13 Celebrity Couples Who Rocked Minimonies in 2020
Celebrity weddings in 2020 look a bit different than years past, but they're still just as beautiful. Here are 13 celebs who hosted minimonies this year.
Celebrities can be just like you—especially when it comes to those getting married in 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has affected couples all over the world, including some of the most famed duos. As a result, celebrity weddings of 2020 look a little different than those of years past. While there aren't star-studded guest lists and weekend-long extravaganzas to keep up with, small celebrity weddings have proven to be just as touching and sentimental.
While postponing or hosting multiple ceremonies might not have been the original plan for most, the pandemic has resulted in the phenomenon of the minimony: an intimate wedding with a small guest list but a big presence. While COVID-19 has changed what weddings will look like in the future, there are plenty of safe (and stylish) ways to say "I do" while adhering to safety guidelines and social distancing measures. So, if you're looking for minimony inspiration, turn to some of the most publicized small celebrity weddings of the year.
Here are 13 celebrity couples who hosted (and rocked) minimonies in 2020.
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Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell
In one of the most anticipated celebrity weddings of 2020, conservationist Bindi Irwin married Chandler Powell in a minimony at the Australia Zoo gardens. "March 25th 2020," Irwin wrote on Instagram. "We held a small ceremony and I married my best friend. There are no words to describe the amount of love and light in my heart right now."
The daughter of late wildlife expert Steve Irwin then explained how the couple pivoted their plans as a result of the pandemic. "We’ve planned this beautiful day for nearly a year and had to change everything, as we didn’t have guests at our wedding. This was a very difficult decision but important to keep everyone safe. We wish all of our friends and family could have been there with us, however it’s lovely that we will be able to share photos and videos."
She went on to share how she honored her father at the wedding: "Mum helped me get ready, Robert walked me down the aisle, Chandler became my husband and together we lit a candle in Dad’s memory. We shared tears and smiles and love."
Irwin, who wore an A-line wedding dress with long lace sleeves, shared plenty of photos from the sentimental day, which included appearances from snakes, koalas and giraffes. The location was also of significance to the couple. Not only did they meet at the Australia Zoo six years prior, it's where Powell proposed in 2019.
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Cassidy Gifford and Ben Wierda
It was an intimate celebration for Cassidy Gifford and Ben Wierda. The daughter of former Today show host Kathie Lee Gifford wed her longtime love in a small June ceremony in Michigan. Though not many details of the private nuptials have been released, Kathie Lee shared a photo of herself during the wedding weekend. Sitting in a vintage tractor in an empty field, she wrote, "When the mother of the bride can’t contain her joy!!!"
The minimony was another step in the couple's long journey together. Kathie Lee revealed the two have known each other since Cassidy was 11 and Ben was 14. Despite keeping the details of their love story out of the public eye, Cassidy's mom revealed the news of their engagement on social media in 2019. "So thrilled to announce that my beautiful daughter, @cassidygiff is engaged to a wonderful man, Ben @letsgetwierda,” she captioned the photo. “I am beyond the moon and stars. Thank you, LORD!”
In a statement, the couple shared their plans to have a second wedding when it's safe to do so in 2021.
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Raven-Symoné and Miranda Pearman-Maday
Disney fans got a burst of nostalgia when Raven-Symoné announced her marriage on June 18. The former actress, who starred in hits like That's So Raven and The Cheetah Girls, wed business owner Miranda Pearman-Maday in a small backyard ceremony. "I got married to a woman who understands me from trigger to joy, from breakfast to midnight snack, from stage to home," the actress wrote on Instagram. "I love you Mrs. Pearman-Maday! Let’s tear this world a new asshole!!! I’s married NOW"
The small minimony was highly personalized. Not only was it hosted in Grey's Anatomy star Debbie Allen's garden, she also catered the food, which included oysters, lobster pasta, and a berry cake.
The couple both wore jumpsuits to the ceremony—Symoné's in black and Pearman-Maday's in white. In addition to their outfits, the newlyweds showed off matching tattoos on their ring fingers as well. "The outpouring of love and congratulations have filled our hearts immensely," Symoné wrote in another post. "Thank you to everyone!!!!"
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Dennis Quaid and Laura Savoie
In one of the most surprising celebrity weddings of 2020, actor Dennis Quaid quietly married girlfriend Laura Savoie on June 2. The private elopement, which took place at a seaside resort in Santa Barbara, California, came less than a year after the duo got engaged in October 2019.
The couple originally planned an April wedding in Hawaii, which was to be followed by a second reception for family and friends in Nashville. But after the pandemic altered their plans, the two said their vows in front of their pastor, who was the only witness.
"Just looking into her eyes, she was the most stunning bride," the actor told People of his wife, a doctoral student. "It was beautiful."
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Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Even royals have minimonies. In one of the most publicized celebrity weddings of 2020, Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor. The couple initially planned to wed at St. James's Palace with a garden reception at Buckingham Palace, which didn't come to fruition because of COVID-19. The small wedding had an exclusive guest list, with only close family members attending—including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip.
After Princess Beatrice got engaged to the British property developer in September 2019, their plans changed multiple times due to the pandemic. Despite this, the smaller ceremony was a whimsical day to remember. In addition to arranging several lavish floral arrangements around the chapel, the bride was also intentional with her style choices. She wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell and the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, both belonging to Queen Elizabeth. The tiara was even worn by her grandmother on her wedding day in 1947.
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Luke Combs and Nicole Hocking
They're "Better Together." On August 1, country singer Luke Combs married longtime fiancée Nicole Hocking at their home in Florida. The pair, who have been dating since 2016 and engaged since 2018, exchanged vows at an intimate, oceanside ceremony. "Yesterday was the most special day!!" Hocking wrote on Instagram. "I’m so happy to spend the rest of my life with you! Although we wish [we] could have had every single one of our family & friends there, we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone next year!"
Combs echoed similar thoughts in his own post. "Yesterday was the best day of my life," the CMA award-winner wrote. "I got to marry my best friend. I love you @nicocombs, here’s to forever."
The small celebrity wedding also appeared to be highly personalized. Hocking shared a glimpse of their cheeky wedding cake on social media: a beer-shaped confection with "Nicole & Beer Never Broke My Heart" printed on the front—a nod to Combs' 2019 hit "Beer Never Broke My Heart."
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Tove Lo and Charlie Twaddle
Swedish performer Tove Lo's small wedding was a celebration of love and all things retro. The "Talking Body" singer, whose real name is Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, married fiancé Charlie Twaddle in a small, secret ceremony. She announced the news on her Instagram Story first. The selfie, which showed off their wedding bands, was simply captioned, "Oops!"
The performer shared a few more peeks into the minimony, which took place in late July. Both opted for vintage outfits, with the bride wearing a high-neck wedding dress with a tiered skirt and oversized puffy sleeves. She accented her '80's-inspired look with a thin, sparkling crown. Twaddle wore a light blue suit with a ruffled shirt.
"WHAT!? I’m a wifey!!!" the singer wrote on Instagram. "I never thought I would get married but then I met you Charlie. Thank you for making me the happiest I’ve ever been. You’re my person." She concluded the caption with "Jag älskar dig!!!" which means "I love you" in Swedish.
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Sean Penn and Leila George
It was a whirlwind quarantine for actor Sean Penn and Leila George. The couple, who have dated on-and-off since 2016, reportedly struck up their romance again at the beginning of the pandemic. Self-quarantining together strengthened their relationship, and sources close to the couple say they got engaged shortly after. After rumors of a secret wedding began to swirl, Penn confirmed the news on an episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers on August 4.
"We did a COVID wedding," he explained to Meyers. "By that I mean it was a county commissioner on Zoom and we were at the house with my two children and her brother, and we did it that way." While the two haven't shared any photos from their minimony, it was reportedly a private affair attended by select family members.
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Marques Houston and Miya Dickey
You might remember Marques Houston from the beloved show Sister, Sister—and now, he's a married man. The former child star wed fiancée Miya Dickey in a lavish ceremony at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, California on Monday, August 24. The glam outdoor wedding was full of white accents, from a towering floral arch to large light-up letters. The couple both dressed in all white as well; Dickey wore a fitted Jomo Patterson dress with an illusion neckline and sheer sleeves, while Houston matched in a white Shaker suit.
According to People, recording artist MAJOR attended the ultra-private celebration to sing "Why I Love You," which is Dickey's favorite song. "I was so nervous that I was actually shaking, but everything felt perfect when I saw Miya walk down the aisle," the recording artist told the magazine. "I told her I wasn't going to cry, but I couldn't hold it in. I cried like a baby."
After meeting at a Jehovah's Witness convention in 2018, the pair got engaged in March 2019 after five months of dating. Following their minimony, the couple traveled to Santa Barbara, California for a domestic honeymoon.
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Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts
In an unexpected relationship and wedding announcement, actress Niecy Nash shared the news of her marriage to music producer Jessica Betts with a photo from their backyard wedding on August 31. The couple transformed their space with plenty of lush floral arrangements, as seen in the photos from the day. Nash also shared that COVID precautions were top of mind, noting that all guests received tests before the ceremony.
Nash wore a lace mermaid-style wedding dress for the minimony, while Betts opted for an ivory vested-suit with an olive tie. In another photo, the newlyweds showed off matching white Converse sneakers with rainbow color blocks on the soles.
The Selma actress opened up about the surprise wedding to People, saying it wasn't a coming out moment—but rather, coming into herself. "[My marriage] has absolutely nothing to do with gender and it has everything to do with her soul," she said. "She is the most beautiful soul I have ever met in my life." Nash, who divorced her second husband Jay Tucker in March, was also previously married to Don Nash. "I was not suppressing my sexuality my whole life, she continued. "I love who I love. At one point in my life, I married twice and I love those people. And today I love this person. I've done everything I wanted to do on my own terms and my own way. So my choice now in a partner has nothing to do with who I've always been. It's a matter of who I am in this moment."
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Cody Gifford and Erika Brown
It was a busy summer for the Giffords. Shortly after his sister Cassidy got married in a backyard ceremony, Cody Gifford married Erika Brown over Labor Day Weekend. Kathie Lee Gifford shared one of the first photos from the romantic celebration on instagram, writing, "God gave us a glorious day to celebrate this glorious couple. So grateful."
Brown shared another photo with her husband writing simply, "Happily Ever After." Ever the proud mother, Gifford commented, "Cody married!! Cassidy married! I am the happiest mama in the world!"
The pair have been together since 2013. After getting engaged over Mother's Day Weekend in 2019, Kathie Lee opened up about the proposal on social media, saying, "My son is engaged and I couldn’t be happier for him."
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Shane Burcaw and Hannah Aylward
Shane Burcaw and Hannah Aylward have documented their interabled relationship on YouTube for years. In 2019, Burcaw, who has a genetic disorder called spinal muscular atrophy, even published a book titled "Strangers Assume My Girlfriend is My Nurse." Now, she's officially his wife. The longtime couple wed in a small backyard ceremony in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
"On Friday, September 4th, I married the love of my life," Aylward wrote on Instagram. "It wasn’t the big gathering we had always planned on having, but it was perfect." The private ceremony was conducted via a Zoom officiant, and the newlyweds plan to have a second celebration with loved ones. "Shane and I can’t wait to celebrate with our families in person when it’s safe, but for now, we’re husband and wife!!!!" she added. "And that’s the most important part. I’m incredibly lucky to now be married to the greatest guy I know." Added Burcaw: "What Made Me Smile This Week? I married my best friend… Certainly not the wedding we originally imagined, but it was a beautiful moment filled with the most important thing: our love for each other."
The duo also shared an in-depth look at their wedding on their YouTube channel, Squirmy and Grubs.
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David Harbour and Lily Allen
What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas. On September 8, Stranger Things actor David Harbour married singer Lily Allen in an intimate ceremony at Graceland Wedding Chapel, one of the most popular elopement spots in Nevada. The small celebrity wedding, which was officiated by an Elvis impersonator, was followed with a California staple: dinner at In-N-Out Burger. "In a wedding officiated by the king himself, the people’s princess wed her devoted, low born, but kind credit card holder in a beautiful ceremony lit by the ashen skies courtesy of a burning state miles away in the midst of a global pandemic," Harbour wrote on Instagram. "Refreshments were served at a small reception following."
Allen wore a chic Christian Dior mini dress for her small ceremony. The bateau-neckline frock had a belted waist and velvet buttons on the front, which she accessorized with a veil and velvet black heels.
Though the two never publicly confirmed their engagement, Allen teased fans with photos of her engagement ring in early 2020. The two have been linked since October 2019.
