25 Most Unforgettable Weddings
Weddings are spectacular events, as much for the bride and groom as they are for the audience invited to watch. It's no wonder, then, that some of pop culture's biggest moments revolve around weddings. In anticipation of the next big one -- Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the royal knot on April 29 --
Wonderwall is counting down the 25 most memorable weddings in pop culture history.
25. Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
Big Day: September 27, 2009
Why it's memorable: The Kardashians had just jumped into the spotlight when Khloe got hitched to Lakers star Odom after only a six-week courtship. But the couple has so far defied rumors that the marriage was a
publicity stunt. Publicly, at least, these two giants seem genuinely committed and as in love with each other as ever.
24. Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen
Big Day: February 26, 2009
Why it's memorable: Aside from marking the union of two of the world's most beautiful people, the Brady-Bundchen wedding is notable because it happened twice: first in California and then again days later in
Costa Rica. And the second even had gunfire, which resulted from a scuffle between paparazzi and bodyguards. Don't worry, no one was hurt.
23. Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag
Big Day: November 20, 2008, and again on April 25, 2009
Why it's memorable: Again, this pair wed twice. But in the case of these towheaded fame addicts, it's presumable that the second ceremony, in California, happened because the first one, in Mexico, was too private. The second time, surrounded by family and "The Hills" castmates, seemed to satisfy them ... for a while.
22. Jim and Pam on "The Office"
Big Day: October 8, 2009
Why it's memorable: Six season in the making, the wedding of Jim Halpert (John Krasisnski) and Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer) tugged heartstrings as only a long-running TV romance can. But Jim and Pam's
coworkers stole the show when they danced down the aisle (without the couple's permission) in tribute to a certain YouTube video.
21. Cinderella and Prince Charming in "Cinderella"
Big Day: March 4, 1950
Why it's memorable: Whether you realize it or not, it's the ceremony at the end of this Disney movie that helped shape your understanding of the term "fairy-tale wedding." The chariot? The pristine princess dress? The over-the-top sparkling elegance? Disney's "Cinderella" set the bar for fantastic weddings for years to come.
20. Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky
Big Day: July 31, 2010
Why it's memorable: Clinton literally grew up in the national spotlight, so her walking down the aisle was a big moment for her, Bill and Hillary and the entire country.
19. Toula and Ian in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
Big Day: April 19, 2002
Why it's memorable: Few cinematic couples deserved their "happily ever after" as much as Nia Vardalos and John Corbett's characters. The surprise-hit movie proved that when you love someone, you accept everything that comes along with them, including their family.
18. Mariah Carey and Tommy Mottola
Big Day: June 5, 1993
Why it's memorable: There's a lot that stands out about this wedding: the 21-year age difference between the bride and groom, for one, and him being a record exec, for another. But what's most memorable is that
dress: The $25,000 Vera Wang gown featured a 27-foot-long train. Damn.
17. Chandler and Monica on "Friends"
Big Day: May 17, 2001
Why it's memorable: In considering the series run of "Friends," its big love story seems like it should be the on-again, off-again Ross and Rachel. But the truly functional couple on the show is Chandler (Matthew
Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox), the first on the show to get married and stay that way.
16. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Big Day: November 18, 2006
Why it's memorable: Makes sense that one of the most oh-so-Hollywood marriages ever would begin at a place that looks like a movie set. (A spooky cave set from a B-movie, sure, even though it was actually
Odescalchi Castle in Italy.) Our take: The venue set the tone for Tom and Katie's technically opulent but always-a-little-creepy-seeming marriage.
15. Britney Spears and Kevin Federline
Big Day: September 18, 2004
Why it's memorable: Themed weddings are risky, but we think Britney and K-Fed struck the appropriate tone when they made their wedding party wear sweatsuits emblazoned with "pimps" (for boys) and "maids" (for girls). And by "appropriate," we mean that it was totally in line with their lifestyle, their depth of character and the ultimate fate of their union.
14. Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky
Big Day: October 31, 1996
Why it's memorable: Well, it was her eighth wedding, and it proved to be her last, though that's not to say that it made for a successful union. But this, of all Taylor's weddings, gets the nod because it marked her union to the most unlikely of husbands: a construction worker.
13. Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter
Big Day: December 6, 2003
Why it's memorable: Fans of "The Bachelor" fell in love with Trista when she failed to be selected in the show's first season. And they eagerly followed her through the inaugural season of "The Bachelorette." Most
importantly, when she chose Ryan, the two actually made it to the altar and stayed married -- a "Bachelor" rarity.
12. Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu
Big Day: May 1, 1967
Why it's memorable: Sure, it seems notable that one of the biggest stars of his day would have a relatively low-key Las Vegas ceremony. But what really should be remembered about Elvis's wedding is that it marked the culmination of a nearly eight-year courtship with Priscilla Beaulieu, who has been known as Priscilla Presley ever since, and who was only 14 when Elvis began pursuing her.
11. Axel Rose and Stephanie Seymour in the video for "November Rain"
Big Day: February, 1992
Why it's memorable: For starters, Rose and Seymour were together in real life at the time the music video was released. But even that pales with the fact that the Guns N' Roses video is simply one of the best ever.
10. Liza Minelli and David Gest
Big Day: March 16, 2002
Why it's memorable: Look at them. Look at their bridal party. Does this seem like a typical wedding to you? The fact that this happened -- and wasn't, like, a weird dream you had because you fell asleep watching E! one night -- is notable enough.
9. Carrie and Mr. Big in "Sex and the City"
Big Day: May 30, 2008
Why it's memorable: Aside from the fact that it concluded the one good "Sex and the City" movie, the marriage of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) to Mr. Big (Chris Noth) marked an end to big-city
bed-hopping for one of pop culture's most-loved single ladies.
8. Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee
Big Day: February 19, 1995
Why it's memorable: Seemingly remaining in her beach-ready "Baywatch" character, the actress became Anderson Lee -- after only knowing the rocker for 96 hours -- while clad in a bikini top. Doesn't that seem like the most appropriate wedding attire for her? And don't blame Tommy, either. She sported a white bikini again for her marriage to Kid Rock.
7. Donna and David on "Beverly Hills, 90210"
Big Day: May 17, 200
Why it's memorable: Donna Martin (Tori Spelling) married David Silver (Brian Austin Green) on the last episode of the tenth and final season of the show, and there's no better way to demonstrate how far those
characters came and how much they'd grown up. Want proof? Compare blushing bride Donna to the still-forming grub-of-a-girl that Spelling played in the pilot.
6. JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
Big Day: September 21, 1996
Why it's memorable: This union gave post-JFK generations a taste of what earlier Kennedy elegance might have been like. The couple married in small chapel on Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia in a
secret ceremony attended by only 40 guests. Only three years later, the couple's death in 1999 brought an end to Camelot era
5. Jen Aniston and Brad Pitt
Big Day: July 29, 2000
Why it's memorable: Though overshadowed now by the divorce and Brad's current relationship with Angelina Jolie, the wedding at the time marked the formation of a Hollywood supercouple: one of the biggest '90s TV stars with one of the same decade's breakout movie stars. And while the event drew major stars, People magazine reported the vibe as mellow, cordial, happy and hopeful.
4. Kermit and Miss Piggy in "The Muppets Take Manhattan"
Big Day: July 13, 1984
Why it's memorable: If it weren't enough to teach movie audiences that love can overcome interspecies boundaries, any wedding that brings together the collected Muppets cast -- including the ones from "Sesame Street" and even a "Fraggle Rock" character -- is, to us, unforgettable.
3. Sean Penn and Madonna
Big Day: August 16, 1985
Why it's memorable: As far as high-profile, mismatched celeb couples go, Sean and Madonna stand out as one of the most oddball. Their wedding was such an '80s cultural event that the drone of news helicopters
made the ceremony hard to hear. In revenge, Penn wrote an obscene word in the sand to render photos unusable. Classic.
2. Luke and Laura on "General Hospital"
Big Day: November 16 and 17, 1981
Why it's memorable: To this day, the wedding of Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) and Laura Webber (Genie Francis) is the most-watched in the history of daytime television. That's an indisputable pop culture legacy. (The fact that the Luke-and-Laura wedding marked the marriage of a rapist to one his former victims creates a whole different kind of legacy that viewers should consider for themselves.)
1. Prince Charles and Diana Spencer
Big Day: July 29, 1981
Why it's memorable: It was called the "wedding of the century," and it totally deserved the title. What other couple's courtship, union and eventual separation so grabbed the attention of the entire world? And while the
number of people who watched it on TV, 750 million, is dwarfed by contemporary broadcasts of the Olympics (among other events), consider that England is just a tiny island and its royals a group that exerts fairly little influence on the world. To get that many people to watch anyway? That's a big deal.Source: wonderwall
