From the moment Amal Alamuddin stepped onto the dock of the Venetian canals to meet her groom George Clooney, we knew that their seven-star Italian dream wedding weekend would be one for the history books. Glamour, romance, and elegance accompanied by a calm, happy vibe—we just couldn’t take our eyes off the four-day affair as it unfolded.
Loaded with start-to-finish style, we swooned over these steal-worthy nuptial trends!1. A Long Wedding Weekend
For the high-powered international lawyer and one of the world’s most desirable actors, having four solid days of celebration set the tone that this was a family affair. Proving that destination weddings in far-flung locales can be the perfect reunion for family and friends, Clooney and Alamuddin invited their guests to relax and enjoy a lavish four-day wedding with multiple events.
Beginning with dual bachelor and bachelorette celebrations followed by a formal wedding ceremony and reception til wee hours of the night at the seven-star Aman Gran Canal Resort, the newlyweds continued the party at a post-wedding lunch at “The Cip,” a dinner for 100 at Le Graneries at Belmont Cipriani, and topped it all off with a civil ceremony for two at City Hall for a mere $750 on Monday morning.
2. Venice!
Italy has been a top choice for celebrity couples: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, and Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have all exchanged their vows under the Tuscan sun. But for Mr. and Mrs. Clooney, the city of Venice (or Venezia!
) in northeastern Italy (built on a group of 118 small islands separated by magnificent canals and linked by bridges) set the epic landscape for their wedding celebration.Throughout the weekend, guests were taxied around the ancient city by gondola and vintage speedboats along the Grand Canal, where they took in the magnificence of the Rialto Bridge, the palazzi and bridges that line Venice’s main thoroughfare.
3. A Personalized Logo
Alamuddin and Clooney have brought the monogram back in a big way: The couple had a custom wedding logo designed just for the event. Featuring a lock-up of their initials—the elegant, feminine, formal “A” leans on a sturdy, classic and art deco “G” above “VENEZIA 2014″—the symbol graced many elements of their wedding from Alamuddin’s hatbox to flags that marked their fleet.
4. Black Tie Requested
In an era of vineyard and rustic barn weddings, Clooney and Alamuddin showed that classic black tuxedos and long gowns never go out of style. Clooney looked downright dapper in a black Giorgio Armani tuxedo, while the supporting ladies of the evening showed up in bright colors, from Cindy Crawfordd in royal blue to Emily Blunt’s jeweled ocean blue column.
5. Arrival by Boat
Long gone are the horse and carriage. Forget the limo and the vintage Rolls-Royce! Clooney made his entrance to the sunset Saturday night ceremony and reception by a vintage speed boat named “Amore!” Arriving with his shipmates (we mean, groomsmen), Clooney waved at onlookers from his processional vehicle of choice. Behind him followed a fleet of vintage taxi boats carrying a red carpet’s worth of guests including Bono, Matt Damon, Blunt with husband John Krasinski, Bill Murray, and Cindy Crawford. The arrival was simply breathtaking—and thank goodness for perfect weather!
RELATED: See the Gorgeous Photos of George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin Arriving in Venice for Their Wedding
6. The Color Red
While Alamuddin went with luxe traditional white for her wedding dress, the romantic hues of red played a big part of the Italian soiree. Most notably, Alamuddin wowed the cameras in a stunning scarlett rehearsal dinner gown with its dramatic waterfall hem by Alexander McQueen. Red re-appeared at the post-nuptial dinner at Le Graneries of the Republic on the ruins of Palazzo Dandolo (Venice’s ancient grain vestibules turned reception venue at Belmond Hotel Cipriani) in the flowers, aromatic candles and silk pillows adorning the chairs! And without doubt, Italian red wine poured all weekend long.
7. Nonstop Fashion
Alamuddin cemented herself as a fashion icon every step of the way, from her effortless arrival attire—a black and white striped Dolce & Gabbana halter dress—to her McQueen stunner on Friday at ladies’ night, Oscar de la Renta wedding gown, adorably chic Giambattista Valli couture lace mini (below) on her post-wedding day brunch, and perfectly tailored Stella McCartney suit and J Smith Esquire hat with swooping brim for the City Hall civil ceremony on Monday morning.
RELATED: Amal Alamuddin Dazzles in 4 Chic Wedding Weekend Frocks
8. Sharing Special Photos
It was clear to their guests that they are madly in love—and not taking themselves too seriously! Much like many couples, Clooney and Alamuddin reportedly gifted their guests with a special look into their playful romance by sharing special photos of their romance including one of Clooney adorably taking a bite out of Alamuddin’s hat.
9. No Phones Allowed!
To maintain the privacy of the ceremony and reception the couple banned smartphones and social media from the wedding but supplied guests with cameras that take trackable photos, according to reports.
10. Town Hall on Monday Morning
To cap off the romantic weekend, Clooney and Amal emerged Monday morning and yachted to Ca’Farsetti, a stunning 14th-century palazzo that houses Venice’s town hall, for a short civil ceremony conducted by friend and former Rome mayor Walter Veltroni, who also officiated at their wedding ceremony on Saturday. Low key and joyfully sweet, Clooney’s longtime Venetian boat driver, Alessandro Greco, served as a witness as they made it officially “official”.
PHOTOS: See 100 Memorable Celebrity Wedding Moments in Our Gallery!