Top 20 Celebs Who Got Married in Secret

In October 2020, Meals on Wheels America shared on Instagram that the “SNL” writer and cast member and actress had “Jost Married.” Their wedding, like many in 2020, was small and socially distanced. Still, they shared their joy in supporting a good cause during a globally tough time. Johansson said they worked to respect all restrictions, using them to create “intentional intimacy.” Guests were even given “Jost” face masks as keepsakes (and as a safety measure, of course). Jost’s former “SNL” colleague, Dave McCary, also quietly married actress Emma Stone in 2020. News of their nuptials was confirmed in September of that year, though not much is known.

On December 3rd, 2003 these two mega-stars shocked the world when they announced their first pregnancy and, only two days later on December 5th, were married in a secret ceremony in Santa Barbara, California. Even by secret celebrity wedding standards, this was an above average covert ceremony - not even Martin’s or Paltrow’s respective families were invited. In fact, the press didn’t find out about the union until days after it had taken place. Outlasting many of their A-list contemporaries, the couple made it a full decade before announcing their separation in 2014 and divorce the next year.

Things are often so under wraps when it comes to secret weddings that fans don’t get to see so much as a snapshot of the occasion. While Brad and Angelina did keep their affair low-key, they also decided to grant the press access to photos from their big day. The wedding had only 20 guests, and took place at the chapel of the Château Miraval, which is the family’s French estate. Jolie’s dress was created by Atelier Versace, and in a personal touch she added embroidered renditions of her children’s drawings to her veil.

This happy couple wanted to keep their wedding private, so they decided to do it at home. Diaz said they had the ceremony indoors and then partied in their yard. But there were apparently some funny moments, like when the kid carrying the rings lost his hold on one and an unexpected, momentary blackout as the bride was gearing up to walk down the aisle. Even though they tried to keep it a secret, some nosy photographers saw the wedding setup and knew what was on the horizon (technically, this one happened at or around sunset). Still, an unnamed attendee said the shindig felt “very personal.”

Despite growing up with all that fame, the Olsens have a knack for keeping their private lives under wraps. Ashley Olsen quietly exchanged vows with her longtime beau, Louis Eisner, at a private Bel-Air estate in December 2022. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Elizabeth, revealed that she and musician Robbie Arnett had eloped and later celebrated with loved ones not long before the whole world went into lockdown. She even mentioned in an interview how fortunate the timing was, considering what was coming. Still, it took a long time for the public to catch wind of their marital status.

One of Hollywood’s most private power couples decided to jet off to the Bahamas for their big day back in the summer of 2010. The couple had previously refused to comment on whether or not they were even together, so it will hardly surprise you to learn that known details about the shindig are limited. The ceremony apparently took place at a private residence belonging to a pal, and Cruz’s friend John Galliano designed the dress. Given how much this couple values their privacy (which indeed they’re entitled to), we were more surprised to discover they’d wed than to learn they’d managed to do it in the utmost secrecy.

This is another couple who draw firm boundaries when it comes to their private lives. You’re only slightly more likely to see them walk the red carpet together than to come across any photos of them walking down the aisle. Still, they exchanged personalized vows in June 2013, choosing to surround themselves with only their closest circles in a cozy ceremony tucked away in a friend’s Idaho home. In 2023, the couple marked their tenth anniversary. Even then, Washington was tight-lipped on the specifics. However, she did shout out her husband, so it seems they’re still happily in love!

When actor Thomas Sadoski settled into the “The Late Late Show” couch, James Corden thought he was about to toast the couple’s impending parenthood. However, there was a second congratulations in order! It turns out that the acting duo had not only been awaiting their first child but had also quietly become husband and wife. Sadoski shared the story of their private elopement – just the two of them and an officiant, followed by a romantic dinner. Their wedding might not have been as extravagant as other Hollywood affairs, but Sadoski called it “perfect.” It just goes to show that real love isn't about fancy stuff but about those heartfelt “I dos.”

This Suffolk wedding was so low-key it sparked confusion about the year in which it took place. But Sheeran’s appearance on the “Table Manners” podcast notably shed some light on the ultra-private event. In 2019, Sheeran and his love tied the knot away from prying eyes. Some time later, they reportedly had a bigger celebration with their small, intimate circle, which is less secret. Sheeran also shared a few details about his and Cherry Seaborn’s love story in the “Put It All on Me” music video, making us swoon.

This couple’s nuptials were so top-secret that the paparazzi’s best bet would’ve been to join forces with the Scooby gang to track it down. Reportedly, even guests weren’t given the full details and were asked to keep anything they did know strictly to themselves. The event was held in an unnamed location in Mexico for just their nearest and dearest while prying eyes were kept at bay. Did that stop paparazzi and other media from trying to get the scoop? Nope, they were determined to know exactly what the couple was doing that summer (okay, it was Labor Day weekend, but we can’t resist a pop culture reference).

This now-divorced couple was never very public about their relationship, and so it’s unsurprising that their wedding was a similarly “hush hush” affair. The “Gilmore Girls” alum met “Mad Men” star Vincent Kartheiser when the two played a couple on the hit AMC series, and in 2012 it was revealed that they were dating. In 2013, it came out that they were engaged, and in June of 2014, that they had gotten hitched. Though details are scarce, we know that the ceremony took place at the Rolling Thunder Ranch resort in Ojai, California and that it was a small ceremony with family and friends present, including Kartheiser’s co-star Jon Hamm.

Notoriously private couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie tied the knot in a secret 2017 ceremony that we still know nearly nothing about. No photos have surfaced, and the press wasn’t able to nail down a location or even a specific date. The couple got engaged in 2015 after three years of dating and throughout their betrothal they were open about the fact that they wouldn’t be planning a big to-do. Kudos to these two for pulling off the simple and secluded ceremony they wanted.

In a teen TV drama crossover match made in heaven, Seth Cohen and Blair Waldorf ended up together. While we’re not totally sure their characters would have gotten along (Seth definitely has a bit of a Dan Humphrey vibe), these two actors are clearly very enamored with each other. The young couple opted for a low-key ceremony that we still know very little about, as they’ve never opened up on details about the big day. Similarly, Meester never actually confirmed her first pregnancy to the press and managed to keep the birth a secret for over two months!

While most secret celebrity weddings are not only clandestine but also very modest, it seems as though the opposite is true for Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ big day. The stars were extremely private about their wedding, even going as far to take guests’ cell phones before they entered the venue. But the pair held their event at the iconic Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina and had Martha Stewart help with the decorations. Lively also had her friend Florence Welch perform. They would come to apologize for and regret their venue choice, and eventually quietly tied the knot a second time at their home – that ceremony was also extremely private.

Did you know Margot Robbie was married? If you said no, don’t worry; you’re probably not the only one. She never even publicly announced her engagement! Indeed, the actress managed to keep her wedding a secret. It took place in Australia’s Byron Bay, with the stunning Coorabell Hills landscape acting as the backdrop. Robbie met her husband, British filmmaker Tom Ackerley, in 2013 while filming the movie “Suite Française,” where he was on the crew as an assistant director. In 2016, she was walking down the aisle, in what some sources described as a small affair with just about 50 guests. There’s no doubt it was beautiful all around.

We got to watch this couple fall in love on screen, and fans were delighted when they found out that the romance was happening in real life as well. As is the trend with many modern celebs, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher opted to keep the details of their wedding to themselves, hiding the news from the press for several months. We do know that the pair said their “I dos” in July of 2015 in Oak Glen, California and proceeded to take a honeymoon at Yosemite National Park - our imaginations can run wild filling in other details.

One of Hollywood’s funniest and most lovable couples decided to keep it casual for their big day. The two got married at the Beverly Hills County Clerk’s Office in a wedding that allegedly only cost a grand total of $142, including the cost of gas and the sandwiches that the two actors ate after it was all said and done. The couple famously asserted that they wouldn’t get married until gay marriage was legal in the US and they stuck to their word, waiting until 2013 when the Defense of Marriage Act was struck down to tie the knot.

Though they’re a true power couple, the duo took a decidedly less lavish approach to tying the knot than you might expect. It took several years for fans to get a glimpse of the musical megastars’ big day, with the pair deciding to release a short clip from their wedding on their seventh anniversary. The event took place in 2008 at Jay Z’s New York City apartment. There were only some 40 guests in attendance and Queen Bey reportedly wore a dress that her mother designed for her.

This wedding was so top-secret that even the officiant didn't seem to know who he was marrying at first! The couple hurried off to La Vega in the Dominican Republic with their crew for a quickie ceremony. Despite trying to keep it quiet, rumors of their union hung around until determined reporters worked to confirm the authenticity of the signatures found on the marriage license. Eventually, they had no choice but to admit it, though many doubted their love was genuine. Even Judge Pérez, who officiated the ceremony, couldn't hide his surprise when their union lasted more than a year and a half, saying, “I gave them a year.”

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Bob Morley & Eliza Taylor
Heck, Many of Us Didn’t Even Know They Were an Item, Let Alone Married!

Lindsay Lohan & Bader Shammas
They Married in April 2022 & Managed to Keep It Under Wraps Until July, When Her Rep Verified the News

Johnny & Morgan Galecki
“The Big Bang Theory” Actor Casually Dropped That He Was Married During an Interview with Architectural Digest in February 2024

Daniel Craig & Rachel Weisz
This Famously Private Couple Reportedly Exchanged Vows Roughly 6 Months Into Their Relationship

Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka
While This Couple Often Invites Us Into Their Lives, This Was One Moment They Chose to Share Only with Their Nearest & Dearest

Jennifer Aniston has been a high profile star for years, so it’s rather impressive that she was able to pull off a totally secret surprise wedding. How did her and Justin Theroux accomplish such a feat? By not even telling the guests! Since it was tough for this now-divorced couple to escape the spotlight, they carefully planned their event, but told everyone they were simply hosting a birthday party for Theroux at their L.A. home. Once the famous guests arrived however, it became clear that this was much more. Guests respectfully remained tight-lipped about the details of the surprise nuptials and there are no leaked photos of the event itself.

Which celebs did you just discover are or were married? Let us know in the comments.