14 Celebrity Wedding Ceremonies That Were Low-Key, And 13 Others That Were the Complete Opposite – Lavish
This is all just a matter of personal preference.
We’ll admit it: celebrity weddings are far superior to “regular” weddings. Following along with the planning, imagining what kind of gown the bride will wear, and oohing over the reception photos is a lot of fun.
Celebrities all have a lot of money—and one of the most expensive things anyone can spend money on is a wedding. It’s difficult not to get caught up in the hype and marvel at the splendor of celebrity weddings.
There’s a lot of preparation associated with most celebrity wedding ceremonies: huge gowns, exotic locations, gourmet food, and a guest list as long as your arm. While some celebrities choose to go all out for their weddings, other couples take the opposite approach, retreating to a private location, keeping it simple, and only inviting family and close friends—if they choose to tell anybody at all.
While celebrities like Kim Kardashian went all out, broadcasting their weddings live on the internet (and on TV), many others have chosen to marry privately. Isn’t it just a matter of personal preference?
To cover both sides of the preference for you, here are 14 celebrities who chose low-key weddings over large, elaborate events with extensive media coverage, and 13 others that were the complete opposite—extravagant.
1. Beyoncé and Jay-Z had a low-key wedding that was intensely private, with only 40 guests in attendance.
Instagram: @mstinalawson2. Kim Kardashian and Kanye had a lavish wedding in Florence, Italy, and the rehearsal dinner at the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles.
Instagram: @kimkardashian3. Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner had a low-key wedding but held a lavish ceremony in France later that year.
4. Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian had a lavish wedding in Montecito, California, with close to 450 guests.
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5. Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth had a secret low-key wedding at their house in Tennessee, with only a few people present.
@MileyCyrus
6. Ciara and Russell Wilson had a lavish wedding at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, England, with 110 guests.
Instagram: @dangerusswilson
7. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had a low-key wedding at City Hall in San Francisco and made use of Joe's baseball-related trip to Japan as their honeymoon.
International News Photos (INP) / AFP via Getty Images
8. Yvette Prieto and Michael Jordan had a lavish wedding at the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, and their wedding tent was reportedly the largest tent used in wedding history.
Instagram: @makeupbymario
9. Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz had a very low-key wedding with only four guests—two being their children and the other two being family friends.
Jason LaVeris / FilmMagic via Getty Images
10. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas had a lavish wedding at the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, with multiple ceremonies and 200 guests in attendance.
Manoj Verma / Hindustan Times via Getty Images
11. Low-Key: Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa had a low-key wedding in 1996, with Kelly wearing a $199 dress from a Barneys Warehouse sale.
kellyripa
12. David and Victoria Beckham had a lavish wedding at Luttrellstown Castle in Dublin, where they sat on thrones and had their very own flag raised above the castle.
Instagram: @victoriabeckham
13. Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin had a seriously low-key wedding in Santa Barbara, California, with no family members in attendance.
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for J/P Haitian Relief Organization
14. Prince William and Kate Middleton had a lavish wedding with over 2,000 guests at Westminster Abbey and then proceeded to Buckingham Palace.
Ian Gavan/GP / Getty Images
15. Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady had a low-key wedding at a church in Santa Monica, with a small private barbecue at their house serving as a reception.
16. Madonna and Guy Ritchie had a lavish wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland, and the bride wore a Stella McCartney dress.
Justin Goff\UK Press via Getty Images
17. Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell had a low-key wedding at the Beverly Hills Courthouse.
Instagram: @kristenanniebell
18. Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake had a lavish wedding at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Southern Italy, with around 100 guests.
Steve Granitz / WireImage via Getty Images
19. Lily Allen and David Harbour had a low-key wedding at a Vegas chapel, and to celebrate, they ate In-N-Out burgers.
20. Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre had a three-day lavish wedding in Morocco in front of 200 guests.
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21. Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston had a low-key wedding at their home in Bel-Air, in front of just their close friends and family.
Jb Lacroix / WireImage via Getty Images
22. NeNe and Gregg Leakes had previously been married and divorced, then remarried in a lavish wedding in 2013 with roughly 400 guests in attendance.
Wilford Harewood / Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal via Getty Images
23. Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson had an intimate and small low-key wedding at their New York home.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic via Getty Images
24. Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise had a lavish wedding at Odescalchi Castle in Italy, and they reportedly spent £100,000 on just Chrome Hearts sunglasses as gifts for their guests.
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25. Justin and Hailey Bieber had a low-key wedding at a New York City courthouse in 2018.
26. George and Amal Clooney had a lavish wedding over a weekend in Venice in front of 100 guests.
Pierre Teyssot /AFP via Getty Images
27. Ariana Grande had a low-key wedding at her house, wearing a Vera Wang haute couture dress, with fewer than 20 close friends and family in attendance.
To some, an all-out wedding ceremony is certainly entertaining to watch and attend, especially if there is an open bar. Others, however, find private, intimate ceremonies to be more relatable and heartwarming.
In the end, with or without hype, and regardless of the presence or absence of a slew of friends and well-wishers, it all comes down to personal preference—nothing else!
What are your thoughts on austere and lavish celebrity weddings? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
