Billionaire weddings
Lesson plan overview
With this ESL lesson plan, students will explore the theme of billionaire weddings while learning vocabulary and expressions related to luxury events, celebrity culture, and public controversy. It is most suitable for B2-level learners and is centered around the recent wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchéz. Other lessons you might like are “Planning a wedding“, “Stealth Wealth“, “Can money buy happiness?“, and “What makes a relationship last?“.
Speaking: The lesson begins with discussion questions about weddings, luxury spending, and celebrity culture, encouraging students to share opinions, cultural insights, and personal experiences.
Vocabulary: Students learn key words and expressions such as gown, venue, reception, exchange vows, tie the knot, lavish, backlash, opulence, and tacky. These are introduced through matching definitions, gap-fill practice, and contextualized use in both written and spoken activities. Learners also review collocations related to luxury events and public reactions.
Listening: Students watch a video titled “The Most Expensive Weddings of All Time” and complete comprehension tasks focused on key facts, numbers, and specific details about celebrity weddings. This activity improves note-taking and listening for detail while reinforcing target vocabulary.
Reading: Students read an engaging article titled “Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Star-Studded Wedding Sparks Backlash in Venice.” They answer comprehension questions, identify key facts, and evaluate opposing public opinions. This activity encourages learners to think critically about the tension between private wealth and public spaces.
Speaking: Students discuss questions related to the article, and in a creative group activity, they plan a wedding with a $1 million budget.
This dynamic lesson integrates culture, language, and critical thinking, making it a memorable way to explore how English is used in the real world.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Pre-class activities
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In-class activities
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Additional resources
Each video-based lesson plan includes links to additional resources (videos and articles), which are FREE can be found online (in the pre-class activities page. These links aim to extend the learning experience, enabling students to connect classroom knowledge with real-world applications.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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