it will blow you away. It extends around 64 feet over the north edge and it spins at around 40 miles an hour. You sit in a couple and you face the ground at an angle of 70 degrees. That’s not scary? Well, you should know that you are 900 feet above the ground. It might not sound that scary but you have to sit the ride and then say it. For the people who are afraid of heights, you better stay away from this bad boy.

2. FAHRENHEIT HERSHEYPARK HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA

This particular ride opened up in the May of 2008. The place is known as the sweetest place on Earth; I am sure you guessed that by the name. But this ride is everything but sweet. It takes you up around 121 feet and then drops you off at a 97 degree angle. That’s not all this ride has to offer. After the initial drop, you will have to bear the 107-foot inverted loop, corkscrew roll, cobra element, airborne S-roll and another corkscrew. The ride still doesn’t finish. The funny thing is that it happens in a mere 85 seconds and those seconds are as thrilling as you can possibly imagine.

1. SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN

At the number one spot we have the Magic Mountain. This particular ride opened up in the year 2002 and it claimed to be the world’s first fourth-dimensional ride as well. The seats rotate a full 360 degree and it gives you facedown and headfirst drops. The ride closed down in 2007 and it re-opened in May later. It has become scarier than ever. There really is no explaining what the ride can do to you but it is definitely not for the faint hearted. You may find video views from the seats of this ride on YouTube. Watch them and try this ride out if you dare.

Source: smashinglists.com

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