In July 1999, Manchester United star David Beckham and Victoria “Posh Spice” Adams (pictured the day before their wedding) married at Luttrellstown Castle just outside Dublin. The pop princess donned an 18-carat gold crown encrusted with diamonds and a strapless Vera Wang frock with 20ft train before sashaying down a 60ft floral walkway, while a harp and violin duo played classical hits. After the vows, the newlyweds released a single white dove. Most memorably, they donned matching purple outfits and perched on golden thrones during the reception, delusions of royalty that continued when they moved into “Beckingham Palace”. The ultimate footballer’s fairytale wedding not only inspired a generation of Wag copycats but was spoofed by “Kyle and Chardonnay” in TV drama Footballers’ Wives Photograph: Glenn Copus/Rex Features
A wedding so shrouded in secrecy that only one (admittedly cute) photograph was released. Hollywood A-listers Jen‘n’Brad married in July 2000 on the Malibu estate of TV producer Marcy Carsey. Among the 200 guests were Aniston’s Friends cast-mates, plus Cameron Diaz, Ed Norton and Salma Hayek. The bride wore a Lawrence Steele floor-length, pearl-studded, white silk tulle halter dress and ivory suede Manolo Blahnik sandals. Pitt wore a Hedi Slimane tux and designed the rings himself. A canopy of 50,000 flowers created a “Zen garden look”, while entertainment was provided by four bands, a gospel choir and a firework display. The pair divorced five years later Photograph: Michael Sanville/AP
The original showbiz wedding saw cinema’s golden girl marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco in April 1956, having met at the Cannes film festival the previous year. For “the Wedding of the Century” to go ahead, Kelly’s family had to pay a dowry of $2m. The Palace of Monaco was redecorated throughout, while Kelly, along with her poodle and 80 pieces of luggage, boarded an ocean liner for the eight-day voyage from New York to the French Riviera, where 20,000 people lined the streets to greet her. The ceremony was broadcast across Europe and culminated in Kelly’s 142 new official titles being formally recited. Her famous silk and lace dress started a trend back towards full frocks, rather than slender styles, and has influenced countless bridal gowns since – including Kate Middleton’s Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis
Hollywood’s most passionate pair had a scandalous affair on the set of Cleopatra and 10 days after her divorce from pop singer Eddie Fisher was finalised in March 1964, the screen siren said “I do” to Burton in the bridal suite of Montreal’s Ritz-Carlton hotel. It was a low-key do, with only nine guests, Taylor wearing yellow chiffon with white flowers in her hair. “Elizabeth Burton and I are very, very happy,” the groom announced, his bride adding: “This marriage will last for ever.” The tempestuous couple divorced a decade later, before reconciling, secretly remarrying and divorcing again. Taylor married a total of eight times, the last being her 1991 union to construction worker Larry Fortensky, 20 years her junior, at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Photograph: SNAP /Rex Features
Seven months after having daughter Suri, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes married, in November 2006, at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle, just outside Rome. It was a Scientology ceremony with church leader David Miscavige serving as best man. Bride and groom both wore Armani, music came courtesy of Mark Ronson, and guests included the Beckhams, Will Smith and Jennifer Lopez. They probably didn’t eat much of the five-tiered white chocolate wedding cake covered with marzipan roses. Cruise serenaded Holmes, Top Gun-style, with a rendition of You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling by the Righteous Brothers. Five years later, they indeed lost that loving feeling and divorced Photograph: EPA
When showbiz deity Minnelli married producer Gest in March 2002 at New York’s Marble Collegiate Church, it was the most expensive celeb wedding ever, costing $3.5m. The guest list was quite something too: Elizabeth Taylor as maid of honour, Michael Jackson as best man and the aisles filled by the likes of Diana Ross, Joan Collins, Mia Farrow, Lauren Bacall and Donald Trump. There were 16 bridesmaids (including Martine McCutcheon, oddly), 12 tiers on the cake and music from the Doobie Brothers, Donny Osmond and Tony Bennett, backed by a 60-piece orchestra. Guests received a personalised cake embossed with “Liza and David 4 Ever” but they divorced within a year – perhaps unsurprising based on their sloppy, awkward kiss for the cameras Photograph: Adrian Dennis/EPA/Corbis
The pop royalty formerly known as Reg Dwight married film-maker Furnish, his partner of 12 years, in December 2005 – on the day that the Civil Partnership Act came into force. They exchanged vows and diamond rings at Windsor’s Guildhall, where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles had married months earlier. More than 600 guests arrived at Elton’s nearby mansion for the reception, held in two huge heated marquees, where guests drank vintage pink champagne and listened to Elton serenade Furnish with Your Song. They’ve since had two sons by a surroage mother and, now the law has changed, intend to marry again in a low-key ceremony this month Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
The supermodel married the Kills guitarist in July 2011 at the 12th-century church in picturesque Cotswolds village Southrop. John Galliano designed her vintage-inspired gown, which she teamed with Manolo Blahnik heels (with a blue insole for her “something blue”), while the groom went for a pale blue YSL suit. Mossy’s eight-year-old daughter, Lila, was among the 15 bridesmaids, while guests included Naomi Campbell, Jude Law, Stella McCartney, Bryan Ferry and Vivienne Westwood. The festival-style “Mosstock” reception lasted three days, with seafood from the Dorchester washed down with Grey Goose vodka and Dom Pérignon champagne, plus burlesque performers and music from Snoop Dogg, Shirley Bassey, Beth Ditto, Carl Barât and Iggy Pop Photograph: Joan Wakeham/Rex Features
Pop’s premier power couple married in a stylishly secretive manner. A small private ceremony was held on the terrace of Jay-Z’s Tribeca penthouse in April 2008, followed by a reception in a candlelit marquee decorated with white orchids imported from Thailand. The 200 guests included Beyoncé’s Destiny’s Child bandmates, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jamie Foxx, Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Janet Jackson, all dancing to music from the couple’s favourite New York DJs. So low-key was it that Mrs Carter didn’t publicly debut her $5m, 18-carat, Lorraine Schwartz-designed diamond wedding ring until six months later. Well, who needs media attention when you’re crazy in love? Photograph: Startraks Photo/Rex
The glamour model also known as Jordan met washed-up pop hunk Andre on the set of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! in 2004 and they married the following year at Highclere Castle – the filming location for period drama Downton Abbey. Less classily, the ceremony was a Barbie-inspired bubblegum affair, with the bride dressed as a pink meringue and arriving in a giant pink pumpkin-shaped carriage. The newlyweds’ first dance was even set to their own recording of A Whole New World from Disney’s Aladdin. It’s rivalled only for tackiness by Anthea Turner and Grant Bovey, who used their OK! magazine-funded 2000 nuptials to publicise Cadbury’s new Snowflake chocolate bar, a much-mocked move dubbed “Flakegate” Photograph: ITV2
