celebrity destination weddings

Spectacular celebrity destination weddings to inspire your nuptials

10 Jan 2023 | Updated on: 16 Mar 2023 |By Annie Lewis

Tie the knot in style at a destination so impressive it can double as both your wedding and honeymoon

If you don’t have a strict budget to stick to, the possibilities for your wedding are limitless. A never-ending free bar? Of course. A bespoke designer wedding dress? Obviously. A glamorous three-day destination wedding in tropical climes where you can host all your friends and family too? Well, why not…

A-listers have long been known to love celebrity destination wedding. It’s common among starry circles to venture to far-flung destinations to say ‘I do’ under the Caribbean sun or against a striking European backdrop and, if you’re not worried about the bill, you can too. We’ve dug through the celebrity wedding archives to find breathtaking betrothal destinations to inspire your big day. 

Lake Como, Italy

lake como italy
Lake Como, Italy. Image: Shutterstock

Emily Blunt and John Krasinksi: Villa d’Este 

It’s no secret that celebrities love Italy for a destination wedding. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West tied the knot in Tuscany in 2014, before her older sister Kourtney married Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker in Portofino just last year. However, Lake Como, with its sparkling blue waters, marble architecture and picture-perfect mountain backdrop at the foot of the Alps, is clearly the place to see and be seen. 

2010 saw Devil Wears Prada actress Emily Blunt marry John Krasinski at George Clooney’s private estate before hosting a party at Villa d’Este in Lake Como. The 152-bedroom palatial property dates back to the 16th century, featuring intricate English gardens, an enormous 25-acre park, countless walkways, sun-bleached stone fountains and terraces. Guests, including Meryl Streep and Matt Damon, were treated to a five-day stay at the luxurious villa over the course of the wedding celebration. 

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend: Villa Pizzo

After holidaying in the area, Chrissy Teigen and singer John Legend chose Villa Pizzo for their wedding in 2013. Boasting one of the longest lakeside gardens in the area, it’s easily one of the prettiest villas in Lake Como and was decorated with blush-pink flowers and petals on the couple’s big day. 

The Bahamas 

the bahamas
The Bahamas. Image: Shutterstock

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber: Ocean Club, Paradise Island

Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford's barefoot beach wedding at the Four Seasons' Ocean Club hotel on Paradise Island made headlines in 1998, and ever since the Bahamas has been a popular wedding destination among A-listers. In keeping with the casual island vibe, Crawford chose a John Galliano lace mini dress for the ceremony before the wedding party ditched the formalwear in favour of swimsuits for a pool party reception.

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem & Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon: Private islands

The Bahamas comprises up to 700 islands for the bride and groom to choose from and acts as a perfect honeymoon launchpad to discover other tropical corners once you’ve said ‘I do’. Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem hosted their private, lavish nuptials on the archipelago in 2010 with the famously secretive couple hosting an intimate ceremony at the home of a friend. Mariah Carey, meanwhile, opted for a surprisingly low-key affair for her second marriage to Nick Cannon. The pair wed on the beach in the Bahamas in 2008 – just six weeks after meeting. 

Provence, France

provence france
Provence, France. Image: Shutterstock

Kiera Knightley and James Righton: Mazan

Rolling vineyards and lush lavender fields: what more could you wish for as a wedding backdrop? Provence, a historical province in southeastern France bordering Italy and the Mediterranean Sea, has long been a popular destination for travellers and the Hollywood elite alike. 

British actress Keira Knightley married Klaxons keyboardist James Righton in 2013 at the city hall of Mazan, a small town in Vaucluse. With only 11 guests in attendance, the couple’s low-key affair ended at the bride’s family’s French farmhouse where she wore a strapless Chanel dress and white tweed jacket paired with simple flats. 

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie: Château Miraval

angelina jolie and brad pitt
Image: Shutterstock/Everett Collection

In 2014, the romantic French countryside in Provence became the wedding destination for it-couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as they married at their Château Miraval — the castle that was the setting of their engagement in 2012. Comprising 35 bedrooms and 1,000 acres of breathtaking grounds, including the vineyard where the couple produced their own rosé wine, it was the perfect spot to host their 20 guests. 

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas: Château de Tourreau, Provence

The most recent celebrity wedding to take place in Provence was that of Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner and pop star Joe Jonas in 2019. After officially tying the knot at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, the bride and groom jetted off to the south of France for a more lavish affair at the 20-acre Château de Tourreau. If you’d like to experience the property for yourself — which features a palatial pool, helipad and basketball court — you can enquire to privately rent it for your European summer sojourn. 

Dublin, Ireland 

dublin ireland
Luttrellstown Castle, Dublin. Image: Shutterstock

David and Victoria Beckham: Luttrellstown Castle

The only thing that may have stuck in your mind about the Beckham’s wedding in July 1999 is that bright purple colour scheme, however, the gorgeous wedding location shouldn’t be overlooked. Victoria Adams married David Beckham at Luttrellstown Castle on the outskirts of Dublin as Ireland had become a special place for them both during their careers — it was where David played his first game abroad with Manchester United and where Victoria lived for six months when starting out in the Spice Girls. They said 'I do' in a small chapel nearby before celebrating in the 15th-century castle. Boasting an illustrious history, the stunning 560-acre estate played host to Queen Victoria in 1844 and 1900. 

Rajasthan, India 

Umaid Bhawan Palace india
Umaid Bhawan Palace, India. Image: Shutterstock

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra: Umaid Bhawan Palace

It is tradition to marry in the bride’s hometown, but pop star Nick Jonas and model Priyanka Chopra took it one step further by hosting their wedding at a palace fit for kings and queens in the bride’s home country of India. The four-day event in 2018, at Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, was divided into both Hindu and Christian ceremonies to honour the roots of both the bride and groom. The Umaid Bhawan Palace — currently the world’s sixth-largest private residence — is steeped in Rajasthani heritage and has been the setting for many high-profile weddings in India as it’s home of the Jodhpur Royal Family. 

Wedding guests included Ralph Lauren (who designed Chopra’s white wedding dress) Dwayne Johnson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Kelly Ripa. On the last day of the celebrations, the couple finished on a high with a ‘team bride vs. team groom’ cricket match that likely took place in the palace’s 26 acres of landscaped gardens and lawns. 

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