One of the most talked-about celebrity weddings of the year was that of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. The engaged couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Paris on October 31, keeping their guest list a secret. People are still debating whether or not it was a good idea for the Twilight star to walk down the aisle again so soon after her breakup with actor Taylor Lautner. But whatever you might think about the happy couple, it’s hard not to be charmed by their passion and devotion to one another.
Back to Back Weddings
While not as flashy as some of the other weddings this year, the wedding of Emily and Alex Vanavero was certainly no less exciting. The young couple tied the knot during a double ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel on May 18, 2014, becoming the first same-sex couple to wed in California. The wedding was a low-key affair with only a handful of friends and family in attendance. However, the bride and groom’s dedication to each other was evident in their big celebration the following day.
In March 2014, Jennifer and Kevin Lockhart celebrated their love for one another by tying the knot after 12 years of dating. The couple exchanged vows during a lavish wedding ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel, with family and friends in attendance. Two days later, the newlyweds enjoyed a romantic dinner and a dance before scattering rose petals on the floor in front of the fireplace.
It seems that 2014 has seen a rash of wedding ceremonies. From Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson to the Lockharts and Vanaveros, lovebirds have been popping the question all over the place. Hopefully, this trend of weddings will continue and encourage more same-sex couples to legally bind themselves to one another. It would be great to see more people take a stand against the inequality and persecution faced by LGBT individuals around the world.
More Than Meets The Eye
While we’re on the subject of celebrity weddings, it’s important to remember that celebrity is not always synonymous with popularity. Many people believe that since the majority of celebrities are famous for being beautiful, happy, and successful, it’s natural that we look to them as examples of how to live our lives. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. As it turns out, many celebrities aren’t extremely popular at all. Sure, they might have a large social media following or a large audience for their TV show, but that doesn’t mean that their opinion is worth much. It can often times be quite the opposite. That’s certainly not to say that there are no famous happy couples out there, but it’s important to remember that not all famous couples are a perfect picture of harmony and happiness.
Take Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth as an example. The former couple had a very public split in 2013 after just three years of dating. The singer announced her engagement to Liam while vacationing in Italy in March 2014 and the two made headlines around the world when they shared a kiss on the red carpet at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards a month later. Despite the media frenzy surrounding their impending wedding, the couple had decided to call off their engagement, claiming that they were no longer compatible.
The news of the couple’s split wasn’t exactly a secret. In April 2013, a month before they were set to get married, fans had already started to question whether or not the happy couple would make it down the aisle. The actress tweeted that she was “pondering” whether or not to walk down the aisle on April 16, and two days later, Cyrus confirmed that she was indeed postponing the wedding.
“We’re taking a step back for a while,” she told Harper’s Bazaar about the split. “We’re both at a stage in our lives where we want to focus on ourselves and what is most important to us.”
Not long after, the former couple made headlines for all the wrong reasons when it was revealed that they had put their romance on hold to focus on their careers. The actor was reported to have been jealous of his fiance’s celebrity and adoration from the public. During an August 2013 appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, Cyrus said that her fiance had “totally different” feelings about her celebrity. “He doesn’t like it,” she explained. “He wanted to be a rock star when he was younger, but he doesn’t think that he can be as good as a rock star with me by his side. So, it’s like a fair trade.”
In a separate interview, Liam said that while he loved being married to Cyrus, he sometimes craved the “me time” that being a celebrity brings. “It can be a lot of work,” he told Ellen DeGeneres in April 2014. “You have to be on your A-game all the time. There are so many things that you have to be mindful of. It takes a lot of concentration.”
Unfortunately, this is not the only example of a celebrity wedding that turns out to be a bust. Back in January 2014, it was reported that Brangelina may have entered into a legal dispute over the custody of their six-year-old daughter, Luna. The famous film couple were reportedly locked in a battle over who should get custody of the little girl, with the former arguing that she should live with her and the latter claiming that she should get visitation rights. It turned out that what the media didn’t report about the couple’s battle was that they had already reached a settlement agreement. While the exact terms of the agreement were kept secret, insiders revealed that it was likely a financial one. And that’s probably what the media didn’t want you to know about. Money can often times be a dominant factor in breaking up a celebrity couple, whether they are fighting over custody of their child or not. For example, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have a daughter, Violet, together. But since he has a vastly larger fortune, it’s reasonable to assume that the NBA star gets to spend more time with his family.
No Regrets
Even though we’ve been blessed with technological advancements allowing us to plan and track events almost down to the minute, there’s still something charming about planning a wedding. Sure, you can buy all the necessary pieces of paper and follow the instructions of a wedding planner, but there’s still that warm feeling that comes with walking down the aisle and saying your vows to the person you love most. It doesn’t hurt that many weddings incorporate a fair amount of art and nature, adding a personal touch to what can often times be a rather traditional affair.
The list of famous couples that got married this year is a diverse one. From fashion icons to musicians and actors, this year has seen an upswing in the number of famous people tying the knot. And it seems that it’s working. According to research, 72% of Americans report having gotten married while 64% of millennials have decided to walk down the aisle for a second time. It appears that the older we get, the more reluctant we are to get hitched. But for those planning to wed in the near future, there are plenty of options to choose from.