tom cruise wedding photos

10 Years Later: All the Details From Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' Lavish Italian Wedding

The stars became husband and wife in an elaborate celebration at a castle in bracciano.

"I think every little girl dreams about [her wedding]," Katie Holmes said in an interview with  Seventeen  in 2004. "I used to think I was going to marry Tom Cruise ."

"So let it be written, so let it be done."

As fate would have it, her childhood wishes came true less than a year later when, newly split from fiancé Chris Klein , she accepted the Oscar winner's marriage proposal, subsequently gave birth to the couple's only child, Suri , and went on to marry her girlhood crush in one of the most significant wedding ceremonies in Hollywood history.

As pop culture history goes, the marriage ended in a divorce settlement five and a half years later with primary legal custody of Suri granted to her mother.

Nevertheless, for nostalgia's sake, today marks a different milestone for those vows—their 10-year anniversary. On this day in 2006, the actors became husband and wife inside Bracciano, Italy's 15th-century Odescalchi Castle, a celebration that reportedly cost them upwards of $3 million. 

With a price tag that grand, Tom and Katie's wedding cemented itself in celebrity bridal history. From the cream of the crop Hollywood guest list and double wedding gowns to a dinner serenade by  Andrea Bocelli , it seems no expense was spared on the night Holmes became Mrs.  Tom Cruise . 

"If you get invited to that wedding, you go," Brooke Shields , a guest at the wedding, told Jenny McCarthy  in an interview on her  SiriusXM show  in January.  

Before the wedding could begin, the bride needed a gown—or two. Holmes sported two dresses during the special night, both designed by wedding attendee Giorgio Armani . For the ceremony, the  Ray Donovan  actress donned an off-the-shoulder silk and lace design adorned with Swarovski crystals. The crystals alone took 350 hours to place, as People reported at the time.

Then, she switched into a one-shoulder off-white silk organza number embellished with more Swarovski crystals.

Katie wasn't the only one to dazzle the crowd in Armani—her groom and the wedding party all wore the label for the special night. 

"Katie wanted a simple, elegant dress," Armani told People  at the time. "I wanted to make it modern but at the same time complement the sweetness and energy she conveys."

As fans would learn years later, Holmes accessorized with "something old" gifted to her by Shields. After being publicly criticized by Cruise for taking prescription medication for her postpartum depression, Shields said the actor came to her home to apologize. Soon after, she got a call from Holmes to invite her to their Italian nuptials. 

"She said, 'It just wouldn't feel right without you there,'" Shields told McCarthy during the interview in January. "And I said 'OK, I'll bring the something old, as long as it's not me!' And she said, 'would you?'"

The former face of Calvin Klein ultimately delivered the bride-to-be an antique enamel compact. 

The supermodel was just one name on the sprawling VIP list of famous attendees, which included  Will Smith  and  Jada Pinkett Smith , fellow Scientologists  John Travolta  and  Kelly Preston , David Beckham and Victoria Beckham , Jenny McCarthy and then-partner  Jim Carrey ,  Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez and former Scientologist Leah Remini . 

Once inside the castle's armory doors, guests were greeted by flag bearers sporting traditional Renaissance attire. With Cruise's older children, Connor and Isabella , Holmes' maid of honor, sister Nancy Blaylock , and Cruise's best man, Scientology leader David Miscavige , present, the couple took part in Scientology's traditional "double ring" ceremony and sealed it with a kiss. 

What followed was a seemingly endless celebration that carried into different halls of the castle, as People  described at the time. After a round of toasts, the bride danced with her father,  Martin Holmes , to  Louis Armstrong 's "What a Wonderful World" and joined Cruise for their first dance to  Fleetwood Mac 's "Songbird."

"It didn't take much time before I realized this Tom guy was a special guy—that he loved Katie, that he cared for her and supported her," Martin said during a toast at their rehearsal dinner at the Villa Aurelia. "Tonight, I am extremely proud and happy to raise my glass to Katie and Tom."

One five-tier wedding cake and fireworks display later, the guests danced the night away with music producer Mark Ronson spinning tunes and Lopez jumping in to perform one of her songs live when it came on. 

A nostalgic moment arrived when Cruise sang  The Righteous Brothers ' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" to his bride—a nod to his iconic performance in  Top Gun . 

Of course, the song now seems like a moment of foreboding as, five and a half years after they wrapped the late-night festivities and boarded a jet to the Maldives for their honeymoon, Holmes filed for divorce . The two have not remarried and Holmes continues to live with her daughter.

While their high-profile relationship was a subject of controversy and speculation since Cruise first jumped on Oprah Winfrey 's couch, the actress recently revealed she wouldn't do it differently. 

"I really enjoy my life," she told Ocean Drive   a year ago. "I don't really regret anything that I've done. I've learned from everything, and everything sort of leads you to the next place. I just keep going."

• Icon Link Plus Icon

optional screen reader

A look back at tom cruise & katie holmes’ marriage & divorce in photos.

by Delilah Gray

Delilah Gray

Trending News Editor

• Share on Flipboard Plus Icon
• Share on Pinterest Plus Icon
• Share on Facebook Plus Icon
• Share on Twitter Plus Icon

When people think of the 2000s, obviously, a lot comes to mind. Looking past the questionable fashion choices and our obsession with everything pink, everyone was really obsessed with the “It” couples of the decade: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck , Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, and, perhaps most of all, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise (AKA TomKat), who married 16 years ago on November 18, 2006.

Let’s face it; whether you loved them or hated them, everyone was paying attention. Their whirlwind romance started in 2005, and within two months, they were ready to tie the knot . Then came love, marriage, and a baby carriage — just not in that order. Soon after they announced their engagement, they also announced they were expecting their daughter Suri Cruise .

They seemed like a simple, happy family, from their Italian fairytale wedding to their many smiling red-carpet appearances. But some people got a weird vibe, especially after Cruise’s Scientology activities went viral, and some worried Holmes was trapped in the marriage.

Then, after nearly six years of marriage, Holmes filed for divorce in 2012 — and everyone had so many questions. What was 2000s royalty became another celebrity divorce that broke our hearts.

Learn more about their turbulent relationship and divorce timeline, and see some photos of the pair together below.

A version of this article was originally published on Nov 2021. 

Love in Italy

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got together in 2005 and made their love public while they were touring Italy. 

Wedding Bells

When Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes revealed their relationship, everyone thought it was a fairytale. When Holmes first got into the Hollywood scene in the early 2000s, she told Seventeen magazine in a now-deleted interview whom she saw herself marrying. Per Vogue , “I think every little girl dreams about (her wedding). I used to think I was going to marry Tom Cruise.” 

Packing On The PDA

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise weren’t afraid to pack on the PDA, wherever they were. 

Engagement Ring

Katie Holmes was proudly showing off the $1.5 million engagement ring Tom Cruise gave her after less than two months together. 

The War of the Worlds

Newly engaged couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were all smiles at the premiere of  The War of the Worlds  in 2005. 

Baby on Board

Tom Cruise was over-the-top with his love and excitement for every milestone he had with Katie Holmes. The media lost it when they announced they were expecting a baby. 

Sports Fanatics

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were very in love throughout their marriage, and one of their go-to activities together was to go to sports games. 

Perfect Day

On Nov 18, 2006, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise had a star-studded wedding in a castle in Italy. 

The Big Day

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise wore Giorgio Armani ensembles, and everyone was obsessed with the iconic wedding. 

Suri’s Origin

The happy family frequently went to sports games, even when Suri Cruise was an infant. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes named their baby girl “Suri” because it means both “princess” and “red rose.” 

Mother-Daughter Duo From Day One

Suri Cruise has always been a momma’s girl and you couldn’t find a photo of Katie Holmes not holding onto Suri. 

Scientology Family

Soon after getting together, Katie Holmes converted to Scientology for Tom Cruise. 

NYC Marathon

Back in 2007, Katie Holmes finished the NYC Marathon. Tom and Suri Cruise were right there to show their support. 

Red Carpet Wonders

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes always brought their A-game with red carpet fashion. 

Baby No. 2?

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were open to having more children in the future, according to Marie Claire. 

Happy Family

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes brought their daughter Suri wherever they went.

Word Travelers

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise went everywhere around the world together, frequently going to places like Japan, Germany, and Italy. 

Helping Hand

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes always showed up to a friend’s important day. In 2009, they showed their support for friend and former co-star Cameron Diaz, who was getting a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

1022JNA TY066

Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, enter the Cort Theater to view the ‘Fences’ performance on Broadway out and about for CELEBRITY CANDIDS – TUESDAY, , New York, NY June 22, 2010. Photo By: Ray Tamarra/Everett Collection

Despite both being in multiple projects in 2010, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise frequently set aside time for one another. 

Joined At The Hip

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were always side-by-side during film premieres. 

“Very Special” Relationship

Tom Cruise raved about Katie Holmes whenever he could, even close to the end of their marriage. In a 2012 interview with Playboy , he said, “I’m just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special.”  

Happy Red Carpet Couple

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise seemed happy as can be at the 2011 Golden Globes, even though they split only a year later.  

Smiling at the Oscars

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes went to the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar party, which was one of their last appearances together before Holmes filed for divorce. Holmes filed due to fear of Tom Cruise abducting their child into the Church of Scientology. 

Tom & Suri

After filing for divorce, Katie Holmes won the custody battle for Suri against Tom Cruise. 

Katie & Suri Forever

Since their divorce in 2012, Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise have been one of the cutest mother-daughter duos we’ve ever seen 

Leave a Comment

More stories from entertainment, michelle obama is winning a presidential election that she wants no part of, diane von furstenberg is tired of people being ‘too afraid’ to age, how penélope cruz feels about best friend salma hayek’s bond with her ex tom cruise, brad pitt’s new look is a throwback to his gwyneth paltrow era, ben affleck’s ‘dark’ mood during his jennifer lopez separation reportedly has friends worried.

SheKnows is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 SheMedia, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's 2006 union was the 'wedding of the century.' Their photographer shares what it was like to shoot the event.

Robert evans, who photographed the former couple's nuptials, talks to yahoo entertainment..

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes tied the knot in “the wedding of the century,” 17 years ago.

While it’s unclear exactly who officially gave it that title — a term used by the media, including CBS News and Fox News , at the time the pair married at an Italian castle on Nov. 18, 2006 — it continues to be used, for example, most recently in Leah Remini’s recent Scientology lawsuit .

While the union wasn’t forever, the wedding certainly was an extravaganza — costing more than $3 million, according to E! News — with multiple days of events, A-list guests and gawkers hoping to get a glimpse of the famed movie star and his Dawson’s Creek actress bride outside Castello Orsini-Odescalchi in Bracciano. A wedding photo, snapped by photographer Robert Evans , showing the pair cheek to cheek against a vined castle wall confirmed it was official.

The lead-up

The public had been hyped up about the coupling after the pair went public in April 2005. They were outwardly so in love , as evident by Cruise jumping on Oprah’s couch while gushing over “Kate.” For her part, she revealed that Cruise, who was 16 years her senior, was her childhood crush. They cruised into a premiere with her on the back of a motorcycle like a real-life Maverick and Charlie from Top Gun . Not two months after they started dating, he proposed at the Eiffel Tower, which was announced at a press conference .

It all seemed too much to believe — and there was skepticism. Was it a publicity stunt? Had she really auditioned to be his third wife? Holmes fired her agent and publicist and started having Scientology handlers sit in on her interviews . There was the ultrasound machine flap and speculation Holmes would have to have a silent birth . But, more pressing, was she even pregnant at all ? The rumors quickly spun out of control, so much so that they hid away baby Suri for months after she was born in April 2006.

By October 2006, however, the baby had made her world debut in Vanity Fair. And the couple publicly confirmed they had set a date to wed. So by Nov. 18 of that year, when Cruise, who had previously been married twice, and Holmes were ready to say “I do,” the world was eagerly following along. On the guest list were A-listers Jennifer Lopez, David and Victoria Beckham, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy and it was a who’s who of Scientology (church leader David Miscavige was Cruise’s best man), making it a spectacle impossible to look away from or avoid hearing about.

The firsthand account

While the world was watching — and crowds lined the street outside — it was just another day of work for the couple’s wedding photographer, Evans.

Evans recalled to Yahoo Entertainment being asked — along with other wedding photographers with experience capturing celebrity weddings (he shot Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt’s 2000 nuptials ) — to submit his work for consideration. He had never met the bride- or groom-to-be. Cruise ended up being the one to hire him — and was very enthusiastic while doing so.

“When I met him for the first time, he was very excited to meet me,” says the author of The Secrets of Spectacular Wedding Photography . “ It was around the time he was kinda getting the bad press for the couch-jumping thing. But he was super-nice. He was like: ‘I’m so happy to meet you! When I saw your book, I was like: That’s my guy! That’s my guy!’   He was excited about it. I'm meeting Tom Cruise for the first time, this is within the first minute of us meeting, and I was like ... ‘Thank you?’ I'm not great with compliments.”

Evans and another photographer flew to Rome for the festivities, though not by private plane. They stayed next door to the hotel Cruise, Holmes and their guests, approximately 150 total, were in. Evans covered two days of events prior to the wedding, so he was ready for go time on the big day.

“It seemed very real and natural to me,” he said of the vibe between the bride and groom, who both wore Giorgio   Armani and were serenaded by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. “They just seemed like they were having a great time and they were in love. Obviously I’m not thinking about that [while I’m working], but you are observing and you see it. But then the pictures reflect it. I guess they’re actors; they could have been faking it. But I just go there and do my job and shoot what I see.”

As for the celebrity guest list, he says the “wow factor” of being among a star-studded crowd wears off quickly when you’re busy trying to capture a couple’s big day. When we list some of the guests — like Lopez and the Smiths — he says, “It's funny, I was like, I don’t even remember them being there.”

Evans says one thing he’s learned being “on the inside” for famous weddings — including Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton’s 2011 wedding — is that “the stuff that gets reported after is usually not very accurate. People are speculating because they don’t know the truth.” And because of nondisclosure agreements, “obviously, you can’t tell anybody that the flowers were pink or the cake was this, so they all speculate, and a lot of stuff you hear, that's not what happened. It gives a little insight into what it must be like to be a celebrity and having no privacy. Yes, I realize that’s the job that they chose, but that’s the con that goes with the pro.”

As for the wedding photos that get released, Evans says they’re never ones he’d pick himself from his batch of approximately 3,000 to 5,000 photos snapped at an event like that.

“If it were up to me, although I liked that photo of them, I would choose different images,” he says. “I mean that it’s kind of true with every celebrity that I’ve ever [shot].”

That’s because the magazines that buy the pictures — which People magazine did back in the day for this wedding — “want certain things: the traditional walk down the aisle, the cake photo.” Today, there aren’t the same bidding wars over celebrity wedding photos because publications are selling fewer magazines. And social media has made it so that stars share their own first pic directly with fans.

It’s also not lost on him that when a celebrity couple splits, the wedding photos are “the same images that get flashed all over again” in the press and online, “and it kind of tears it all apart.” So sometimes Evans is not that sad that the world doesn’t get to see some of the more beautiful and intimate moments he captures.

The uncoupling

In 2012, Holmes filed for divorce from Cruise after nearly six years of marriage in what was called “a calculated breakup .” Eleven days later, it was ironed out in a shockingly quick divorce settlement. Holmes got primary legal   custody of their now-teen daughter. Mother and daughter moved to New York City full-time; Cruise — who also has two children with actress Nicole Kidman — hasn’t been spotted publicly with Suri in years.

The exes have said very little about one another since, but in a lawsuit deposition in 2012, when Cruise sued over a report that claimed he “abandoned” Suri, he said yes when asked if Holmes told him one of the reasons she was leaving him was to protect their daughter from Scientology . He also said that Holmes left the Church of Scientology and that Suri was not a member. Meanwhile, Holmes told Ocean Drive in 2015, “I don’t really regret anything that I’ve done. I’ve learned from everything, and everything sort of leads you to the next place. I just keep going.”

It’s unclear who Cruise may or may not be in a relationship with. ( There are always rumors .) Holmes was in a longtime relationship with actor Jamie Foxx and later dated NYC restaurateur Emilio Vitolo and musician Bobby Wooten III.

The aftermath

The TomKat wedding was back in the news this year amid Remini’s lawsuit against Scientology.

The King of Queens actress, who left the organization in 2013 and has become a vocal critic, claimed she had been “stalked, surveilled, harassed, threatened, intimidated” since she left. Within the lawsuit were multiple mentions of Cruise, because she claimed her life as a Scientologist changed after his “wedding of the century.” The church has called her lawsuit “ludicrous” and “frivolous.”

Among Remini’s claims was that she asked where best man Miscavige’s wife, Shelly , was and it caused drama. She also claimed she witnessed other behavior at the wedding “that set off red flags,” including unethical contacts between various Scientology executives and others at the wedding, and when she spoke up about it, she was admonished. As a result, she claimed she was held at a Scientology facility for four months after the wedding. She also claimed she had to make amends to the newlyweds by donating money to name a seat in a theater after Suri.

Remini previously claimed, in 2015, that her invitation to the wedding came with a request to get her high-profile friends to attend , including her BFF Lopez and Lopez’s then-husband Marc Anthony. She said the church wanted to recruit them. (Lopez has denied being a Scientologist but said her father is .) She also claimed baby Suri was at one point crying on a bathroom floor and that nobody picked her up. Remini said at the time that Holmes accused her of “disrupting the party” and submitted a report to the church about her.

While the church has denied Remini’s claims, Holmes said at the time, “I regret having upset Leah in the past and wish her only the best in the future.”

Recommended Stories

How much is the monthly payment on a $300,000 mortgage.

Your $300,000 monthly mortgage payment will depend on your interest rate and the term length. Here’s what you can expect to pay on a $300,000 home loan.

Ryan Garcia, already suspended a year, expelled from WBC after hateful comments

The boxer repeatedly used a racial slur and says he wants to kill George Floyd again.

Yankees OF Trent Grisham booed for low-effort play as slide continues, while Aaron Judge's personal coach blasts team

The Yankees have lost 13 of their last 17.

NFL offseason power rankings countdown and 2024 season preview

Our Frank Schwab counts down his NFL power rankings, grades each team's offseason, solicits fantasy football advice and previews what the 2024 season might have in store for each team.

9 surprising items professional movers won't move — are yours on the list?

Did you know movers won't handle your nail polish remover? Seriously. Here's what your movers won't move under any circumstances.

Trump is already pushing interest rates up

Economists think the growing possibility of a Republican sweep in November is already pushing interest rates higher

Braves manager Brian Snitker OK after taking Ozzie Albies foul ball to the groin

"He's OK, but that bounced right into his belly ... Oh, no. Not on the belly."

When will the housing market crash again?

The current housing market is different from the one that led to the 2008 housing crash. Here's a look at 2024 and 2025.

10 Best shoes for standing all day in 2024, tested and reviewed

Give your feet a much-deserved break with shoes perfect for standing all day including brands like Hoka, Allbirds and On.

June jobs report raises pressure on Fed for September rate cut

The June jobs report showed unemployment approaching a three-year high and raised the pressure on the Fed to act on rate cuts in September.