A lavish, $10 million wedding thrown by billionaire Sean Parker in the redwood forests of California's Big Sur became $2.5 million more expensive after the state fined him for lacking the proper permits to host and construct an event of such scale on ecologically-sensitive land.
Parker, the co-founder of Napster and former president of Facebook, spared no expense in a wedding that reportedly took on the feel of a movie, with professional sets made by a "Lord of the Rings" designer that included a cottage, waterfalls, fake ruins, staircases and a huge dance floor, the Associated Press reported. But after being tipped off that such a production was underway, the California Coastal Commission, which oversees coastal development, stepped in.
"Mr. Parker has been extremely cooperative and actively involved in working with Coastal Commission staff to reach this resolution which both addresses our Coastal Act concerns and will result in greater coastal access and conservation in the Big Sur and Monterey Peninsula areas," Charles Lester, the commission's executive director, said in a statement released Monday.
Parker's $2.5 million settlement will go towards public conservation efforts "which may include the acquisition of public easements and hiking trails in the Big Sur area, and protection of sensitive habitat in Monterey County," the coastal commission said in the statement. As part of the settlement, Parker may also spearhead the development of a mobile app aimed at helping Californians and visitors explore the coast by identifying access points in proximity to their location.
Some Big Sur residents were not happy with the noise the Parkers' wedding, which reportedly roared on until the middle of the night, caused in their quiet coastal community. The Monterey County Weekly newspaper penned a column voicing the frustrations of some locals, which can be read here (warning: explicit language within).
The lavish party was held on property owned by the Ventana Inn & Spa, a luxury resort. The resort is negotiating a separate settlement for allowing the construction of the movie-set-like wedding to occur without proper permits.
The Daily Mail obtained some inside shots of the wedding, which reportedly had $1 million worth of flowers and 300 guests, including Sting and Emma Watson.
Sean Parker, 33, married the singer-songwriter Alexandra Lenas, 24.
Despite the hefty fine, the couple seemed happy with the outcome.
"We always dreamed of getting married in Big Sur, one of the most magical places on earth," Parker said. "In continuing my foundation's mission, we are excited to support these important conservationâ€related projects for and with the local community."