The wedding between Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky was equal parts lavish and peculiar. On October 6, 1996, Taylor married Fortensky, a construction worker she met during her stay at the Betty Ford Clinic, at Michael Jackson’s famed Neverland Ranch. The roughly $2 million bash was a veritable who’s who of global celebrity, with guests ranging from Nancy Reagan to Eddie Murphy. The bride wore a $25,000 Valentino gown on her big day, which took place among the ranch’s resident giraffes, zebras and llamas. The whole affair was so extravagant that paparazzi hovered in helicopters throughout the day, eager to catch a glimpse of Taylor’s eighth wedding. The unlikely pair (he was 39, she was 59) were married for five years before their 1996 divorce.
PHOTOS: LIFE.com: Rare and Unpublished Photos of Elizabeth Taylor