A Guide to the Secret Celebrity Elopements of the COVID-19 Era
Jeanni Mai/Ariana Grande Instagram/Paul Forged In The North Instagram/Handou Getty Images Reading Time: 4 minutes
Secret celebrity weddings have taken place all throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone from Ariana Grande to Jeannie Mai has said “I do” in intimate, secret ceremonies that we totally wish we were invited to. Let’s take a look back at some of the most romantic celebrity elopments of the year.
The Biggest Celebrities That Secretly Got Married in 2021
1. Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez
Singer Ariana Grande and real estate agent Dalton Gomez tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at her Montecito, Calif. home in May. Only a few people had front row seats to the small celebration where they witnessed the couple exchange very informal vows. The couple went for simple decor including white candles and flowers hanging from the ceiling.
Grande wore a simple strapless gown by Vera Wang. Her veil had a dainty bow on it. Sources told TMZ that the wedding “was really just for them.” After the couple got engaged in December 2020, reports were swirling that they started to look at wedding venues. Grande shocked the world by posting photos from her scaled-back at-home wedding on Instagram.
2. Jeannie Mai and Jeezy
Jeannie Mai and Jeezy are another celebrity couple that eloped at home after initially planning on having a wedding in Lake Como or the South of France. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the couple to change their plans and have a smaller wedding in Atlanta. Just a few close friends and family members were in attendance.
Mai wore a custom dress by Galia Lahav with a headpiece sewn into her hair. The ceremony took place in their garden surrounded by candles. Mai’s brother led a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony before exchanging vows. The Masked Singer star Tyrese serenaded them with “Sweet Lady” at the reception.
3. Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett
WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen secretly married singer Robbie Arnett in 2020, however, the world did not find out about it until this year. The Marvel queen, let slip during an interview for Variety‘s Actors on Actors series that Arnett is her husband. The pair got engaged in 2019 and were spotted wearing gold wedding bands during a NYC stroll this month.
4. Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza
Olsen is just one of the celebrities that got married in 2020 but did not publicly announce it until 2021. In January, Venom actor Riz Ahmed revealed on a podcast that he had a secret wedding to Fatima Farheen Mirza. He gave further details about his big day in a virtual appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The couple had a backyard wedding that adhered to social distancing guidelines with only a handful of guests present.
5. Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena
Actress Aubrey Plaza and her longtime boyfriend Jeff Baena left everyone surprised when she referred to him as her “darling husband” in a recent Instagram post. Her rep later confirmed to E! News that they did secretly get married. The Parks & Recreation actress has not shared any details about her wedding with the world, but that isn’t much of a surprise since they have kept their decade-long romance very low-key.
6. Kristen Wiig and Avi Rothman
Bridesmaids star Kristen Wiig confirmed on air with Howard Stern in February that she married Avi Rothman. After three years of dating, the couple got engaged in 2019. In June 2020, they welcomed twins via surrogate. It is not clear when exactly the pair tied the knot.
7. Nicolas Cage and Riko Shibata
National Treasure actor Nicolas Cage quietly tied the knot with Riko Shibata in February 2021. Their wedding took place at the Wynn Las Vegas. Shibata wore a Japanese bridal kimono and Cage donned a Tom Ford tuxedo. Cage proposed to Shibata in August 2020 over FaceTime and sent her a ring in the mail during the COVID-19 pandemic. He initially hoped the pair would get married in Japan, but they changed their plans due to the circumstances of the pandemic.
8. Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas
This is Us star Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas were spotted wearing wedding bands during a beach outing in May. His divorce from Dancing with the Stars alum Chrishell Stause was finalized in January 2021. That same month, he made his relationship with Pernas Instagram official. In May, a source confirmed to People that the couple is married. A source told Us Weekly that Hartley’s daughter Isabella attended the intimate ceremony.
9. Elizabeth Lail and Nieku Manshadi
You star Elizabeth Lail married pediatric dentist Nieku Manshadi at Hasbrouck House in Stone Ridge, New York. The venue was also where they spent their first anniversary and has a special place in their hearts. The couple had to limit their guest list to 22 people for their April nuptials. Their small outdoor ceremony took place in front of a flower arch. Lail wore a simple dress by U.K. designer Andrea Hawkes with silk-lined buttons in the front.
10. Tom and Marie DeLonge
On April 28, former Blink-182 guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge announced to the world that he had gotten engaged to his girlfriend Marie. On May 3, he revealed that the pair are now married after a simple courthouse wedding. They were actually engaged for over a year and a half, but the couple decided to keep it private.
