The real act of marriage, they say, takes place in the heart – not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. However, for a town peddling in glamour-dripping dreams, we might think that the idea is a tad bit off the mark, especially when broadcasting your big day plans is a rapidly-growing trend on Instagram. But, as it turns out, not all our celebrities require giant ice sculptures, star-studded guest lists and swarming helicopters to commemorate their wedding. Some of them have managed to get hitched without anyone even knowing that they were engaged to begin with.
With the paparazzi, tell-tale friends and an over-speculative press, our stars know way too well how hard it is to keep a secret in Hollywood — so forget pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes to get away with a clandestine wedding. But, you would be surprised at how some of them have managed to pull off hush-hush nuptials that have left all our heads spinning! They went so undercover that it took months for the news of their marriage to surface with barely a photo proof of the entire affair. Here are some famous couples who stopped the footage of their big wedding day. Apart from the knowledge that they are indeed married, these covert lovers have almost given away nothing about their big day – from dates, to dresses to details!
15 Behati Prinsloo Married Adam Levine In Mexico In A Rock-N-Roll Wedding
The Maroon 5 frontman and the Victoria’s Secret angel gathered around 300 guests at Flora Farm – a 10-acre venue featuring a hilltop alter – as they exchanged vows at the romantic outdoor ceremony in Los Cabos, Mexico. Adam had his fellow bandmates – Jesse Carmichael and James Valentine – for company while guitarist James was given the task of playing an acoustic medley as guests walked in. Celebrities like Jonah Hill, Candice Swanepoel and Jason Segel were among the many attending the event. The night before the wedding, Behati and Adam hosted a pre-wedding party at El Dorado Golf & Beach Club where their guests were treated to Mexican food and churros for dessert. Hours before tying the knot, an excited Levine wrote “Let’s do this” on his official Facebook account.
14 Emily Blunt And John Krasinski Had A Lake Como Wedding Hosted By George Clooney
The Girl On the Train star married John Krasinkski back in 2007 in a lavish ceremony hosted by George Clooney at a pagoda specially built in the grounds of his Lake Como villa in Italy. To keep away intruders, the host also organised a no-fly zone over the villa. The star-studded wedding included Matt Damon, Bill Nighy, Stephen Merchant and Emily’s The Devil Wears Prada co-star, Meryl Streep, among other celebs. According to sources, Blunt wore a Marchesa Bridal custom cream chiffon sweetheart draped gown with embroidered details. She also carried a Neil lane three-carat round diamond and platinum ring on her. Later, in a light-hearted appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show, Krasinkski shared: “Yes, I married Emily… It’s true, it’s true. Why do you think I bulked up? I had to earn it!”
13 Cameron Diaz Married Benji Madden In Her Living Room With Only Close Friends And Family For Company
After what appeared to be a whirlwind courtship and an even speedier engagement, Cameron Diaz tied the knot with Benji Madden in her very own living room, surrounded only by their closest family and friends. Sparks started flying between the two, soon after the Charlie’s Angels star was introduced to Madden by sister-in-law, Nicole Richie. “We got married in our living room in front of our friends,” Diaz told radio host Andy Cohen, adding, “Had a little party in our backyard on the tennis court and yeah, otherwise it would have been something else.” “The first thing I said when I first met my husband was, ‘he’s hot.’,” she revealed. The duo married in January 2015 and their relationship has continued to grow from strength to strength over the years.
12 Neil Patrick Harris And David Burtka Said "I Do" In An Intimate Ceremony In Italy
They had been together for 10 years and were parenting fraternal twins, Gideon Scott and Harper Grace – who they conceived with a surrogate – before finally saying “I do” during an intimate ceremony in Italy. Speaking about his relationship back in 2012, NPH told Out: “I initially fell for David [Burtka] harder than he fell for me… I remember saying, ‘I think I love you,’ and he was like, ‘That’s really nice,’ which is not necessarily what you want to hear.” He also revealed: “David first proposed to me five years ago (2007) on the actual street corner where we met. We were on our way to an event at an Indian casino… and David wanted to stop for some reason… I thought he wanted to get booze or something. And then he got on one knee and proposed, and I was so freaked out by it that I said, ‘Yes’.”
11 Five Years On, Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Have Still Managed To Keep Prying Eyes Away From Their Wedding Footage
The couple met during the filming of The Green Lantern in 2010 and in 2012, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds exchanged vows in an incredibly under-the-radar secret ceremony at the Boone Hall Plantation just outside of Charleston in South Carolina. They maintained utmost secrecy and made sure no details were leaked to the press leading up to the big day. Speaking to Vogue magazine about her big day, Blake, however, let out a little secret – that of her wedding dress suffering a minor burn by a sparkler carried by one of the guests! “And later, my dress was hanging up and Ryan said [pointing to the burn], ‘Isn’t that beautiful?’ My heart just stopped… And he said, ‘You’ll always remember that moment… You have that forever, right there, preserved.’ Now that’s my favourite part of the dress,” she said.
10 Ashton Kutcher Took "Ninja Efforts" To Keep His Wedding To Mila Kunis A Secret
From their engagement to their nuptials, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have kept everything a secret. Speaking at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Kutcher spoke about the tremendous measures he took to keep the wedding private. “It was a ninja effort,” the No Strings Attached star told Ellen. “We really didn’t want helicopters at our wedding and it’s a legitimate concern. So, I was like posting things on social media that we were in different locations to avoid [people and noise], we didn’t want to be screaming our vows at each other.” The couple welcomed their first child in October 2014 and tied the knot in July 2015 – much to their surprise. “We started dating with the idea we were never going to get married,” Mila told People, “A year later, we were like, ‘Tomorrow let’s [get married].’” The couple welcomed their second child in December 2016.
9 For Jen And Justin, Less Is More When It Comes To Their Big Day
Jen and Justin got married in a hush-hush ceremony in their L.A home in 2015. In an effort to keep the event under the radar, their celeb guests, including, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Lisa Kudrow, Howard Stern, Sia, Chelsea Handler, Lake Bell, Ellen DeGeneres and Terry Richardson, were told that they were attending a celebration for Justin’s 44th birthday. Speaking about his no-fuss nuptials, Theroux told Entertainment Tonight: “It’s so much more special when it’s just your closest friends and family and it’s lovely. [Jennifer and I] wanted it to be a peaceful environment, you don’t want it to be hectic. Theroux also told The Daily News that keeping the wedding confidential was no mean feat. “I wouldn’t say it was fun to plan. Part of the fun of planning a wedding is telling people, and we had to keep it under wraps.”
8 Kerry Washington And Nnamdi Asomugha Exchanged Vows At A Friend's House
The Scandal star married NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha in a super-secret ceremony back in 2013, witnessed only by their nearest and dearest. According to E! News, Washington’s parents – Earl and Valerie – signed the marriage certificate as witnesses while the groom’s sister, Chisaraokwu Asomugha, officiated it. While no footage was made available of the ceremony, a source close to the couple told People magazine: “Everything was held at one of Kerry’s friends’ houses. They flew a few people out on this little private plane. The house was beautiful… They said their own vows, people stayed at the house. It was really simple and sweet.” Speaking about the bride’s wedding dress, the attendee revealed: “The dress was plain white, slim-fitting, like it could have been off a rack. It was really regular.”
7 Rachel Weisz And Daniel Craig Said "I do" With Just His Daughter And Her Son As Witness
In 2011, Rachel and Daniel caught their fans off guard when they exchanged vows in a private ceremony only attended by his daughter and her son. One of the most private couples in Hollywood, the duo is known to lead a low-profile life away from Hollywood, rarely making public appearances together. Speaking about her relationship with the James Bond star, Rachel told MORE magazine that she wants to “protect” her relationship from the public eye. “He’s just too famous. It would be betrayal. You have to protect your marriage,” Rachel said. “When you are young, you tell your girlfriends everything. One of the greatest pleasures of not being an adolescent is that you don’t have to share everything. When you’re married, that door closes. The audience goes, and you’re in your own life,” she added.
6 Even Food Poisoning Couldn't Stop Anna Faris And Chris Pratt From Getting Hitched In The Tropical Island Of Bali
Anna Faris and Chris Pratt exchanged their vows in an intimate ceremony in the tropical island of Bali back in 2009. Reportedly, before walking down the aisle, both Anna and Chris got food poisoning. “We were in Bali suffering from food poisoning – the really rough kind, you know, sharing the toilet,” Anna said in a 2014 interview. “I was looking for chicken broth on the room service menu and saw the hotel also did weddings. While still feverish, Chris said, ‘Let’s do it.’ So, the staff found us some traditional Balinese clothes and a local priest. We had no idea what was going on but we came back married,” Anna further revealed during the interview. After eight years of marriage, the couple has now decided to part ways.
5 At Mary-Kate Olsen And Olivier Sarkozy's Wedding, Guests Had To Turn In Their Cell Phones
When Mary Kate tied the knot with her 47-year-old French banker beau In November 2015, there were several raised eyebrows because of the whopping 17-year difference between the couple’s age. According to reports, the secret ceremony took place in an intimate Manhattan apartment. Mary Kate and Olivier exchanged vows in front of 50-odd guest in an outdoor garden before the party moved indoors where the newlyweds and their friends dined. Reportedly, the couple celebrated the occasion surrounded by “bowls and bowls filled with cigarettes.” Attendees also revealed that they had to turn in their cell phones because the couple really wanted a lock down on unauthorised photos. “I think we are lucky… I have a husband, two step kids and a life… I ride horses on the weekend,” Mary-Kate told The Edit this year.
4 Margot Robbie And Tom Ackerley Even Kept The Venue A Secret From Guests, Bussing Them In From Various Locations
The Suicide Squad star wed filmmaker Tom Ackerley in a small group of about 45 people on a private property in Byron Bay. Security was tight with no less than a dozen personnel patrolling the venue, including guards that asked guests to hand in their mobile phones and cameras as they arrived. The attendees were also kept in the dark about the wedding location and they had to be bussed in from several points up and down the New South Wales and Queensland coast. It was a casual outdoor affair with a gypsy-style tent, pizza oven and a DJ set with cocktails by the pool for the late afternoon ceremony. Robbie later took to social media to share a picture of the pair kissing, her freshly minted ring front and centre to confirm her wedding.
3 Nine Years On, Jay Z And Beyonce's Wedding Remains A Top-Secret Affair
Their wedding was a top-secret, super-intimate affair and it has been nine years since Beyoncé and Jay Z tied the knot! Back then, a source told People, “It was a very emotional wedding – lots of crying – and really very spiritual.” The event was reportedly held at the rapper’s 13,500-sq-ft Manhattan penthouse and decorated with 70,000 Dendrobium orchids flown in from Thailand. Speaking about her wedding, Queen Bey later told Seventeen: “There was no rush – no one expected me to run off and get married… Before the age of 25, I would never get married. I feel like you have to get to know yourself, know what you want, spend some time by yourself, and be proud of who you are before you can share that with someone else.”
2 Eddie Redmayne Married Hannah Bagshawe In A Winter Wonderland Wedding But Nobody Got A Sneak Peek
The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them star married his publicist, Hannah Bagshawe in a secret ceremony at the Babington House in Somerset, England back in 2014. According to US weekly, the couple tied the knot in a candlelit ceremony, where the overall theme of the wedding was “Winter Wonderland.” “I am happy to confirm that Hannah and Eddie married today. They celebrated with a small number of close family and friends,” their rep told People magazine in a statement. “You get only get one shot arranging a wedding, so we’re doing our best,” Eddie told E! News back then. “We’ve planned this long in advance, so it’s the most wonderful thing… I’m desperate. I’m chomping at the bit. I can’t wait to be married.”
1 Gwyneth Paltrow And Chris Martin Had Even Kept Family Members Out Of Their Nuptials
They may have “consciously uncoupled” now, but Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin were married for more than a decade with no footage or photos from their wedding day being ever released. The couple were married in a secret wedding on December 5, 2003 at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, soon after receiving their marriage license at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, according to People magazine. The surprise nuptials even excluded family members – Paltrow’s mom, Blythe Danner was also reportedly absent. Paltrow was rumoured to be pregnant with the couple’s first child at the time of the wedding. Following the ceremony, the fiercely private newlyweds are said to have stayed in their cottage with shades drawn until dark to keep away from meddling eyes.
Sources: People.com, Hello Magazine, Variety.com, Vanity Fair
