The recent nuptials of Selena Gomez and Charli xcx have set the scene for a new class of celebrity weddings. While some A-list unions lean towards the overblown and trashy (a certain three-day occasion in Venice springs to mind…), some manage to strike the perfect balance between being inspiring and vicariously enjoyable.
It’s hard not to smile at the sight of Adele singing along to Pink Pony Club at Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s wedding reception, or Matty Healy crowd surfing at Charli xcx and George Daniel’s second Sicilian matrimony. Celebrities, they’re just like us!
Even with a fraction of the budget and an entirely unfamous guest list, there’s a lot to be learned from a good celebrity wedding. Here are the new rules for 2025.
Do your photo dump days after the fact
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco married on September 27, 2025
@selenagomez
To avoid the prying eyes of the media and the upset of insulted non-invitees, don’t let anyone know where you are or what the wedding looked like until at least two days after the fact. That includes delayed Instagram Stories and radio silence on socials. It also helps to reinforce just how much of a good time you’re having. Real parties take days to recover from.
Trays of cigarettes are back
Of course, trays of cigarettes as favours at weddings have been around for a long time, especially in China, where they became a popular custom in the 1980s. And let’s not forget the “cigarette girls” of the 1950s, who were tasked with bringing trays of cigarettes to waiting guests at parties, until they were replaced by the much less fun but probably considerably more progressive vending machines in the 1950s.
Cigarettes at Charli xcx’s wedding to George Daniel
However, cigarettes at celebrity weddings really started booming after they were widely reported to be a feature at the wedding of The Row co-founder Mary-Kate Olsen to French banker Oliver Sarkozy in 2015. Much like everything else the Olsens do, the mainstream is only just catching on 10 years later, hence their presence at both of Charli xcx’s weddings.
Open decks for the ultra-famous crowd
Crucially, this shouldn’t be planned. All A-list weddings these days have a good off-the-cuff performance by a celebrity friend who’s a little drunk and a lot talented. A recent wedding went viral on TikTok with a series of very famous DJ guests at the nuptials doing an impromptu set on the decks, including Sammy Virji, Oppidan and Windowkid, all hopping on the decks at a friend’s wedding. Matty Healy did the same for Charli xcx’s Sicilian celebrations, while Yung Lean offered a debauched performance of I Wanna Be Your Dog.
Naked dress for the reception
While it used to be typical to slip into something a little shorter for a wedding reception, naked dressing has now taken centre stage. Selena Gomez went from silk to mesh for the later portion of her celebrations, while Abby Champion went from a boatneck ivory gown to a sheer organza maxi dress during her wedding to Patrick Schwarzenegger.
Abby Champion and Patrick Schwarzenegger at their wedding reception in September
@abbychampion
Charli xcx took afterparty naked dressing to the max, changing from her Danielle Frankel dress into a black Alexander McQueen push-up bra and white Vivienne Westwood skirt. However we’d advise only attempting this final look if you are also, somehow, Charli xcx.
The hotshot photographer must also be your friend
And ideally have directed one of your music videos. Petra Collins, the cult photographer who directed the video for Selena Gomez’s song Fetish, lensed her wedding this weekend, while Guess music video director Aidan Zamiri was Charli’s wedding photographer. This helps to tap into the true spirit of the occasion as it’ll be seen through a friend’s eyes, without compromising the oozing coolness of the guest list. Preferable formats: a 2000’s digital camera with flash, film for daytime, and candid iPhone shots.
Destination wedding, but only if it’s kept a secret
Chic celebs seem to be favouring weddings on home soil these days, but there is one exception: you may have a destination wedding, but only if it’s kept a secret. Take Charli’s second nuptials in Scopello, Sicily. Everyone knew the pop diva would be going for a second round of wedding celebrations on the Mediterranean Island, but no one knew the exact location until after her festivities, because it was kept private and neither her, George Daniel or the guests gave the game away. Chic.
We can likely expect the same from Dua Lipa and her beau Callum Turner, who are predicted to get married somewhere ultra-specific in Albania, Lipa’s home country and favourite holiday destination. This kind of intimate affair is the exact opposite of locking off half of a major tourist city to host your excessive mega-wedding (read: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s multi-day business convention in Venice).
