2019 was the year love shined bright, and we’ve got the celebrity wedding photos to prove it.
Whether they pulled out all the stops like Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre did with their three-day wedding extravaganza in Morocco or kept it simple and spontaneous like Lena Waithe and Alana Mayo’s courthouse ceremony, it seems cupid was working overtime this year. There was certainly no shortage of flowers, cake, good vibes, and love to last a lifetime.
Scroll through the gallery to see the celebrity nuptials we couldn’t stop talking about.
01
Chance The Rapper and Kirsten Corley
The childhood sweethearts became husband and wife in March 2019. The gorgeous wedding took place at Pelican Hill resort in Newport Beach, California. Their star-studded guest list included Kanye West, Dave Chappelle and Kirk Franklin.
02
Chance The Rapper and Kirsten Corley
The same year they said “I do,” the Bennetts welcomed their second child – a girl named Marley. Chance, an avid family man, even canceled his 2020 tour to enjoy his growing family.
03
Cassie and Alex Fine
What a difference a year makes! Singer Cassie and celebrity trainer Alex Fine tied the knot in an intimate ceremony attended by 14 of the couple’s closest family and friends.
04
Cassie and Alex Fine
The happy couple made their relationship Instagram official earlier this year, four months after the singer’s public split from music mogul Diddy. Since then they’ve kept their fans informed via Instagram as their love story grew. This month, the Fines welcomed a baby girl named Frankie.
05
Lena Waithe and Alana Mayo
On November 15, Lena Waithe surprised us all by revealing she is now a married woman. The Queen & Slim writer spilled the beans during a segment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (guest hosted by John Legend) that she and fiancée Alana Mayo quietly tied the knot at a San Francisco courthouse.
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Lena Waithe and Alana Mayo
The location of their spontaneous wedding holds significance. “We went to San Francisco. We went to the courthouse. Got married right in front of [LGBTQ acitivist] Harvey Milk’s bust. It was her idea, as all good things are,” Waithe explained. “She was just driving and she saw the courthouse and she said, ‘We should get married there.’ And I said, ‘Cool, I’m down.’”
07
Zoë Kravitz and Karl Glusman
Zoë Kravitz, ‘Big Little Lies’ actress and daughter of musician and actor Lenny Kravitz, and actor husband Karl Glusman, made it official in June with their private wedding ceremony.
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Zoë Kravitz and Karl Glusman
The couple first wed in a courthouse, then followed with a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony held in her father’s three-story, eight-bedroom apartment in Paris. No official wedding photos were shared, but Mr. Kravitz did share some glimpse’s from the rehearsal dinner on Instagram.
09
Mrs. and Mrs. Mike Epps
Congratulations are in order for Mike Epps and Kyra Epps. The newlyweds said “I Do” in a June ceremony out in Newport Beach. During a segment on The View, Mike Epps said that he cried out of “joy” during the ceremony.
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Mike and Kyra Epps
The lovebirds, who shared exclusive wedding photos with ESSENCE, are now expecting their second child together.
11
Mo McRae and Lex Scott Davis
Actors Mo McRae and Lex Scott Davis, who wed on July 21st, looked stunning in their wedding portrait.
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Mo McRae and Lex Scott Davis
Mr. and Mrs. McRae told ESSENCE they are still on cloud nine reminiscing about the magic of their wedding day. “It was like a dream,” recalls Davis. “I remember we woke up the next morning, and it felt like we lived a real fairy tale.”
13
Jemele Hill and Ian Wallace
Sports journalist Jemele Hill and husband Ian Wallace paid homage to their Detroit roots with their “MSU to I Do” themed wedding in Los Angeles. ESSENCE got exclusive details on the sports journalist and her hubby’s epic bash.
14
Jemele Hill and Ian Wallace
Hill and Wallace originally met while attending Michigan State University. They were together for almost four years before becoming engaged in 2018.
15
Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre
There was nothing basic about Sabrina Dhowre and Idris Elba’s extravagant three-day wedding ceremony in Morocco, which landed them a cover with British Vogue.
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16
Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre
The couple, who met on the set of The Mountain Between Us in 2017, chose to spend their honeymoon in the stunning Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
17
JoJo Simmons and Tanice Amira
JoJo Simmons, the eldest son of Rev Run, and his longtime girlfriend Tanice Amira tied the knot in a lavish New Jersey ceremont at the opulent Legacy Castle.
18
Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty
In a short Instagram video, the “Megatron” rapper showed off some matching “Mr. and Mrs.” mugs and baseball caps that read “Bride” and “Groom.” Keeping it short and sweet, Minaj confirmed her marriage to childhood sweetheart Kenneth Petty with the caption, “Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty 10•21•19.”
19
Nicki Minaj and Kanneth Petty
In a January 2019 tweet, Minaj spoke of their pre-fame relationship history, saying: “We were like this about each other since we were very young kids in the hood. He was on my body b4 the big ol’ ghetto booty.”
20
Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo
Lindsay, the first Black woman to star ABC’s hit reality series The Bachelorette, married her hubby, winning contestant Bryan Abasolo, in an August 2019 ceremony in Mexico. The tropical location was the perfect middle ground for the couple, who had family flying in from Colombia, Texas and Florida.
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Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo
“It went by so fast,” Rachel said of her big day. “But our wedding was about us. It was about the life we built together outside of [The Bachelorette]. And we stayed true to who we are. No red roses!”
22
Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson
According to reports, Queen & Slim actress and ESSENCE’s November 2019 cover star Jodie Turner-Smith and Dawson’s Creek actor Joshua Jackson recently became husband and wife.
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Jodie Turner-Smith and Joshua Jackson
The couple keeps a relatively low profile in the public eye, but word is they’re also expecting their first child together. Awww!
24
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Lauren Hashian
The actor and his longtime girlfriend made it official this past August, exchanging vows in a picturesque Hawaiian wedding ceremony.
25
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Lauren Hashian
The couple first met in 2006 while Johnson was filming ‘The Game Plan’ They share two daughters: Jasmine and Tiana.
26
Leona Lewis and Dennis Jauch
The “Bleeding Love” singer tied the knot with her beau in a Florence, Italy vineyard in front 200 family and friends.
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Leona Lewis and Dennis Jauch
The bride shone brightly in a full-length tulle gown before changing into a gorgeous beaded blush dress for the reception and a blinged-out jumpsuit for the afterparty.
28
Tamron Hall and Steven Greener
Tamron Hall shook up the internet back in March by announcing that, in addition to her long awaited return to daytime TV, she is expecting her first child with her new husband Steven Greener!
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Tamron Hall and Steven Greener
“I’ve known him for many years. We would run into each other, and he’s shy, so I wasn’t clear that he was hitting on me exactly. I thought he was just being friendly,” Hall told People. “When we finally started dating, I could see him clearly.”
