Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
“The Vogue wedding to quickie divorce pipeline must be studied…”
This TikToker has talked about more than 40 weddings that was featured on Vogue. The video series focuses on magazine-worthy weddings that ended up in divorce.
As we all know, finance is the number one factor for divorces among the general public. So why do these Vogue couples get divorced when you have all the money in the world? Let’s explore the very interesting phenomenon of the Vogue curse.
Table of contents
Vogue Weddings
Vogue weddings are reserved for high-profile celebrity couples, well connected socialites, and even famous (and infamous) influencers. Luxurious locations such as Lake Como, Paris, and New York (it’s expensive out there!) are often-seen occurrences in this world. Multiple day celebrations, extravagant venues, and A-list guests are the norm- not the exception.
It is a huge honor to have exclusive access of their wedding, and a lot of well-known couples opt for Vogue access. Some famous weddings featured in Vogue is Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s south of France wedding, Ivy Getty’s San Fransisco bash, and Emily Ratajkowski’s civil ceremony. The latest featured actors Ben Platt and Noah Galvin’s joyful wedding party.
Wedding Red Flags Seen in Vogue
In her video, Georgie highlighted three wedding red flags that might make the couples more likely to end up in divorce. Read on to avoid these things on your wedding day!
Long-term dating AND a big wedding
One example is the singer Miguel and his model ex-wife Nazanin Mandi. They seemed like a good match and have already dated for 13 years before getting married in 2018! The couple tied the knot in a Spanish-style Californian ranch, with celebrity guests such as Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler. Her dress was Monique Lhuillier, complete with matching white lace shoes from the same designer.
Mandi filed for divorce proceedings in October 2022, citing irreconcilable differences between the former couple as the cause. I speculate that this combination spells doom for the relationship because a big wedding after waiting for so long seems to be a last resort option. Another speculation of mine is that the wedding is a product of ultimatum from one side- and you know what they say about one-sided relationships…
Not dating long enough
Georgie talked about how Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez were together for only 9 months before their private wedding in Los Angeles. After a whirlwind romance, they had their big day on their $6.5 million home in Montecito, California. The bride wore Audrey Hepburn-inspired Vera Wang gown in the beautiful wedding photos she shared with Vogue. Her wedding ring was a toi-et-moi style with a pearl that came from her late grandfather’s tie pin.
In September 2023, Ariana and Dalton filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences”.
Victoria’s Secret model Shanina Shaik and ex-husband DJ Ruckus dated for less than a year before their opulent wedding in the Bahamas. The wedding party rode on a private jet to get to Lenny Kravitz’s private island, where the event was held. Her Michael Costello dress was stunning, as seen on her social media posts. After a little over a year, they headed for divorce for “irreconcilable differences” as confirmed by *Page Six*.
According to The Knot, on average couples date for 2 years before getting married. Though this is not a hard rule, it is absolutely necessary to know each other well before marriage. It can be subjective and hard to judge!
Where do you want to live? What temperature do you want your thermostat to be on? Do you want to have kids? Talking about requirements and important life goals to make sure they align is key. When a couple knows each other well, the marriage would be more solid.
Finally: Marrying too young
The TikToker noticed that this is a common trend for wealthy heirs, heiresses, and celebrity children. The amount of money and resources they have access to enables them to do many things since a young age. Though this might be beneficial in business or building relationships, it this might not be a good idea for a marriage.
Charlotte Murdoch
One example is heiress Charlotte Murdoch Freud’s wedding to musician Lukey Storey. Though this seem to be a Tatler wedding, the English countryside celebration is luxurious nonetheless.
The media heiress wore a Galia Lahav dress and had the Tim Burton-themed reception at her mother’s estate. The bride was just 21, while the groom was 36 years old at the time.
Charlotte Murdoch later confessed that the marriage only lasted a mere 12 hours before “our whole word fell apart”. The groom had a substance abuse related relapse soon after the lavish wedding, and they finalized their divorce in one year.
Meadow Walker
Model Meadow Walker, daughter of late actor Paul Walker, married Louis Thornton-Allan when she was just 22 years old. The bride wore a beautiful custom Givenchy gown and they held the elegant wedding in the Dominican Republic. Big names were in attendance, and actor Vin Diesel walked her down the aisle. After 2 years, the couple filed for divorce due to “irreconcilable differences”. Though they did not go into details, they had a kerfuffle after the couple years about Thornton-Allan’s request for spousal support.
According to statistics, age is a big factor that determines whether or not a couple is likely to divorce. Marriages before the age of 18 seem to be rocky, as 48% end in divorce in 10 years.
Curiously, those who marry between the age of 20-25 seem to be the most susceptible, as 60% will get divorced at one point. Over 25 years old, you’re safe: only 25% will separate.
Did you know? ✨
Divorce is forbidden in two countries: the Philippines and Vatican City!
From the comments
Extravagance
“The more dress changes, the sooner the divorce…,” foreshadows one comment. A commenter replied that 3 or more dress changes usually spells doom for the relationship. I am unsure if there is a logical explanation to this, as a lavish wedding is very likely to have many dress changes.
Forbes report that couples with income above $600,000 annually do experience a 5% increase in divorce rates. It still does not compare to the divorce rates of couples living below poverty line, but still is an interesting observation.
Higher education and living standards lower possibility of divorce, but why does this particular income level shows a rise in rate of divorce? One factor might be the demands of high-earning careers, or it might be that divorce cost becomes less of a prohibition.
Let’s Talk Divorce Rates: 50% is a Myth?!
In the 2000’s, I remember many headlines saying that 50% of marriages in the United States end in divorce. This statistic was cited over and over- but is it actually true?
This is apparently a common misinterpretation of old data. It was thought that since the ratio of people marrying and divorcing in the same year is 2:1 that divorce rates is 50%. This is very flawed, since these are not the same people who are doing both!
With the correct calculation, the US divorce rate has actually been steadily falling. According to CDC, the divorce rate has declined to 2.4 per 1,000 people in 2022. There were 673,989 divorces that year.
Reasons for Divorce
For the general public, the most common reasons for couples to divorce is lack of commitment. The fact is, there is never one reason for divorce. There could be one reason that becomes the straw that broke the camel’s back for sure, but it is usually *ahem* more complicated than that.
Here are the most commonly cited causes of divorce in the US:
1. Lack of commitment
2. Cheating / infidelity
3. Too many conflicts
4. Financial problems
5. Lack of communication
6. Marrying too young
7. Lack of equality in the relationship
8. Lack of intimacy
9. Substance abuse
10. Domestic violence
I would say that the first three reasons seem like symptoms rather than true root causes, but I imagine it would be hard to generalize them. Root causes can differ so much from relationship to relationship, and lumping them together might be tougher than necessary. Except for reason #4, it seems like money and fame does not solve all problems.
Final words on Vogue Weddings
Though anecdotal, this has been a fun dive into the world of luxury weddings and divorces. The well-known fashion bible Vogue might not be the best way to put a wedding in the public eye after all. To recap, the three wedding red flags for Vogue divorces are: long dating period combined with a big wedding, dating for too short of a time, and marrying too young. It is a cautionary tale for couples and singles alike.. or a curse of the Vogue wedding?
Are you fascinated by the world of Vogue weddings as well? What’s your favorite celebrity wedding? Share your observations in the comments, and check out the What Happened To series for current news updates.
