Weddings are known to cost a lot, but with millions of dollars to their name, many fans expect celebrities to go all-out when it comes to their nuptials. But not every celebrity wants a lavish ceremony, especially when it means the paparazzi will be hot on their heels. The following celebrities decided to forgo a big wedding and eloped instead.
18 Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez
After calling off their wedding nearly two decades ago, Ben and J.Lo tied the knot in an intimate Las Vegas ceremony in July 2022. They later followed it up with an elaborate ceremony held at Ben’s Georgia estate.
17 Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner
Joe and Sophie revealed on social media they had eloped in a Las Vegas ceremony following the 2019 Billboard Awards. The wedding seemed impromptu, but several famous faces were in attendance (including Diplo). The couple later celebrated with friends and family with a lavish Parisian wedding months later.
16 Britney Spears & Jason Alexander
Britney’s first marriage was short-lived, but a whirlwind, nonetheless. The singer married her childhood sweetheart in a Las Vegas ceremony in 2004, only for it to be annulled by her team within days. Britney went on to marry back-up dancer Kevin Federline later that year.
15 Emily Ratajkowski & Sebastian Bear-McClard
The couple eloped at a New York courthouse in 2018 only weeks after they started dating. They welcomed a son in 2021, but the couple divorced in September 2022 amid reports that Sebastian was unfaithful to his supermodel wife.
14 Travis Barker & Kourtney Kardashian
The pair held an unofficial wedding ceremony in Las Vegas months before they actually tied the knot in May. The following month, they headed to Italy with friends and family to celebrate their nuptials in a lavish weekend celebration.
13 Demi Moore & Bruce Willis
Bruce and Demi had only been dating for 3 months when they eloped in a Las Vegas hotel suite in 1987. The pair welcomed three daughters during their marriage, but divorced in 2000.
12 Dax Shepard & Kristen Bell
After a years-long engagement, Dax and Kristen finally sealed the deal by eloping in 2013. “We got married in a tiny room in the Beverly Hills courthouse and it was still one of the best days of my life,” Dax once recalled. The couple is still together to this day, and share two daughters.
11 Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon
This couple was only dating for a few weeks when they decided to elope in the Bahamas. They were married from 2008 to 2016, and welcomed a set of twins during that time. However, Nick has gone on to have 10 more kids with multiple women since their marriage ended.
10 Kim Kardashian & Damon Thomas
Kim’s first marriage was low-key compared to her next two. When she married Damon Thomas, a music executive, at the age of 19, the couple simply eloped in Las Vegas. They were married from 2000 to 2004, with Kim later alleging that he was abusive towards her.
9 Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin
The couple weren’t together for long before they eloped in California in 2003. Their union produced two kids and lasted over a decade before Gwyneth and Chris divorced in 2015.
8 Brian Austin Green & Megan Fox
This couple’s 2010 nuptials seemed very impromptu. After a brief engagement, they traveled to Hawaii and married on the beach with only Austin’s 8-year-old son with them. Though they divorced in 2021, Brian and Megan share three sons.
7 Cardi B & Offset
Cardi B and Offset were married for nearly a year before the news was revealed to the public. They reportedly eloped in their bedroom in a secret September 2017 ceremony. Cardi’s cousin was the only witness. The pair now share two kids.
6 Ryan Reynolds & Scarlett Johansson
Ryan and Scarlett had an intimate wedding ceremony at a Vancouver, B.C. wilderness retreat in front of only a few witnesses in 2008. Their marriage only lasted until 2010, however. They’ve gone on to marry other people since.
5 Tom Brady & Gisele Bundchen
The couple reportedly only took 10 days to plan their Santa Monica church wedding in 2009, which featured on 20 guests. They later had a more elaborate ceremony for friends and family. Sadly, Tom and Gisele divorced after over a decade of marriage in September 2022.
4 Mark Conseulos & Kelly Ripa
After meeting while filming All My Children, Mark and Kelly eloped in a Las Vegas ceremony in 1996. The couple have said they have no regrets about their quick wedding– they’re still together and now share three kids.
3 Lily Allen & David Harbour
After COVID-19 derailed their plans for a bigger wedding, Lily and David decided to tie the knot by eloping in Las Vegas in September 2020.
2 Billy Bob Thornton & Angelina Jolie
Billy Bob was engaged to Laura Dern when he met Angelina Jolie on the set of 1999’s Pushing Tin. Nevertheless, the couple married in Las Vegas within two months. By 2002, the couple divorced, and Angelina started a relationship with Brad Pitt only a few years later.
1 Cash Warren & Jessica Alba
Jessica was nine months pregnant with their first child when they eloped on a whim in 2008. The couple is still together, and have since welcomed two more kids.