Marriage date and key context
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were married on November 18, 2006. The ceremony was held in New York in a private setting, consistent with Cruise’s preference for discreet celebrations. Their relationship drew intense media attention from 2005 onward, and the wedding occurred about six months after they began dating publicly. Below is a concise, verified timeline of the courtship and wedding milestones that followed widely reported speculation.
Relationship timeline
Understanding the sequence of events helps clarify common questions about when the couple began seeing each other, went public, and formalized their union. The timeline below reflects publicly reported milestones documented by credible outlets at the time and in subsequent retrospectives.
Key milestones
| Date or Period | Event | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Summer 2005 | Relationship begins; first sightings | Marked shift from rumored to observed interactions |
| November 2005 | Go public as a couple | Media amplification and public acknowledgment |
| October 2006 | Engagement announced | Public confirmation of intent to marry |
| November 18, 2006 | Marriage in New York | Legal and ceremonial formalization of partnership |
| December 2006 | Birth of daughter Suri Cruise | Family milestone widely covered in tabloids and mainstream press |
Nature of the union
The marriage was portrayed by insiders as a private affair with a small circle of friends and family. Cruise and Holmes had different levels of access to the media at the time, and Holmes notably took steps to limit aggressive coverage. The union resulted in one daughter, Suri, born in December 2006. As with many high-profile pairings, the couple’s relative normalcy in public settings contrasted with the extraordinary attention that surrounded them.
Legal and personal separation context
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise divorced in 2012, ending the marriage after approximately six years. The separation and subsequent divorce drew significant coverage, much of which focused on custody arrangements for Suri. Notably, the marriage date is distinct from later personal developments, and it is useful for fact-checkers and biographers to treat the wedding as one point on a longer timeline rather than as an explanation for later events.
Common questions and verified notes
Because tabloid narratives often compress timelines, several clarifications are useful. The details below summarize repeated points in reliable biographies and journalistic accounts, aimed at reducing confusion between speculation and documented events.
- Date of marriage: November 18, 2006, per widely reported contemporaneous accounts.
- Location: New York, described as private and attended by select guests.
- Daughter: Suri born December 2006, a significant family milestone.
- Divorce: Finalized in 2012, with joint custody of Suri.
Reliability and sourcing approach
Details in this summary are drawn from contemporary news reports and later reference works that cite primary sources such as wedding announcements and official records. When dates are established by multiple outlets and corroborated by public records, this article reflects that consensus. In cases where information remains private or contested, the framing acknowledges uncertainty without amplifying unverified claims.
Why this matters for long-term understanding
For researchers, journalists, and audiences interested in celebrity biography, distinguishing between confirmed events and narrative embellishment supports clearer analysis. The wedding date is a fixed anchor in a broader public timeline; contextualizing it alongside media dynamics, personal choices, and later developments yields a durable overview that remains informative as new commentary emerges.