Between Christina Aguilera's $2 million baby photos and Jennifer Lopez's rumored $6 million payday for her twins ($3m a piece?), it was easy to miss another outrageous photo exclusive deal. Though to be fair, it did happen across the pond.

In the U.K., where kicking a round ball earns you fame and fortune, footballer Wayne Rooney and shopaholic Coleen McLoughlin secured a £2.5 million ($3.67 million) cheque for exclusive rights to their summer wedding in Italy.

By comparison, in 1999 OK! paid David and Victoria Beckham a measly £1 million ($1.45 million) for their wedding photos, but then got trumped by The Sun newspaper, which published five unauthorized photos before the magazine. Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar were paid an estimated £2 million by Hello!. The American OK!, meanwhile, is said to have paid $2 million for Eva Longoria and Tony Parker's wedding photos.

So how come Wayne and Coleen are commanding top dollar?

For one: inflation. As the pool of celebrities of certain wattage who are marrying (or having babies) thins out, the asking price goes up. (To be sure, technically there isn't a limited supply of these types.) Also, stars can use the deals of others to gauge their own baseline price.

For two: Global rights. This twosome's wedding photos – and photos from her 21st birthday party, which are part of the deal – will be able to be sold to domestic magazines and TV outlets, and then again to media abroad. (Though don't count on the U.S. market to cough up much cash; you didn't even who these two were, did you?)

The real secret, however, is not the dollar value of the deal, but who's doing the buying. Thus far, news reports have referred only to a "company" that did the buying. Which sounds very Skull & Bones. AND WE HOPE IT IS!