British singer Lily Allen married 'Stranger Things' actor David Harbour in a small ceremony at the Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas in September 2020. Instagram / David Harbour
British singer Lily Allen married 'Stranger Things' actor David Harbour in a small ceremony at the Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas in September 2020. Instagram / David Harbour
British singer Lily Allen married 'Stranger Things' actor David Harbour in a small ceremony at the Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas in September 2020. Instagram / David Harbour
British singer Lily Allen married 'Stranger Things' actor David Harbour in a small ceremony at the Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas in September 2020. Instagram / David Harbour

6 celebrity weddings in 2020: Lily Allen, Sean Penn, a cricket star and royalty


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

Since March, weddings have been few and far between, due to regulations on large groups and gatherings put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.

However, we have had a few stunning A-list weddings to pore over until normal (and typically extravagant) service is resumed.

Many of them have been socially distanced, some got in just before restrictions were put in place, but all of them glow with newlywed happiness ...

Lily Allen and David Harbour 

British singer Lily Allen, 35, married Stranger Things actor David Harbour, 45, in an intimate Las Vegas ceremony on Wednesday, September 9.

The couple's ceremony took place at the Graceland Chapel Las Vegas, with a guitar-playing Elvis Presley impersonator officiating.

See photos that the couple have shared from their big day here: 

"In a wedding officiated by the king himself, the people’s princess wed her devoted, low-born but kind credit-card holder in a beautiful ceremony lit by the ashen skies courtesy of a burning state miles away in the midst of a global pandemic," American actor Harbour wrote of the nuptials in a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post.

With Allen's two daughters, Marnie Rose, 7, and Ethel, 8, the couple ate at popular American fast food chain In-N-Out Burger, which Harbour referenced when he wrote: "Refreshments were served at a small reception following."

LDN singer Allen's wedding dress was a tailored 1960s-style Dior design, with double-breasted black buttons. The knee-length dress was a departure from the 1920s-style lace gown that she wore when she married ex-husband Sam Cooper in 2011.

Allen paired her Dior dress with a simple veil and a pair of chunky black heels, and carried a simple pink and white floral bouquet.

Dasun Shanaka and Chewanthi Perera

Sri Lankan cricketer Dasun Shanaka married fashion designer Chewanthi Perera on Sunday, September6.

Shanaka wrote on Instagram: "Today I promise to hold your hand and to lead you down a path of all that is good and true in this world."

The wedding took place at Avenra Gardens in Sri Lanka's Negombo, located north of Colombo on the west of the island.

There were numerous outfit changes and a big party celebration, all of which was captured by photographer Pamod Nilru.

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

British royal Princess Beatrice had grand plans for a Buckingham Palace wedding in May, however, that was quashed when social distancing measures were put in place in the UK.

However, on July 17, the couple did marry in a small private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge. Princess Beatrice's grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, were both in attendance. The bride wore a vintage wedding dress loaned to her by the Queen.

Sean Penn and Leila George

American actor Sean Penn, 60, had "a Covid wedding" with Australian-American actress Leila George, 28.

The couple have not released photos of their big day, but the I Am Sam star confirmed that they had tied the knot.

"Yeah, we did a Covid wedding. By that, I mean it was a county commissioner on Zoom and we were at the house, my two children and her brother, and we did it that way," Penn told talk show host Seth Meyers during a conversation on Late Night With Seth Meyers in early August.

Jordan's Princess Raiyah and Ned Donovan

Jordan's Princess Raiyah bint Al Hussein, 34, married Roald Dahl's grandson, Ned Donovan, 26, in an intimate ceremony in the UK on July 8.

Guests sat at a distance from one another while the couple were formally married in order to adhere to social-distancing advice.

The couple were due to marry in Jordan in April, however, plans were put on hold because of the pandemic.

They didn't announce the date of their ceremony, but the bride tweeted pictures and thanks to well-wishers on July 7. In the message she wrote: "God willing we look forward to celebrating in Jordan once the situation allows."

Princess Raiyah is the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and Queen Noor of Jordan, and is the half-sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan, who gave his blessing to the marriage.

The grandson of beloved British children's book author Roald Dahl, Donovan is a freelance journalist and has contributed to The Spectator, New Statesman and The Telegraph. His mother is Tessa Dahl and his father is entrepreneur Patrick Donovan. Donovan converted to Islam before the wedding and took the name Faris. He is currently learning Arabic.

Brittany Snow and Tyler Stanaland

Pitch Perfect actress Brittany Snow married luxury real estate agent Tyler Stanaland in early March, "before the world shut down".

"In early March, before we knew how much we’d miss hugs and live in our sweatpants, I got to marry my favourite person," Snow wrote on Instagram in a July post.

"The whole world shut down a few days later and we were stunned at the timing. We knew we felt incredibly lucky to have found each other but we had no idea how lucky it would be to get married right before a monumental time in our history. Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong that day ... but it was absolutely and impossibly perfect. I knew on that day, more than ever before, there was no one else I’d rather hold my hand while in the middle of a (life) hurricane. I love you. You’re my dream come true".

The bride wore a lace, long-sleeved gown by Jonathan Simkhai.

Indika
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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:

Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 

Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto 

Power: 1,600hp

Torque: 1,600Nm

0-100kph in 2.4seconds

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0-300kph in 12.1 seconds

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Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:

Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 

Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto 

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Torque: 1,600Nm

0-100kph in 2.3 seconds

0-200kph in 5.5 seconds

0-300kph in 11.8 seconds

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Price: Dh13,600,000

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

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Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
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Fixtures

Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA

Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland

Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland

Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA

Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland

Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland

Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free

Leading all-time NBA scorers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419

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Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

UAE cricketers abroad

Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.

Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.

Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.