When Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux said “I do” at their Bel Air home last week, no one saw the wedding coming—including their guests, many of whom reportedly thought they were showing up for a birthday party. (No Instagram snaps from the wedding dress boutique dressing room for this celebrity bride.) And while Justin and Jen are the latest A-list couple to make our heads spin by planning their big day with the same level of secrecy as a covert military operation, they’re hardly the first. Here, eight more celebrity couples whose weddings caught us by surprise.
Blake and Ryan basically set the bar for shocking celebrity weddings: Remember, we didn’t even know they were engaged when the two took to the red carpet and casually announced their marriage in September of 2012. (Here’s a picture of Blake Lively’s engagement ring—and the reason Ryan Reynolds picked it out without her input.) The two exchanged vows at Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina—where much of The Notebook was filmed—with the bride wearing a custom Marchesa wedding dress. The new parents have been equally hush-hush about their baby daughter, James, so far revealing photos of only her itty-bitty hands and feet.
Notoriously private, Beyonce and Jay Z have never really acknowledged when they started dating, although all signs point to their “03 Bonnie & Clyde” collaboration. The two quietly (very quietly) married in New York City in April of 2008, and just recently started sharing teeny-tiny peeks into their big day—posting video clips on Instagram and then promptly removing them. What we do know: Beyonce wore a high-impact curve-hugging fit-to-flare gown, and her “something blue” came in the form of blue nail polish. We’ll probably never see a full spread of photos of Bey and Jay’s wedding pictures, of course, but here’s how you can look like Beyonce in your wedding photos.
SARAH JESSICA PARKER& MATTHEW BRODERICK
Perhaps Jen and Justin took a page from SJP’s book: When the Sex an the City actress and the Broadway veteran wed in 1997, their guests had no idea they were showing up for a wedding. The bride chose a black gown for her walk down the aisle—but recently admitted that she wishes she hadn’t: “If I were getting married today, I'd likely wear cream, just to have that bridal experience.”
KERRY WASHINGTON& NNAMDI ASOMUGHA
It seems the Scandal actress took cues from Olivia Pope, pulling a fast one on the media by marrying the San Francisco 49ers star in Idaho in 2013—when most of the world didn’t even realize she had a boyfriend. The fact that there even was a wedding didn’t make it into the press until more then a week later. Well played, Olivia.
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY& JAMES RIGHTON
Two ways to make your wedding details stay under-wraps: Keep the guest list small and the details low-key. Keira Knightley did just that, wearing the dress she wore to the 2008 BAFTA Awards when she said “I do” to James Righton in 2013 surrounded by a mere 11 friends and family members. (She’d go on to wear the dress once more on the red carpet before it was ruined with a red-wine spill.)
HILARIA THOMAS & ALEC BALDWIN
The oldest of the Baldwin brothers kept his wedding guests guessing: When he married yoga instructor Hilaria Thomas in 2012 {a year after introducing himself with a kinda lame pickup line } wedding details were reportedly shared with friends and family via text message. The two swapped vows at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York City. The bride was understated sophistication, defined, walking down the aisle in a trumpet Amsale wedding gown, while her groom picked a Tom Ford tux.
The That ’70s Show couple were happy to keep us guessing after their hush-hush engagement, hinting first in January of this year and then in March that they were Mr. and Mrs. In July they hosted an ultra-private wedding at a private California home, although it’s speculated that they married in a civil ceremony months in advance.
After nine years together (not to mention, six kids) we figured Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would live out their days Golie-and-Kurt style. (Those two are 32 years and counting—no messing things up with a marriage certificate.) But Brad and Angie went ahead and made things legal last year, marrying in August in France. The bride wore a tank-style Versace wedding dress with her children’s artwork trailing down the back, and all six children played a role in the ceremony. (Click here to see their journey from co-stars to engaged couple.)
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