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Celebrity Castle Weddings

Kristin Luna

Crown jewels not included

When your average, everyday bride-to-be begins planning her big day, one of the first things she must decide upon is a venue. Does she opt for a church? A remote beach? A vineyard in Napa Valley? If she's a celebrity, it's a no-brainer. She "settles" on her fairytale wedding, with a Cinderella castle to complete the effect.

Ever since the turn of the century—and the birth of a new wave of celebrity-obsessed pop culture—actors, models, musicians and their famous counterparts have began to go above and beyond their previous, already sumptuous affairs to hold weddings fit for a king and queen, literally.

Some experts attribute this surge in castle popularity to a select handful of stars raising the bar high for celebrity couples in decades to come.

"The trend really started with the new millennium as high-profile stars with ties to England, Ireland and Scotland began choosing lavishly-restored castles as the site of the vows," says Donna Heiderstadt, travel editor at Modern Bride magazine.

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"The first few high-profile couples who wed in castles were David and Victoria Beckham (pictured above) in Luttrellstown Castle in 1999, Madonna and Guy Ritchie at Skibo Castle in 2000, Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith at Ashford Castle in 2001, and Paul McCartney and Heather Mills at Castle Leslie in 2002. This paved the way for American celebrities who were looking for a show-stopping setting for their own nuptials."

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes chose the romantic , ivy-clad 15th-century Castle Orsini-Odescalchi, which lords over Italy's volcanic Lake Bracciano like a brooding fortress, for their nuptials. Also going Italian were Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster, who wed at the Villa Durazzo.

Castles hold appeal for multiple reasons, Heiderstadt believes. They make an experience many people simply cannot afford come to life and, among other things, allow for a more intimate setting, far from the prying eyes of the public and, even worse, the paparazzi.

"The major appeal is twofold: Castles not only provide the ultimate opulent setting fit for royalty (and celebrities are, after all, Hollywood's royalty), but they are also ultra-private," Heiderstadt says. "They generally are secluded in the countryside, have good security and, unlike at a beach resort, a star can take over a castle and ensure that their guests are the only ones on the property."

Celebrity wedding planner and author of "The Wedding Book," Mindy Weiss, agrees that seclusion is a key factor when choosing a venue. No bride wants to worry that the morning of her wedding is going to be spent fending off photographers and pesky reporters.

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"I think the big appeal really has to do with privacy," Weiss says. "Most castles are behind gates and walls, and well off of the beaten path. Not to mention, these castles are very ornate and beautiful, too."

Finding somewhere far from the madding crowd that meets one's laundry list of demands is not always the easiest thing to do, which is precisely why many celebrities tend to settle on castles in the British Isles, where expanses of remote wilderness and uninhabited land can be found. Of course, then one must worry about how to transport the guests to such an out-of-the-way destination.

"Remoteness may be a hindrance for many brides, but for celebrities it's a plus for keeping the paparazzi at bay," says Heiderstadt. "Besides, celebrities have the means to get family members to the locale, and most of their guests are other celebrities who can also handle the cost of transport."

Weiss, who planned and oversaw actress Eva Longoria's wedding in France, among many other celebrity affairs, says oftentimes it's a matter of the old cliché, "love at first sight." Longoria and husband Tony Parker, for example, knew Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte was the right spot for their celebration the moment they set eyes upon the grand castle in rural France.

"They fell in love with it when they saw it. It is the most beautiful, romantic place to be married," Weiss says. "The castle is so private and different from anything else. Plus, [Parker] is French."

But not every celebrity is as easy to please as the "Desperate" housewife and her basketball-playing sweetheart. In the case of Longoria and Parker, the two already had somewhere in mind when they hired Weiss to put it all together. "It all depends on the client… With Eva and Tony, they knew where they wanted to get married, and I just helped facilitate it."

Heiderstadt thinks that when it comes down to it, every bride—celebrity or not—will decide upon a site for a wedding that holds some meaning to her and her future husband (or wife).

"[B]rides are brides, no matter what their celebrity status, and most brides want to be married in a place they feel is not only beautiful and exclusive but reflects who they are as a person," she says. "Many couples also choose a place because it is important to them. They feel an affinity for the country or region, either by birth or having visited before and loved it."