A-listers tying the knot in secret is nothing new. Jen and Justin pulled off under-the-radar nuptials almost two weeks ago, Blake and Ryan did it back in 2012—and these seven celebrity couples also tied the knot without a media frenzy in the lead-up.
It’s no surprise that fans want all the details of celebs’ big days: With 24/7 coverage of A-listers’ (and B-listers’, and Z-listers’) breakups, makeups, breakouts, and baby bumps, the public basically feels like they should be allowed to stand altar-side while their favorite TV, movie, music, and reality stars swap vows. Part of the expectation, of course, comes from the celebs who do take fans for the ride, showing off their engagement rings on Instagram, or parading in front of the paparazzi on their way to the chapel.
And still there are celebs who still desperately want to keep the most intimate of days—their wedding—private. So while the average bride is worried about her bitchy cousin posting a blurry double-chin wedding photo on Facebook, the celebrity bride is worried about paparazzi with long-range photo lenses (or a sneaky member of the catering staff) selling those same photos to TMZ.
Top event planners—including Marcy Blum (who planned, among others LeBron James’ ultra-private wedding, where the wedding invitations didn't include a venue or a time)—shared with The New York Times this weekend their tips for keeping celebrity weddings under wraps: Opt for a remote location, and keep the party indoors. Keep your guest list short. Ask people to turn over their phones.
But, thanks to technology, even the best planners in the business might not be able to guarantee absolute privacy. Because the paparazzi are now bringing in the drones.
“Really only in the last year, these magazines are buying drones,” JoAnn Gregoli, an owner of Elegant Occasions in New York told the Times. “They are able to launch them, hover them low. You could drop a drone outfitted with video cameras into a property almost undetected. At one event I did recently in the Hamptons, one came in over the water. There is no way we could have stopped it. They are a lot more annoying than helicopters ever were. Before, with a helicopter, you had a TV crew on board, and you’d have to wait for the show to air. Now with drones, they can put it on YouTube, on Periscope, on Twitter, almost in real time. To the world of celebrities, that is horrible. What do you do: Shoot them down?”
Is anyone else entirely freaked out? As much as we’d love a peek and Jen’s wedding dress, at what point do we just say, “Leave the poor bride alone”? Or are we already past that point?
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