Happily Ever After: See All of the Celebrity Weddings of 2021
Celeb couples' wedding plans have changed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but their love is as strong as ever
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Jeannie Mai & Jeezy
One year after getting engaged, the Real co-host and the "Soul Survivor" rapper tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at their home in Atlanta on March 27, according to Vogue.
While the COVID-19 pandemic spoiled their original plan to get married overseas, Mai told the fashion magazine that they still wanted to have a small ceremony with loved ones to celebrate the moment.
The couple said they provided COVID-19 tests for everyone in attendance.
"We were really looking forward to having all of our friends and family there to celebrate," she said. "But we had to change all of our wedding plans due to COVID. After Jeezy's mother unexpectedly passed, we quickly learned that life is too short. And at the end of the day, Jeezy and I really just wanted to become husband and wife."
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Jed Duggar & Katey Nakatsu
The Duggar family has gained a new member! 22-year-old Jedidiah "Jed" Duggar quietly wed Katey Nakatsu on April 3 after courting her over the past year.Ā
"The couple was married in a private ceremony Saturday with family and close friends in attendance," a rep for the family told PEOPLE. "It was a beautiful ceremony and the entire family is so happy for them."
The aspiring politician announced the news on Instagram, sharing a sweet tribute to his new bride.
"For a long time I have prayed for my future spouse, not knowing who that person would be. God answered my prayers far beyond what I could have ever imagined in Katey," he wrote alongside a photo of the couple on their wedding day. "We have enjoyed quietly developing our relationship over the past year and every moment together has been amazing!"Ā
"I'm so grateful God brought Katey into my life and excited to share with you all that today she became my wife," he continued. "Katey, the thought of sharing the rest of my life with you makes me the happiest man in the world! I love you so much! #happilyeverafter."
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Jenna Compono & Zach Nichols
The Challenge stars Compono and Nichols are married! The two tied the knot in a private, "mini" ceremony on March 13 in Michigan.
The couple, who got engaged in 2019 and areĀ expecting their first child together, decided to move forward with an intimate ceremony after having toĀ postpone their weddingĀ due to COVID-19.
"Our plan was to get married in February and have a baby immediately after. Due to COVID and having to reschedule our wedding to a year away, we decided to do things backward," Compono told PEOPLE exclusively. "Realistically, we don't know how the world is going to be next year, so our wedding isn't even promised. We didn't want to put our life on hold any longer for something that isn't promised."
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Erin Lim & Joshua Rhodes
The E! host quietly married fiancé Rhodes in a private wedding ceremony earlier this year, she told E! News. The two exchanged vows on Jan. 21, just four months after Rhodes popped the question.
"We decided around the holiday that because ofĀ COVIDĀ we wanted to have a small, intimate wedding with just our family. We wanted to keep it small. And what better way to start out the New Year?"Ā The RundownĀ host told E! News. "We decided to get married in my parents' backyard. Joshua's dad actually married us, so it was really, really special."
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Jake Hoot & Brittney Hoyt
The singer ā who won season 17 of the NBC singing competition series with coachĀ Kelly Clarkson in 2019 ā and Hoyt tied the knot at Saddle Woods FarmĀ in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Sunday, March 7.
Hoyt, a labor and delivery nurse who also runs the nonprofit The Radiant Initiative, told PEOPLE that Saddle Woods was her "dream venue." Her close friend Jacelyn, the owner of Crown and Veil Design, did all of the décor and brought the wedding to life.
Ahead of the ceremony, Hoyt and Hoot prayed together. Then to kick things off, the couple had their friend Brian Nhira lead worship to "bring the focus back to the faithfulness of the Lord."
The couple said it was "very important" to them that they wrote their own vows to each other. In addition, they each wrote vows to Hoot's 5-year-old daughter Macy (whom he shares with ex-wife Jessica Lynn Steele).
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Cassie Zebisch & James Schienle
The publicist, who isĀ lifelong best friendsĀ withĀ Christina on the CoastĀ star Christina Haack (formerly Anstead) and hasĀ made cameos on her HGTV shows over the years, said "I do" on March 6 at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California.
The outdoor ceremony took place under a five-story, 100-year-old oak tree in front of close friends and family.Ā Pastor and celebrity life coach Tim StoreyĀ officiated.
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Nicolas Cage & Riko Shibata
Surprise! In early March, the actor told PEOPLE he wed Riko Shibata the month prior in a "very small and intimate wedding" at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas.
"It's true, and we are very happy," Cage said in a statement to PEOPLE.
"The date [Feb. 16] was chosen to honor the birthday of the groom's late father," Cage's rep told PEOPLE. "The bride wore a handmade Japanese Bridal Kimono from Kyoto that required three layers."
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Dina Nesheiwat & Roger Raley
On Feb. 27, Scott Stapp's sister-in-law, his wife Jaclyn's sister Nesheiwat, married Raley in Lexington, Kentucky, at Cathedral of Christ the King. The socially distanced, COVID-cautious reception was held at The Kentucky Castle.
The pair met in August 2009 at LaGuardia Airport in N.Y.C. when Nesheiwat, an attorney, was in her final year of law school. They managed to stay in touch for 10 years, reconnecting in Nashville ahead of the pandemic.Ā
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Justin Duggar & Claire Spivey
TheĀ Counting OnĀ star and Spivey tied the knot on Feb. 26, the couple announced on Instagram.
Both Justin and Spivey shared a photo from their special day, alongside the caption, "2.26.21 š."
"There is no greater joy than marrying your best friend," the couple said in a statement to PEOPLE. "We are thankful for the prayers and support so many have shown us through our engagement and look forward to this new chapter of our lives together as husband and wife."
The couple's wedding comes three months after Justin announced in November 2020 that he and Spivey were engaged. He started courting her after the pair met in the spring of 2019.
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Kat Luna & Alex Garrido
American Idol alumni Luna and GarridoĀ are married!Ā
The contestants, who auditioned as a duo last season, tied the knot on Jan. 15 in an intimate wedding at Cactus Creek Barn in Dickson, Tennessee, PEOPLE exclusively revealed.Ā
Although the couple did "significantly" reduce their guest list, keeping their nuptials small was always part of the plan.Ā Ā
"Everyone's safety at our wedding is extremely important to us. We want everyone to have a great time celebrating this amazing day all while being safe," Luna explained, noting that everyone in attendance "played a significant role in our lives both individually and together."
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Jennifer Wayne & Austin Moody
"We Were Rich" singer Wayne ā one-third of the band Runaway June ā and singer-songwriter Moody tied the knot in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, on Jan. 9, less than two weeks after their engagement.
Due to theĀ coronavirus pandemic, Wayne and Moody opted to have a "very small" wedding ceremony on the beach with less than 20 guests, inviting only their immediate family and best friends. In early 2020, Wayne went through her own battleĀ with COVID-19.
"We are taking COVID very seriously and have requested that all of the guests receive a recent COVID test before attending," the couple told PEOPLE ahead of their big day. "We are having the ceremony outdoors with plenty of room to social distance."
When the pandemic calms down, Wayne said they want to have "a big party in Nashville" to celebrate with all of their friends and family.
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Alexander Ludwig & Lauren Dear
On Jan. 3, the Vikings star announced on Instagram that he and fiancƩe Dear had eloped on top of a Utah mountain just one month after their engagement. Their pet dog, Yam, acted as their witness.
"My wife, my best friend, the future mother of my children, my everything," Ludwig wrote,Ā sharing a photo of the couple in their wedding attireĀ at The Lodge at Blue Sky's private mountain retreat, just outside of Salt Lake City.
"We decided to elope. It has been such a crazy year but it certainly put things into perspective. Life is too short And I didn't want to spend another day without calling this beautiful woman my wife," the actor continued. "Of course when things settle down we will have a proper celebration with our friends and family but for now- the love of my life, our dog yam, a yurt on a mountain top in the middle of nowhere sounded like the perfect beginning."
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Pamela Anderson & Dan Hayhurst
AndersonĀ married her bodyguardĀ Hayhurst just before the new year, PEOPLE confirmed.
TheĀ BaywatchĀ actress tied the knot on Christmas Eve in an intimate ceremony on the grounds of her Canadian home, according to theĀ DailyMail.
"I'm exactly where I need to beāin the arms of a man who truly loves me," Anderson told the outlet.
TheĀ PlayboyĀ model said the two had married on "on the property I bought from my grandparents 25 years ago," adding, "This is where my parents were married and they are still together. I feel like I've come full circle."
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Kirby Bumpus & Virgil Miller
Gayle King announced the news of her daughter Bumpus' marriage to Miller on CBS This Morning on Feb. 1. She said she's been waiting to share the news since December, when the happy couple tied the knot.
The broadcast journalist said she is "over the moon" for her daughter, whoĀ got engagedĀ to Miller in February 2019.
"Kirby really is so happy, and nothing beats when your children are happy," she toldĀ Oprah Magazine, where she is the editor-at large.
King said that because of restrictions in place due to theĀ novel coronavirus pandemic, the family wasn't sure at first how the ceremony would happen. Luckily, Kirby's godmotherĀ Oprah WinfreyĀ opened up her Santa Barbara home for the occasion, King told the magazine.