How to Throw the Ultimate Royal Wedding in Crusader Kings 3

The Crusader Kings 3 expansion "Tours and Tournaments" presents a plethora of options for rulers to partake in, including Grand Tours, Grand Tournaments, and Grand Weddings. The latter activity holds particular significance in medieval politics due to the importance of marriage alliances. However, planning a Grand Wedding requires a couple who are willing to marry, making it a rarer occurrence compared to the other activities. It is worth noting that Grand Weddings can also be one of the most costly endeavors in the game. For those fortunate enough to have a couple ready to wed, here are the necessary steps to take.

Arranging the Wedding

When players want to organize a Grand Wedding, they must first organize a regular wedding. The process remains the same, but with "Tours and Tournaments" enabled, a new option will appear in the "Arrange Marriage" menu. However, there are some limitations on when a Grand Wedding can be held. The dominant family, which is the family of the man in a regular marriage or the woman in a matrilineal marriage, is the only side that can propose a Grand Wedding. Additionally, a ruler can only propose a Grand Wedding if the person getting married is the ruler or a close family member. While player rulers can marry off courtiers and distant relatives, they cannot do so with a Grand Wedding.

A Grand Wedding can serve as a valuable bargaining chip during alliance negotiations, with the promise of one carrying a hefty +40 bonus. While it may be a costly option, it can be particularly effective in convincing a powerful or hesitant ally to commit. Additionally, if a character's Faith or Culture permits, multiple spouses can participate in a Grand Wedding. It should be noted, however, that rulers are restricted to marrying one spouse at a time. Once a Grand Wedding has been promised, the betrothed couple must wait 3 years for the event to take place, during which players must raise enough funds to cover the expenses. Failure to do so will result in the other family cancelling the betrothal and a significant -50 Opinion modifier being applied. If one or both of the betrothed are too young, the waiting period will begin once they have reached the appropriate age.

Planning the Wedding

To initiate a Grand Wedding, players must fulfill certain requirements and can do so by accessing the Activities menu and selecting the gold goblet icon on the right-hand side of the screen. However, it's important to note that this event can only take place in a holding that is directly owned by the ruler. Additionally, players should consider the various buildings that can impact the success of the wedding, such as the ruler's capital or a barony with the Pleasure Palaces duchy building. Opting for the latter can offer a significant advantage, as the building provides a 50% discount on the wedding cost and serves as the perfect venue.

Players have the opportunity to customize their character's wedding plans, from choosing their Intent to creating a guest list and deciding on activities. The available Intents include options such as Recreation, Murder, Seduce, Diplomacy, and Matchmaking, each with their own unique outcomes. When it comes to creating a guest list, players can select from categories such as Close Family, Vassals, and Neighboring Rulers, but cannot choose individual guests. The activity categories are Entertainment, Food and Drinks, and Wedding Venue. Interestingly, unlike typical feasts where spending more money is always better, players must take into account their vassals' preferences for a successful wedding. For instance, a religious and modest wedding will please Parochial and Zealot vassals, while Glory Hounds and Courtly vassals prefer grander celebrations. Additionally, paying extra for each category provides additional benefits such as a Health boost for guests with better food and personal modifiers for the host with a superior wedding venue.

If a player ruler has the Accomplished Forger perk from the Diplomat tree of the Diplomacy Lifestyle, they can opt for a Bloody Wedding where the ultimate goal is to eliminate the other family, including the betrothed. This is similar to how feasts can also be turned into deadly traps. Although there's a good chance of failure, especially if the target is the player ruler's liege or head of religion, a Bloody Wedding is a brilliant way to avoid the usual risks of a murder plot.

The Main Event

The Ceremony

During the first phase of a Grand Wedding, guests are invited to attend the ceremony and interact with one another. This is the perfect opportunity for players to unwind and alleviate any stress they may be feeling. If the player ruler happens to be one of the betrothed, they will have a chance to either accept or reject the proposal. However, if they choose to cancel the wedding, they will receive a partial refund of the wedding expenses, but at the cost of a negative Opinion penalty with the other family, a Prestige penalty, -1 Fame level, and even an embarrassing nickname.

The Feast

During the wedding feast, whether the player ruler is the host, a spouse, or a guest, they get the opportunity to socialize with other guests. Depending on who they align with and their education level, they can earn anywhere between 50 to 500 Lifestyle experience. However, players should be mindful of the consequences of their choices as the person they disagree with will receive a -15 Opinion towards them. Additionally, players can opt for a third choice that offers Prestige and reduces Stress. Apart from these choices, regular events such as dealing with a long-winded guest can also occur during the feast. Furthermore, minor events that boost Opinions, grants Weak Hooks, or increases Cultural Acceptance take place in the background.

Wedding Night

The wedding night holds significant importance for the newlyweds as it marks the beginning of their life together. While the wedding ceremony may have established a connection between them, the events of the wedding night can set the tone for the rest of their marriage. On the other hand, for the wedding guests, the focus shifts to the remaining events and speculating about the future of the couple.

After the Grand Wedding concludes, guests will receive a final round of Opinion boosts for both the newlyweds and the host. These boosts are accompanied by modifiers that reflect the amount of Gold spent on the event, ranging from "Lavish Feast" to "Celebrated a Magnificent Wedding." Additionally, if the wedding night is successful, a new heir will emerge nine months later. Don't miss out on the opportunity to experience these thrilling events in Crusader Kings 3, now available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.