Weddings can be anywhere on the spectrum from dreadful to amazing – usually it’s the latter with the help of open bars, a great DJ, and a decadent and detailed tiered cake.
Celebrity weddings are in a category of their own. Their big days tend to either be way over-the-top or super low-key and private. Even more, some of the most photographed, famous couples chose to secretly elope in hopes of keeping a special moment far from prying eyes. Even when you have all the money in the world, sometimes the wedding of your dreams is a trip to Vegas and a quick “I do,” before the tabloids have a chance to blow up your spot.
16. Amanda Seyfried and THOMAS SADOSKI
Amanda Seyfried and her beau Thomas Sadoski secretly eloped in March 2017. The actress was pregnant at the time and welcomed a baby girl later on that month. A few days after the secret wedding, the Life in Pieces actor revealed to James Corden: “We just took off into the country with an officiant and just the two of us, and we did our thing… Listen, she’s the person I love, admire, respect most in the world.” Cute AF!
15. Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock
After Kelly Clarkson was getting stressed out over wedding planning, she and her now-husband made the decision to take the plunge and elope. In an interview with People in 2016, Kelly revealed the change of plans: “We are so busy that we finally just came to terms the other night and were like, ‘So, we change our minds and we want to elope.’ We just got so overwhelmed by it — all the decisions.” Considering how stressful planning weddings can be for us regular folk, planning a celebrity wedding sounds twice as anxiety-inducing. This couple definitely made the right decision for them!
14. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Kelly Ripa and her hubby Mark Consuelos have been together for 21 years and are still the cutest couple on Earth. (I mean, a marriage that long-lasting in Hollywood is pretty much unheard of in Hollywood.) But it was only a few months after dating when the couple enjoyed a romantic date in a park where Mark proposed. The TV personality shared her reaction to her morning show audience, saying: “And I said, ‘Ask me when you’re serious.’ And he said, ‘I am serious. Let’s go to Vegas tomorrow and get married.’ …I said yes.” The two were off to wed in Vegas and recently visited the same chapel again last year.
13. Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green
Megan Fox met hubby Brian Austin Green back in 2004 and sparks flew instantly, despite the their 12 year age difference (Megan was just 18 at the time!) After a previous called-off engagement and breakup, the two eloped in Hawaii just two weeks after getting re-engaged after a brief breakup. The only witness was Brian’s young son with his ex and former Beverly Hills 90210 co-star. The couple has had some ups and downs since their nuptials, but seem to be going strong at the moment.
12. Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott
…Speaking of Beverly Hills… Tori Spelling met her husband, Dean McDermott, back in 2005. In fact, they were both married to other people when sparks began to fly! After a whirlwind romance, the two eloped in 2006 on a private island in Fiji (!). The star told People at the time: “We didn’t want to wait another day to get married.” Second time’s the charm?
11. Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin
Before they ~consciously uncoupled~, Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin tied the knot in a secret ceremony in 2003. The Shallow Hal actress and her rockstar husband were expecting their first child, daughter Apple, at the time – making it a bit of a shotgun wedding. No family members were present at the ceremony (Talk about wanting an intimate wedding ceremony!).
10. Britney Spears and Jason Alexander
14 years ago, Britney Spears and her childhood friend Jason Alexander were drunk on love (and possibly something else, too) and decided to get hitched in Vegas after renting a lime green stretch limo to take them to the chapel at 3:30 AM. Unfortunately, the marriage was short-lived and Brit had it annulled after a short 55 hours (!). Britney’s ex-husband told Access Hollywood: “We were just looking at each other and said, ‘Let’s do something wild, crazy. Let’s go get married, just for the hell of it.'” Britney married Kevin Federline later that year in a proper wedding ceremony.
9. Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault
On Valentine’s Day in 2009, Salma Hayek decided to take a leap of faith elope with her now-husband with a secret ceremony in Paris. Talk about romantic! The previous year they’d called off their engagement, so it looks like making the wedding a spontaneous decision was the best option for the couple. They now are living out their happily ever after with a young daughter.
8. Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt
These reality villains eloped in a quiet ceremony in Mexico. Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt’s tumultuous relationship had been well-documented on The Hills, and many were shocked when they chose to shy away from the spotlight for their wedding. The couple always seemed down for a photo op or publicity stunt! Of course, they filmed a full-on wedding ceremony for their show after the fact. After a rocky reality TV romance, these two seem to have resolved their issues and are happily married. They’re even headed back to the small screen!
7. Jessica Alba and Cash Warren
Jessica Alba and producer Cash Warren eloped in a courthouse in 2008, the same year their first child Honor was born. The only other person in attendance was a courthouse staff member, who served as their witness. Can you imagine?! These two are now parents of three adorable kids and their relationship seems to be strong as ever. On her 37th birthday, Cash penned a heartfelt letter to his wife saying, “I promise to continue to cherish our tiny moments and our landmark events…” We love it!
6. Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart
The A-List couple chose to do things their own way when it came to getting married. The two had a simple, no-frills ceremony in 2010, with Calista Flockhart’s young son serving as the ring bearer. When news broke that the two eloped, friends of the couple were shocked since there were supposedly never any hints of a wedding in the works! We ship it.
5. Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen
After a six-year engagement, Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen decided to pass on the frills and stress of wedding planning and opted for a Parisian elopement in 2010. It was still considered a traditional Jewish ceremony. The pair remains together to this day and starred side-by-side in 2016’s The Brothers Grimsby. In 2017, they celebrated their 16 year anniversary.
4. Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thorton
Long before Brangelina and before Angelina Jolie was known for her humanitarian projects and supermom capabilities, Angie and Billy Bob Thorton eloped in Vegas in 2000 after a hot and heavy two-month romance. The couple kept it casual during the ceremony, opting for a tee-shirt and jeans look. Angie and Billy Bob were known for their bizarre behavior and strange public antics, like wearing each other’s blood in vials around their necks. The marriage lasted three wild years.
3. Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard
The adorable couple had a courthouse wedding after six years of dating. No hefty price tag here: The wedding allegedly cost $142 total. The actress gushed about her wedding in an interview with CBS: “We got married in a tiny room in the Beverly Hills courthouse. And it was still one of the best days of my life.” Three years later, Kristen released emotional AF photos of herself crying at her wedding and the pair defines #CoupleGoals pretty much every day.
2. Matt Damon and Luciana Barrosa
Matt Damon and his gorgeous wife Luciana Barrosa eloped in a Manhattan’s City Hall back in 2005. Luciana’s adorable then-seven year old daughter served as the sole witness. Thirteen years later, the husband and wife team are still in love and stronger than ever. They now have three more daughters, and they’re one big happy (and stunning, BTW) family!
1. Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego
This Avatar starlet and her hubby Marco Perego had a last-minute wedding ceremony in London in 2013. Surprisingly, the low-profile, private couple managed to keep their wedding a secret for about four months before people even found out they got hitched. Fun Fact: After their wedding, Marco took Zoe’s last name instead of her taking his! Girl power to the max and we love it.