Richie McCaw's wedding unlikely to top Dan Carter's

Richie McCaw and Gemma Flynn announced their engagement on Facebook. Photo / Facebook

The former All Black captain's wedding is tipped to be the biggest celebrity bash of the year but unlikely to command top dollar if exclusive rights are sold to a women's magazine.

An industry insider said if McCaw elected to go the well-trodden route of former All Blacks, the big day would command five-figures but was unlikely to top the eye-watering $50,000 sum paid to former teammate Dan Carter.

Guests mingle after the wedding service of All Black Dan Carter and Honor Dillon at Timara Lodge near Blenheim. Photo / Mark Mitchell

This was because there was no longer competition among women's magazines in New Zealand and therefore unlikely to spark a bidding war.

But even if he rejected an exclusive deal he would still need to spend a fortune on security shielding his bride and guests from the media.

"If he decides not to do a deal with somebody, he still has to somehow protect it and that can be a pain dealing with helicopters buzzing overhead," the insider said.

"He did a good job keeping his engagement quiet but it's a lot of work to do that. He just might decide to give it to Woman's Day, they can give him however much money and he will give it to charity."

An alternative was to hold the ceremony overseas.

Since last year's Rugby World Cup, McCaw has taken charge of his own publicity, releasing important announcements, including his retirement from rugby, reaction to his New Year honour and now the engagement, on his Facebook Page.