When it comes to their own nuptials, Hollywood royalty knows how to throw one extravagant shindig. From barefoot-casual events to over-the-top million-dollar affairs, celebs have given us some serious wedding fever over the years. And although details of the “I Do’s” are typically private, we know that many take place at some of the world’s best hotels and resorts. If you’re looking for inspiration for your own big day, here are six celebrity weddings to recreate or get your own creative juices flowing:
Aman Canal Grande
In 2014, the world’s most famous bachelor George Clooney wed Amal Alamuddin at Aman Venice. The pair arrived to the 16th-century palazzo via water taxi, and the 100-person guest list included friends Cindy Crawford, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Bono and John Krasinski among others. Taking place in multiple places around the resort, the décor featured white flowers such as roses and hydrangeas which also adorned the arch and chairs used at the ceremony.
For your own nuptials, the full hotel can be rented out and accommodates up to 100, and comes with exclusive use of The Ballroom, The Bar, Red Dining Room and Yellow Dining Room. Boasting Tiepolo frescoes, wall-to-wall gilded ceilings, a glittering Murano chandelier and two private gardens, the property is effortlessly romantic and a great backdrop for your vows. One way to personalize the day is to customize your own cocktails as Clooney and Alamuddin did with The Goodnight Amigos featuring Clooney’s own brand of Casamigos tequila. When the night is over, retreat to the $5,300-a-night Alcova Tiepolo suite featuring its namesake’s fresco on the ceiling and original chinoiserie fabrics on its walls.
The Plaza New York
The Plaza in New York is one of those iconic wedding destinations that will never go out of style. Reportedly costing around $1.5 million for the fête, actors Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones wed in 2000 at the hotel surrounded by 350 friends and family members. Attendees included Danny De Vito, Meg Ryan, Quincy Jones, Goldie Hawn and Jack Nicholson. Of the property’s 384 guestrooms and suites, the couple’s invitees filled up 130 of them. Filled with 20,000 roses, the chic affair included a seven-course meal featuring foie gras, New England clam chowder, roasted Welsh lamb and lobster; and a 10-tier cake.
One of the Plaza’s most picturesque venues for your special day is the Grand Ballroom, a 4,800-square-foot, beaux-arts style room which can hold around 500-600 guests, depending on setup. Because of its columns and archways lining the sides of the space, the Ballroom has a timeless-elegance feel to it. This is a great choice for brides seeking more classic and refined décor. Weddings at The Plaza include white glove butler-passed hors d’oeuvres, three cocktail stations, premium open bar, three-course plated dinner with a choice of entrées, wines and Champagne throughout dinner, Plaza signature petit fours, complimentary bridal suite for the night of the wedding, a ‘day-of ’ suite adjacent to the ballroom and a wedding cake provided by Ron Ben-Israel or Sylvia Weinstock. Should you wish to forego gifts, one chic way of allowing your guests to celebrate the marriage is by doing as Douglas and Zeta-Jones did by requesting attendees donate money to a fund set up for their baby.
Parrot Cay Resort
For low-key couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, their barefoot-casual beach wedding at Parrot Cay Resort was a fitting choice. Located in Turks and Caicos, the 1,000-acre, all-inclusive resort on a private island hosted the lovers’ nuptials in 2005. Arriving by private jet, the couple reportedly only told their closest family and friends of the ceremony. Unlike Douglas and Zeta-Jones, there was nothing flashy about the small event which was officiated by Garner's Alias co-star Victor Garber.
A Ben and Jenn wedding is perfect for non-fussy brides who prefer the main event to focus on friends and family rather than the “I Do’s.” However, even if Garner was low-maintenance about her hair and makeup (reportedly tying her locks in a loose ponytail to beat humidity), the resort itself is anything but lackluster. The hotel features waterfront Balinese-style villas, a stunning infinity pool, al fresco dining venues and the world-renowned COMO Shambhala Spa which was named Condé Nast Traveler’s Most Tranquil Spa in the World this year. Like the couple, be sure to book Bruce Willis’s six-acre oceanfront villa for the honeymoon. It offers a five-bedroom main residence, two detached guest suites and a spacious deck with a 70-by-45-foot heated negative-edge swimming pool. The compound is around $20,873 per night.
The Ranch at Rock Creek
Filled with a modern hoedown, fly fishing, hiking and Kate Bosworth riding in on horseback, the wedding of the Blue Crush star to writer-director Michael Polish was an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Becoming husband-and-wife in 2014, the pair married at The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana in late August in front of 90 guests. During the four-day celebration, the couple enjoyed a prenuptial hoedown thanks to country singers Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison. The affair included rustic, old world-style decorations with hanging banners featuring menu items; glass beverage dispensers holding fresh juices and horchata; and bandanna napkins with a monogram designed by the groom of the couple's first names on them.
The Ranch sits on 6,600-square-feet of private land and is surrounded by rolling hills, meadows, wildflowers, mountains and rivers. Able to accommodate up to 125 guests, the Ranch’s all-inclusive package takes care of all the details from meals to rooms, twice-daily activities and premium alcoholic beverages. While the couple chose to wed outdoors, brides-to-be can choose for a number of other venues including the 5,000-square-foot reclaimed-wood Buckle Barn. Among the guests' party favors were burlap tote bags with goodies handpicked by the couple, such as locally-bottled huckleberry soda. The pair also wrote a handwritten message which was placed inside each bag—a thoughtful gesture that is always appreciated.
Boone Hall Plantation
Blake Lively could wear a sack to her wedding and we’d still think she looked fabulous. Instead, the Gossip Girl star donned a couture silk tulle gown by Marchesa and said “I Do” to actor Ryan Reynolds in 2012 at Charleston's Boone Hall Plantation. Lively’s bouquet was created by weddings style director Kate Berry and it featured and blushing bride hydrangea, andromeda, dusty miller, pink jasmine and select petals were dipped in rose-gold glitter. Because the bride is an avid baker, deserts took center stage during the reception. Tables flowed with various pâtes de fruits from La Maison du Chocolat; lemon tarts, mini strawberry shortcakes, blueberry cheesecakes from Caviar & Bananas; and a vanilla-and-sour-cream wedding cake with peach-apricot preserves by Maggie Austin Cake in Alexandria, Virginia.
If you’re a fan of The Notebook, you may recognize the main house on the plantation as the summer home of Allie and her parents. The 738-acre property is one of America’s oldest working, living plantations. With all the charm of a Southern residence, the home’s driveway is lined with three-quarter of a mile of 18th century oak trees draped in Spanish moss. Couples can host the ceremony at a few different locations on the property including The Cotton Dock, a grand wooden barn or outdoors on The Avenue of the Oaks under draping canopy trees. The Cotton Dock House can hold 200-225 people for a seated event without a dance floor or 150 with one. It’s also not air-conditioned so keep that in mind during hot Charleston summers. Rates range from $1,500 to $7,500 for multiple-space events.
Hotel Bel-Air
In front of 140 guests actress Kate Beckinsale married film director Len Wiseman at Hotel Bel-Air in 2004. The evening vows took place in a garden under a rose-covered gazebo and following the ceremony a string quartet performed while guests sipped on Champagne next to a swan-filled pond. Guests then gathered inside a candlelit ballroom for the reception and were seated at tables decorated with hydrangeas, white roses and tulips.
Because sunny Southern California's weather rarely disappoints, the hotel’s garden is in bloom all-year long and can accommodate weddings ranging from 10 to 300 guests. Included in all wedding packages is a dance floor and staging, menu tastings for wedding receptions of 100 guests or more, wedding night stay for the bride and groom, Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries on your wedding night, special room rate discounts for guests and photo opportunities for wedding day photos. For your reception, meals are catered by Wolfgang Puck who can customize the menu specifically to your wishes. Another nice thing about such an established venue is the staff are well versed in working with high-profile clients. The hotel regularly plays host to events such as Emmy’s and Grammy after-parties as well as the Oscars Governors Ball.
