We can't get enough of celebrity weddings — and we're not alone. The public interest in A-listers' nuptials means the paparazzi can't get enough, either. Some celeb weddings, like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's, are splashed all over newsstands and social media feeds almost instantly. But other celebs prefer to keep theirs private, and take great pains to do so.
By utilizing highly secretive planning techniques, high-tech security measures, and sometimes even by keeping their own guests in the dark, some of the biggest stars have managed to keep the details of their big days completely under wraps. And while we'd love to get a glimpse of Jennifer Aniston or Mila Kunis in their wedding dresses, we also respect their decisions not to share photos with the world. Frankly, we're also pretty impressed that they have been so successful at maintaining their privacy.
Ahead, 11 famous couples who managed to outsmart the paparazzi, and celebrate their weddings on their own terms — plus, the scoop on how they did it.
Julia Roberts & Danny Moder
Guests at Julia Roberts and Danny Moder's 2002 nuptials thought they were attending a Fourth of July barbecue — even the caterers didn't know what was going to happen. Apparently, the two began quietly making preparations for a summer wedding, but didn't want to arouse suspicion. Days before the party, Roberts was seen picking up food for the reception herself, and, according to People, she even engaged in a little "pre-wedding weeding" at her Taos, NM, ranch.
Then, on the Fourth, the couple urged guests to stick around well into the night. At 12:30 a.m., Moder got down on one knee and proposed in front of their guests, and the two were wed right then and there in a simple, 20-minute ceremony, by Roberts' friend, lawyer Barry Hirsch. Moral of the story? If you don't want people to suspect that you're having a wedding, skip the engagement until the actual big day.
Photo: Lester Cohen/Getty Images.
In July 2015, after three years of dating (and 10 months after the birth of their daughter, Wyatt), Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis made it official — but they managed to keep the media out of it. Kutcher later revealed to Ellen DeGeneres the "ninja efforts" the two employed to keep the big day under wraps.
Of course, they kept their plans hush-hush through their engagement — and months before they actually wed, Mila coyly implied that the two were already legally married during an appearance on a late-night talk show. When the real wedding date rolled around, they became concerned that paparazzi might catch on. Kutcher's solution? He made a series of social media posts identifying himself in a variety of (false) locations, thus throwing everyone off their scent. It worked.
Photo: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images.
Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin
Only two days after announcing that they were expecting their first child together in late 2003, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin wed in a secret ceremony at the Santa Barbara courthouse. There had been a lot of media interest in the duo's whirlwind romance, so how did they manage to keep it on the down low? They didn't invite anyone — not even Paltrow's famous mom, Blythe Danner — to the ceremony.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images.
Jennifer Aniston & Justin Theroux
Except for a handful of their absolute closest friends, attendees at Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston's nuptials thought they were going to a surprise birthday party for Theroux. But it turned out they were the ones who got a surprise — when it turned out to be Hollywood's most anticipated wedding of 2015. Even now, specific details of the wedding remain sparse, although we do know that A-list guests included famous pals like Lisa Kudrow and Ellen DeGeneres. One of the few other things we know? Jimmy Kimmel officiated the ceremony, and according to Theroux, Kimmel teared up. Not that we can blame him.
Photo: Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock.
Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan
Another high-profile couple who threw a surprise party with a twist? Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, who told guests that their 2012 bash was a surprise graduation party for Chan — and then pulled the ol' wedding bait-and-switch. The ceremony took place in the couple's backyard in Palo Alto, California. Zuckerberg later announced their union on — where else? — Facebook.
Photo: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.
LeBron James & Savannah Brinson
In a New York Times article on the lengths celebs go to in order to avoid media on their big day, we learned that when LeBron James married his high school sweetheart Savannah Brinson in 2013, they didn't even print a date or time on the invitations, for fear of tipping off the media. Only after they ensured that the intended invitees — not publicists or assistants who might be tempted to spill the beans — had received the invitations personally, did they reveal the time and date to individual guests. It turned out to be a brilliant move, as images of the couple's save-the-dates were indeed leaked to TMZ.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.
George Clooney & Amal Alamuddin
While George and Amal's 2014 wedding was swarmed with paparazzi, they did manage to keep some of their Venetian vows private. It was hard to remain entirely inconspicuous, with 120 guests, including many an A-lister, arriving in Venice before the big day. But day-of, some security measures kept the actual event private: a tunnel set up at the hotel shielded the bride from photogs, allowing her to release images of her wedding dress on her own terms. Guests were also asked to refrain from bringing smartphones to the event and to observe a "no selfie" policy.
Photo: Jason LaVeris/Getty Images.
To say that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's wedding was highly anticipated would be a massive understatement. So how did two of the world's biggest stars manage to get hitched in a secret 20-person ceremony at their estate in France? Simply put, they waited for a diversion.
At least, that's what The Washington Post theorized at the time, arguing that the celebs capitalized on the fact that the VMAs, Sunday Night Football, and the Emmys were all happening between Sunday and Monday of that particular week — meaning that the press would be busy covering other things for a few days. Thus, no one really noticed that the stars had skipped town.
Of course, it's mostly a theory, and because of legality surrounding foreigners marrying abroad, Jolie and Pitt had to sign the official paperwork here in the States before their ceremony. But no one noticed that, either. Well played, Brangelina.
Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images.
Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony
Those who were lucky enough to attend Jennifer Lopez's third wedding in 2004 were simply told they were invited to "a beautiful afternoon party." Once they arrived, Lopez was nowhere to be found, and her fiancé, Marc Anthony, spilled the beans about what this party really was: a wedding. People reported that the entire affair was planned in three weeks — and took place just five days after Anthony's divorce was finalized.
Photo: Henry Lamb/BEI/BEI/Shutterstock.
Britney Spears & Kevin Federline
We all know how this one ended, but you might not remember how it began. Guests at Britney and Kevin Federline's wedding thought they were gathered for an engagement party at the home of the couple's wedding planner. Instead, Christmas came early, in the form of a surprise wedding. Spears wore a $26,000 gown for the occasion, but the entire wedding party later changed into Juicy tracksuits before hitting the town — it was 2004, after all — by which point, the paparazzi had figured out what was going on. The marriage didn't last, but at least they got to have their moment in peace.
Photo: Peter Brooker/REX/Shutterstock.
Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith
Will and Jada Smith's 1997 wedding took place just a few months after their engagement (and the revelation that Jada was pregnant with the couple's first child, Jaden). The New Year's Eve soiree was attended by 100 people, and took place at The Cloisters, a mansion near Jada's hometown of Baltimore. According to People 's coverage at the time, the two managed to keep it private by employing security measures "fit for a president."
There were no formal invitations; instead, guests were told to come to Baltimore, where they were put up at a hotel. On the morning of the event, envelopes with the particulars were distributed and handed directly to the 35 limo drivers who were hired to transport everyone to the ceremony. To prevent interlopers, two checkpoints were set up so guests' IDs could be examined before they were permitted to enter.
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