Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake could have picked any spot around the globe for their highly-anticipated nuptials, which took place on Friday, but they opted for the always romantic Italy — like many celebrities before them, from Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to Emily Blunt and John Krasinski.
It was actually a famous friend who turned Biel and Timberlake on to Italy. According to Us Weekly, the couple visited the southern town of Ravello in 2008 to attend the wedding of Biel's pal and "7th Heaven" co-star Beverley Mitchell — and immediately fell in love with the country. So it's only fitting that earlier this week Mitchell was seen at a pre-wedding beach party for Biel and Timberlake in Puglia. The bash — also attended by "Saturday Night Live" star Andy Samberg — featured jazz music and a 10-minute fireworks display. The following day JT — wearing one of his trademark fedoras — was photographed at a grotto in Lama del Trappeto, where guests relaxed in white recliners next to fire pits and sipped local wine. The couple's main event took place on Friday. While details are still scarce — the wedding was reportedly held at Francis Ford Coppola's Palazzo Margherita in Bernalda — the newlyweds issued a statement to People magazine, saying the "ceremony was beautiful. …It was so special to be surrounded by our family and friends."
Andy Samberg and Beverley Mitchell were among the guests at a Biel-Timberlake welcome party.
Italy has proven to be a special place for many other celebrity couples as well. As we mentioned, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, whose fairytale came to an end in June, said "I do" in Rome in 2006. In 2010, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski became man and wife in Como. Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars were married in 2011 at Palazzo Margherita, which is owned by her family — and the rumored location for Biel and Timberlake's ceremony. New parents Giuliana Rancic and Bill Rancic sealed the deal in Capri in 2007. And Mena Suvari wed Simone Sestito in Vatican City in 2010, but it was a quick marriage — they're already divorced!
So why Italy? "Why not Italy? It's one of the most romantic places in the world," Harmony Walton, the founder of The Bridal Bar and its sister site, Jet Fete, tells omg!. "It has everything a celebrity couple could want — a rich history and culture, incredible food and wine, wonderful people, talented designers and wedding professionals, views of the ocean or the countryside, boutique hotels and big luxury villas, major cities and easy access for travel from anywhere in the world, and lots of other activities to keep guests entertained on an extended vacation. It also doesn't hurt that the location that is rumored to be their wedding venue is American-owned by a family who understands their privacy needs."
Timberlake and Biel's trip to Italy in 2008 was very romantic. 
