No champagne, no exotic flowers, no wedding napkinsand no caterer to book. To many stressed out brides, this may sound like a dream come true, but for Hollywood it's a surprisingly minimalist wedding. Yet it's exactly what was held for actress Kate Winslet and her long-time sweetie, Ned Rock'nroll .
Keeping It Modest
The wedding was a tiny ceremony, only one step away from an elopement. Neither Kate's nor Ned's parents attended the ceremony – in fact, neither set of parents even knew about it – but a few friends and loved ones were present, including Kate's two children from prior marriages. Kate's close friend and former Titanic co-star Leonardo DiCaprio was on hand to give the bride away, according to her publicist.
The Story of Kate and Ned
Kate and Ned's relationship has never been a secret. They've been dating for over a year, and moved in together in a home in the UK in September 2012. So why the sudden secrecy for their wedding? What at first may seem like a hasty Vegas-style mistake or an attempt to run from the spotlight could have more to do with caution on Kate's part after a history of very painful relationships.
Kate has been married twice before, both ending in divorce. Kate's first husband was fellow actor Jim Threapleton and her second hubby was director Sam Mendes. Each of the marriages resulted in one child, and both breakups were highly publicized. Another one of Kate's exes, whom she dated for over four years but never married, passed away of bone cancer in 1997, causing Kate to miss the Titanic premiere.
With a history like that, Kate may have had enough experience with heartbreak and loss to not want to put her personal life on public display. While we're by no means privy to the inner workings of a starlet's heart, Ned himself has a storied history. His birth name is Abel Smith, which he legally changed to Ned Rock'nroll for reasons that have never been made clear, but presumably don't involve running from his family, which owns the Virgin empire. Ned works in the family business as – seriously – the head of promotion and “astronaut experience” for the company's space travel business. He's been married once before, to socialite Eliza Pearson.
Will the current marriage hold out longer than those in the star-eyed couples' past? There's no way to know, but their minimalist ceremony seems to draw the curtains against outside judgment. It's a far cry from the wedding napkins of Kate's past or the shamanic hand fasting of Ned's first marriage. All we really know is that, after a history of troubled romance, Kate's new commitment represents either a tremendous faith in her and Ned, or a great deal of bravery. And really? It's probably both.
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John Shelton enjoys writing about the latest celebrity news and gossip.
