In 2005, there was a visible change in major movie star Tom Cruise. Following a string of controversial events, including the now infamous couch jumping incident on Oprah, Cruise appeared, at times excitable, restless, and increasingly aggressive. Some credited it to a change in his representation, others called it a breakdown. Cruise, however, simply called it love.
In April of that same year, Cruise began dating Katie Holmes, a mostly television actress at that time, best known for her role on the teen drama ‘Dawson’s Creek. Having apparently lost his mind over his love for her, the two were engaged two months later. Today is their 4th wedding anniversary.
For her part, Holmes has repeatedly said that she was in love with Cruise the moment he met her, and on June 17, 2005, Cruise proposed to Holmes on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and presented her with one of the most famous engagement rings to date. The antique styles ring features a 5 carat, oval center diamond, set in rose gold and platinum, with pave’ set diamonds on the split shank.
Holmes was raised under the Catholic Church; however Cruise’s previous two divorces rendered it impossible to marry in a Catholic ceremony. Cruise, who was also raised Catholic, is now perhaps one of the most prominent members of the Church of Scientology, a religion not recognized in Italy, where the couple was holding their formal ceremony. Consequently, the two married at their home in Los Angeles reportedly two weeks before they actually exchanged wedding rings.
But the main event, the fairytale dream wedding, and celebrity event of the year, took place on November 18, 2006 on the southern shore of Lake Bracciano in Italy. The ceremony brought forth so much media attention during the upcoming months that the venue, the Odecalchi Castle, waived its usual $50,000 free.
The new celebrity couple, already christened “TomKat” by the press, was joined by 150 of their nearest and dearest, including other power couples like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and fellow Scientologists John Travolta and Kelly Preston. Their 7 month old daughter Suri Cruise was also in attendance with Cruise’s children from his previous marriage to Nicole Kidman, Connor and Isabella.
The entire wedding party had clothes specially designed for them by Giorgio Armani, who is reportedly a good friend of the couple, including the suit worn by Cruise (the tag read Giorgio Armani for Tom Cruise) and Holmes’s dress: an off the shoulder gown with silk train adorned with Valenciennes lace and Swarovski beaded crystals.
The guests later dined on a multi course meal that included Italian hors d’oeuvres, sea bass, and steak, all from Cruise’s favorite restaurant, while entertained by singer Andrea Bocelli. The evening was topped off with a 5 tiered, white chocolate cake with marzipan roses and white chocolate chips.
After the whirlwind affair, the couple relaxed in Maldives for their honeymoon.
Cruise is currently in Dubai filming the fourth installment of the Mission Impossible series, while Holmes is in the U.S. filming her next project, so the chances of a celebratory dinner together seems slim. However it looks like the third time might be the charm for Cruise, as the couple still proclaims to be very much in love. Happy anniversary Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.