The year has almost come to an end. With the beginning of a new year come a whole lot of new beginnings – one of the most important of them being celebrities world over tying the knot. As 2018 marked some of the biggest weddings to date, filled with moments of pure love and joy, a bevy of renowned personalities celebrated their happily ever afters.

From surprise weddings to over-the-top nuptials, this year witnessed it all. And, while most of the star couples said "I do" in lavish ceremonies, a handful of them opted for intimate affairs. Starting from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s much-talked about third marriage to the Royal Wedding, here is a list of eight famous pairs who took the plunge in 2018.

The couple made their wedding announcement via the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) social media forum. While the duo reportedly tied the knot in an intimate ceremony, it was never disclosed when the event actually took place. Rumours of the PTI leader’s third marriage emerged in the first week of January. Back then, Imran denied any such development.

On January 7, the PTI chairman broke his silence on a possible third wedding, stating that he sent a proposal to a lady and was awaiting her response. Imran said that she had requested him to give her some time to consult her family, especially her children, before making a decision. He pledged he would publically announce his marriage plans if she accepted his proposal.

After Imran’s wedding to Bushra made headlines, his first wife Jemima congratulated the couple and wished them happiness while his second wife, Reham, accused him of cheating on her with Bushra. The drama followed with Imran’s explosive interview with Daily Mail, in which he called his marriage to the BBC journalist – which lasted for about 10 months – his “biggest mistake” in life.

The Khaani star announced he was ready to tie the knot in beginning March. Talking to The Express Tribune earlier, Feroze, who was excited to start the new chapter of his life, informed that his wife-to-be was not from the entertainment industry. And, that it was not a love marriage!

The couple wed in the last week of March in an extravagant wedding and social media lit up with pictures from his several events. With #FerozeDaViyah trending on multiple networking sites, we managed to get hold of multiple pictures of the newlyweds. Alizey donned a red, heavily embellished Hassan Sheheryar Yasin ensemble on their big day while Feroze looked handsome in a white crisp sherwani and red kula. They then hosted a lavish reception which was attended by the bigwigs of Pakistani showbiz.

On March 1, Aisha announced her departure from the entertainment industry. “With great pleasure and humility, I have decided to bid farewell to our wonderful media industry. I am bowing out with immense satisfaction and a lot of pride to move on to the next phase of my life,” she wrote.

A month later, Aisha took to social media to announce her engagement to Major Uqbah. The Jawani Phir Nahi Ani star revealed that the couple got engaged the previous year. The two were the talk of the town when they got married in April in a series of events.

With over 18 successful years in the entertainment industry, starting with dramas like Mehndi, the actor has many big roles in her kitty. Aisha was lauded for her performance in the Hamza Ali Abbasi and Maya Ali-starrer Mann Mayal too.

Rumours of Sonam being in a relationship with businessman Anand had been making the rounds for months before the couple tied the knot. A week before the festivities kicked off, the Kapoor and Ahuja clans announced the news in a joint statement.

From a full-fledged mehendi lagai to a glitzy wedding party, Sonam and Anand enjoyed their events to the fullest. The Neerja starlet was a vision on all the days. She opted for a white and gold Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla creation for her mehendi, while she made a traditional bride in a red Anuradha Vakil lehenga choli on her wedding day. For her reception, the Khoobsurat star went for an unconventional Anamika Khanna outfit.  

Unlike the usual hashtags, the couple picked quite a distinctive one for their wedding. #EverythingPhenomenal was trending on social media in early May and the pictures from Sonam’s wedding took social media by storm. “#EverydayPhenomenal reminds us of the importance of appreciation, positivity, and gratitude… that happiness is not something you get; it’s something you are,” wrote Anand, after the events came to a close.

And then followed the big fat Royal Wedding! In a January 2017 interview, Meghan confirmed her relationship with the British Royal, revealing that the couple was “very much in love”. Since then, the speculations surrounding their impending wedding arose.

On May 19, the world witnessed one of the most historic moments as a former American actor, a divorcee and an African-American, Meghan, married the fifth in line for the British throne – Harry. Members of the Royal family and numerous celebrities saw the two exchange vows and begin their new life together. Over 100,000 spectators lined up as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their way through Windsor Castle.

The Suits actor looked radiant in a custom-made Givenchy gown with a long trail. Meghan wore a Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara that was lent to her by Queen Elizabeth. Harry donned the typical Royal uniform. The couple is now expecting their first baby together.

The Indian royal wedding – as many called it – took place on November 14 and November 15 in Lake Como, Italy. The B-town sweethearts tied the knot in a two-day ceremony after a six-year secret romance.

#DeepVeer made fans anxiously wait for their first look as a married couple. Together with their families and close friends, Deepika and Ranveer flew to Italy for the wedding events. The pair wed in a Konkani ceremony on the first day and in a Sindhi ceremony the next day.

Deepika wore a gold sari for the Konkani. The couple chose custom-made colour-coordinated Sabyasachi dresses the next event. The newlyweds then flew back to India where they hosted two receptions – in Bangluru and Mumbai – and a wedding party.

The duo then hosted a star-studded wedding party for Bollywood A-listers. Deepika stunned in a custom-made Zuhair Murad gown while Ranveer looked dapper in a Rohit Bal suit.

The TV stars made their relationship official after exchanging rings in January last year. The #Aineeb festivities commenced after Aiman took to Instagram to share her first dholki pictures. After what we thought might have kick started the wedding, she was seen vacationing in the UAE. A couple of months following this, Aiman’s pictures from her bridal shower took over social media.

Soon after, the couple had a nikkah ceremony, where they both wore gold and red attires. Then came their separate mayoun events, a Lollywood themed wedding party, a baraat and finally a reception. Phew! The couple was criticised for having several events. Muneeb later clapped back on trolls.

The former Miss World tied the knot with the American singer in a destination wedding in Jodhpur in December first week. The couple got married in a white Christian wedding – officiated by Nick’s father – on December 1. The bride and groom along with their families wore custom-made Ralph Lauren creations.

The next event on December 2, comprised Hindu rituals where both Priyanka and Nick wore traditional Sabyasachi creations. They then flew back to Mumbai and hosted a reception which was attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi. The bride wore a Falguni Sheen Peacock silver lehenga choli. The couple will reportedly host a party on December 20.

One of the most prominent wedding trends of this year was brides opting for pastel colours. For instance, when Deepika stunned in a gold zari sari on her Konkani ceremony or when Aisha ditched red bridal couture for a dazzling peach number. Similarly, Aiman wore a peach and silver number on her reception.

On the other hand, Bollywood starlets kept it traditional in red apparels on their big day. While Priyanka and Deepika wore custom-made Sabyasachi dresses with special transcriptions sewn in, Sonam looked breathtaking in a customary red lehenga. Aiman and Alizey also looked beautiful in their red outfits on their wedding days.  

Another evident trend was brides going all out with chunky jewellery. Sonam, Deepika, Priyanka, Aiman and Alizey opted for heavy jewellery for their weddings.

It all started when Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli got married in Lake Como last year. With them being the trend-setters, Deepika and Priyanka followed suit. Whether #NickYanka or #DeepVeer, destination weddings seemed to be the ‘It’ trend in 2018. This year’s couples chose luxurious and extravagant venues for their weddings too.

The 2018 weddings weren’t just our quintessential baraat and valima anymore! The list of events that a wedding can actually have is mind-numbing to say the least – not to mention how expensive it can be. It usually starts with bachelorettes leading to wedding parties, the actual wedding day, a reception or two, a mehendi lagai, sangeet and the mehendi itself. That’s too much to digest. And, by the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like this trend will die out anytime soon.