It’s hard to believe that today marks the 10-year wedding anniversary of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, and the day they said their vows in front their friends, family and a selection of famous faces.
A lot has changed since the Gold Digger rapper, 46 and Skims businesswoman, 43 were serenaded by Andrea Bocelli in the middle of Florence on May 24, 2014, having flown guests from the US to Paris for the pre-wedding celebrations at Versailles.
Their big day sparked countless headlines over Rob Kardashian skipping the whole thing,the drama around Beyonce and Jay Z also deciding not to attend, Lana del Ray performing at one of their many events and Kylie Jenner rocking a full head of blue hair at the nuptials.
Kimye, who were joined by eldest daughter North at the ceremony, went on to add to their brood with children Saint, Chicago and Psalm – but it wasn’t to last, and they called time on their marriage six years later, with the Kardashians star filing for divorce in 2021.
They were declared legally single the following year – the Grammy-winner later married Bianca Censori in secret, while Kim famously dated Pete Davidson for around nine months, and has since been linked to a number of stars.
Looking back over the pictures from their stunning getaway, it’s startling to see how much has changed for all involved, with body language expert Judi James stunned by Ye’s transformation a decade later.
The couple tied the knot in a stunning ceremony in Italy (Picture: Nabil Elderkin)
They had been dating since 2012, two years before they said their vows (Picture: Nabil Elderkin)
Unpacking the images in a chat with Metro.co.uk, she told us: ‘These poses look so many re-brands ago that it’s hard to recognize the current Kanye in this grinning, beaming, over-awed man dressed in formal suit and bow tie, gazing at a very demure-looking Kim who is encased in her vast veil like some precious gift.
‘Kanye’s body language makes him look so keen to please here and he does more smiling in a couple of poses than he’s since done in a decade or so. The couple look sweet together here and relatively uncomplicated.
‘They clearly had pretentions as a celebrity power couple but the way they walk away from the camera with Kanye gazing at Kim’s face with an excited-looking laugh while his left hand sticks out from his side in a gesture of anxiety to get everything right, suggested he might go to great lengths in terms of flexing to get the marriage to work, too.’
In the decade since, we’ve had a front row seat into all things Kimye, and witnessed their relationship go from strength to strength before imploding under the glare of the spotlight.
Sadly it wasn’t to last, and they split in 2021 (Picture: Nabil Elderkin)
Kim filed to legally end their marriage after six years (Picture: Nabil Elderkin)
Following their separation, Ye briefly moved on with Julia Fox before making things official with Bianca, who he married in 2022 – they have rarely been out of the headlines ever since, thanks largely to her never-ending wardrobe of increasingly eye-catching outfits…
Comparing the images of their celebration to his most recent outings, with Bianca on his arm, Judi continued: ‘This just doesn’t look like the man we see now hauling his near-naked new wife round while he walks shoeless and wrapped from top to toe in baggy black clothing or scowling while she poses expressionless beside him.
‘In these photos Kanye looks like the perfect fit with Kim’s clear desire to create wedding perfection. The Kardashian women are very determined when it comes to creating ‘ideal’ husbands and partners from more challenging men (Kim even tried to tame Pete Davidson a brief while ago).
‘This was a wedding that was supposed to look A-list plus and it was vital Kanye appeared as the perfect, smitten dream groom.’
The former couple jetted their entire family to Paris – and then Florence – for the ceremony (Picture: Nabil Elderkin)
They have since both moved on publicly (Picture: Nabil Elderkin)
‘There were small hints that Kanye might have been over-flexing his natural personality to fit in with Kim’s search for perfection though,’ Judi suggested.
‘He looks a little awkward holding her hips as she cups his face to proffer a kiss for the cameras and when they pose in close-up together he seems unable to perform eye contact on his bride.
‘He looks happier face-watching her as he tries to make her laugh with him but Kim seems keen to maintain the look of demure bridal elegance instead.
‘Was Kanye swept up in the Kardashian brand here? If so he morphed again quite quickly to the “sulky rapper with the dominant behavior” look after the wedding.
Kim and Kanye share two sons and two daughters together (Picture: kimkardashian/Instagram)
Kim and Kanye now co-parent their four children (Picture: Instagram)
‘The couple were clearly in love but that could have made them oblivious to some of the intrinsic differences in terms of individual brand and lifestyle.
‘We’ve now seen how Kanye looks and acts when he has no filter, with a compliant partner who came with no established brand or fame of her own in the shape of Bianca and it’s far from this well-behaved, smart, compliant look we see with Kim at their wedding.’
Amid swirling split rumors, Kim officially filed for divorce in February, 2021 – nine years after she first started dating the Yeezy designer.
However, she has maintained their close relationship for the sake of their children, and vowed that her ex-husband will always be seen as family.
Kanye married Bianca in 2022 (Picture: GC Images)
‘You have to just be there for them,’ she said of their brood during an interview on ABC in 2022. ‘No matter what, even in this crazy life that we live, you just have to have a really open dialogue with your children.
‘Kanye and I have had conversations. We have to talk daily for the kids so you know, I hate that it had to play out like that. But when it comes to family, I mean, Kanye and I will always be family.
‘At the end of the day, I just want my kids to be happy and healthy, and think the world of their dad. And they do.’
