She made no secret of her heartache last year when the global pandemic forced LA-based Courteney Cox to be apart from her boyfriend Johnny McDaid, who was stuck in the UK for nine months.
Speaking in May, just two months into her physical separation from Snow Patrol rocker Johnny, Courteney Cox, 56, said, “I just miss his physical touch – just all of it.” The couple have since reunited and are now living together again in LA, and insiders say Courteney and Johnny have vowed not to waste another moment and are considering tying the knot in a secret low-key ceremony in March.
The source says, “The lengthy time apart was agonising for both Courteney and Johnny, and the pandemic shook them into biting the bullet and not wanting to wait any longer to marry.
“It may be a shock to everyone else, but the pandemic has made them realise that they want to cement things and marry as soon as they can – even if they have to forfeit not having everyone they want to attend.”
The current regulations in LA approve small outdoor gatherings, as long as everyone adheres to social-distancing regulations of staying 6ft apart and wearing a face mask.
Check out: celebs lead the low-key wedding trend
Before the pandemic, the average cost of a wedding hovered around £15k. But with current restrictions allowing just six people to attend nuptials in the UK at a COVID-secure venue, couples are shunning the fanfare and opting for a low-key do instead. Online statistics in 2020 showed shifting demands, with internet searches for ‘simple wedding’ up 272 per cent and ‘elopement’ spiking by 73 per cent. These celebrities show us how to do it in style…
Celebrity low-key weddings
1 of 3Lily Allen's Vegas Chapel
Singer Lily Allen, 35, and Stranger Things actor David Harbour, 45, surprised everyone when they announced their low-key Las Vegas wedding in September via Instagram. Mid-pandemic but still able to travel, the couple were married by an Elvis impersonator at a little wedding chapel in Vegas, and the only guests invited were Lily's two daughters, Ethel, nine, and Marnie, eight, from her previous marriage to Sam Cooper. Afterwards, the newlyweds held their reception at an In-N-Out Burger, with Lily feasting on a burger in her vintage Dior wedding dress. Speaking about the wedding, Lily said, "We didn't plan to announce it to anyone, it was meant to be a private affair."
2 of 3Laura Whitmore's Love Ireland
Love Island came to Dublin when the show's hosts, Laura Whitmore, 35, and Iain Stirling, 33, secretly tied the knot in mid-November. The TV couple got married in a small ceremony at Dublin City Hall in front of 25 guests and Laura's dog, Mick. Laura only announced the news of their big day on 1 January via Instagram. Acknowledging that the couple kept their wedding private, Laura said, "A year ago Iain asked me to marry him and we had the most magical, perfect ceremony. We loved having it to ourselves." The couple are expecting their first baby early this year.
3 of 3Proudlock's Chelsea Bash
Made In Chelsea star Oliver Proudlock, 32, recently confirmed that he had tied the knot with model Emma Louise Connolly, 29, in a secret ceremony back in December. The couple were originally meant to say "I do" at Cowdray Park in front of 200 guests in April last year, but were forced to postpone four times due to the pandemic. Instead, Proudlock and Emma Louise went ahead with a low-key wedding on 15 December, saying their vows in front of 15 guests at St Albans Church in Fulham, southwest London, and celebrating with a small reception at members club The Ned, as it was before stricter restrictions were announced on 16 December. Proudlock and Emma Louise shared loved-up shots of their nuptials on their Instagram pages, captioned "Love wins!".
And sources reveal that Courteney’s best pal, Jennifer Aniston, 51, has stepped in to put the wheels in motion for her former co-star’s big day. The two women have been close for decades since their meteoric rise to fame in the hit TV show Friends.
The source reveals, “Courteney had always intended for Jen to be her maid of honor. But as Jen can’t plan her a bridal shower because of the social-distancing measures, she’s gifted her a trusted event planner, Colin Cowie, to make her dream day a beautiful but intimate celebration.”
Jennifer – whose first marriage to Brad Pitt ended in 2005 – also opted for a low-key affair for her second wedding. In 2015, she married Justin Theroux at their Bel Air home in front of just a handful of guests, with Courteney as maid of honour.
And pals say Courteney – who had reportedly at one stage been planning to tie the knot in the guitarist’s hometown of Derry in Northern Ireland – is keen to replicate a similar event for her own second wedding.
The source adds, “Courteney wants to get married at her Malibu home, with just a few close friends and family, including her daughter Coco, who will be bridesmaid. Jen’s also planning a few surprises, including a fireworks display, and they’ve decided to have a big party in Ireland for Johnny’s family and friends once restrictions are eased.”
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Courteney and Johnny, 44 – who were introduced by mutual pal Ed Sheeran – started dating in 2013 and got engaged just nine months later. Despite a six-month split in 2015, which Courteney described as “brutal”, the pair have gone from strength to strength – with the actress insisting she’s “married in my heart”, and Johnny saying husband is just a “label” amid their lengthy engagement.
In 2019, Courteney denied reports they were engaged, saying, “He’s not my fiancé. We were engaged to be married but now we’re just together.” While their break-up was rumoured to be caused by Courteney pressuring Johnny to walk down the aisle, pals say their plans for a low-key wedding have brought them closer together. The source adds, “Johnny only ever wanted a small do, so now they have no choice. It’s helped settle any differences they might have had on their dream day and Courteney says as long as she has Johnny, nothing else matters.”
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