Over 2 billion people watched the royal wedding on April 29, 2011 between Catherine (Kate) Middleton and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. The media coverage and the publicity around the wedding was phenomenal. Celebrity weddings have always had a special place amongst the public as it gives them hope, excitement, and a lot to talk to about with their peers. From wedding dresses worn by the bride, to the venue of the wedding, to the guest list, etc. One such wedding that has been given a lot of publicity is the one between George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin.
George Clooney is a famous American Actor and Filmmaker. In 2005, he was ranked number one by TV Guide on its “50 sexiest stars of all time” list. He has received three Golden Globe awards for acting and two Academy Awards, one for acting and the other for producing.
Amal Alamuddin is a London-based lawyer, activist and author. She is a lawyer employed at Doughty Street Chambers, specializing in human rights, International law, criminal law, and extradition. She has high-profile clients like Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks.
This is Clooney’s second marriage and the first for Alamuddin. Clooney was previously married to actress Talia Balsam. It is reported that when they first met, Amal refused to take George’s number. He did not quit, but emailed her a very jokey email suggesting that the “reported hottest man” in the world should meet with the hottest human rights lawyer in the world. She made him wait a few days until she replied and the whirlwind romance started. They were engaged just after 7 months and exchanged vows in the luxurious, seven star Aman Canal Grande Hotel in Venice, Italy on Saturday, September 27.
The guest list included many celebrities like Matt Damon, Cindy Crawford, Bono, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Bill Murray, and many others. Walter Veltroni, Rome’s former mayor and a close, personal friend of Clooney, conducted the ceremony.
Clooney who is respected all over the world for his super stardom in Hollywood has also been involved in humanitarian activities, notably in Darfur and South Sudan. He has also launched a monitoring program directed at the border of northern and southern Sudan, to keep an eye on Omar Al Bashir the dictator who has been charged by International Criminal Court on war crimes.
Alamuddin has also had a fair share of fame and controversies in her career while defending Wikileaks founder Assange. She has also defended Abdullah Al Senussi, Muammar Qaddafi’s chief commander and intelligent agent before the international criminal court.
In an adorable and heart whelming speech given by George’s dad Nick at the wedding, he talks about hope and love. Amal and George have presented the world with one more gift–Hope. No, it’s more than hope. Hope is too ephemeral. It is belief that in this place and at this moment, love is alive and well.
Celebrity weddings have always been popular, but it is not just the media craze or the paparazzi. It is also the character and the reputation of many of these celebrities that draws the masses to them.
By Sumit Nigam
Sources:
Glamour
Telegraph UK
Daily Mail