How Anushka Sharma And Virat Kohli Managed To Keep Their Breathtaking Tuscany Wedding A Secret: Midnight Meetings, Fake Names For Booking And 42 Guests

The year is 2017, and social media is abuzz with wedding rumours of Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli. The marital union of the biggest celebrities from the world of sports and movies left fans excited. While the world was busy speculating, the couple in question maintained radio silence. Cut to December 11 2017, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli shared the first photos from their breathtaking wedding in Tuscany. Here's how everything leading up to the big day unfolded.

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli went to great lengths to ensure privacy at their wedding

Both Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are employed in industries that come with constant media scrutiny. The cricketer-actor couple made sure to elude the public eye on their big day. The couple tied the knot in a dreamy ceremony in Borgo Finocchieto in Italy on December 11, 2017. However, several months leading up to the big day were spent having secret meetings with wedding planners and making erratic bookings using fake names.

Days after their wedding, Shaadi Squad, who planned the day, confessed that Anushka and Virat met with them in secret in order not to give away their nuptial plans. In an old statement, they said, “Four months of keeping a secret, hiding even from our own team, the secret recce, midnight meetings, vague conversations, and sleepless nights have finally manifested into this grand moment."

In an old interview with Vogue, Anushka herself confessed that the wedding festivities were very intimate, with only 42 guests. She shared, “We wanted to have a home-style wedding. There were only 42 people there, with all our friends and family present. I wanted it to be about Virat and me marrying each other, and not this big celebrity wedding. The energy at our wedding was blessed.” She also recalled using fake names when speaking to caterers and other vendors. She added,  "We even used fake names while talking to the caterer; I think Virat's was Rahul."

Who spilt the beans? 

While users on Twitter, Reddit and Instagram had already begun their investigation on the basis of a few leaks, it was Virat Kohli requesting a break from his then captain duties that gave it away and fuelled the fire. This was followed by Anushka Sharma flying out of Mumbai with her parents and a family priest on December 7, 2017. The same evening, Virat Kohli and his family took a flight from Delhi. Their departure from India with their families confirmed that the couple will get married overseas.

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On December 11, an official statement was released by Yash Raj Films confirming the wedding. A part of the long note read, “We are very happy to announce that Ms Anushka Sharma and Mr Virat Kohli got married at a private ceremony in Italy today. The wedding was attended by close family and a few friends as they wished their wedding to be a very private affair. The wedding was performed as per Hindu rituals. Top fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee has designed the wedding ensemble for both the bride and the groom. Virat and Anushka will now start inviting all industry friends and colleagues for the celebrations that are set to happen in Mumbai."

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Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli also shared the first photos from their wedding with the caption, “Today we have promised each other to be bound in love forever. We are truly blessed to share the news with you.” The photo went viral and was widely shared on social media. The wedding of Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli has since then become the gold standard of celebrity weddings.

The couple are now parents to two children - Vamika and Akaay. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, along with their children, are now settled in London.

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