When the future singing diva met the famous producer René Angélil, Céline Dion was only 12 years old. Seduced by his talent, the latter opens the path to success for him. But a few years later, when the young singer has grown up, another bond will form between them… Celine Dion was then 18 years old. Aware that her love story will not please everyone, she will wait until the following year to tell her family about it. The two lovers are sure of their feelings, but before they can marry, they will wait until the fears of Céline’s family regarding their age difference dissipate. For this, they will have to be patient: it was only seven years later, on December 17, 1994, three years after their engagement and one year after the formalization of their relationship, that the two lovebirds passed the ring on their finger . The singer was then 26 years old, while René Angélil was 52.
If Céline Dion and René Angélil had to hide their love from the eyes of the world for a long time, their marriage will be most dazzling. It is at the Notre-Dame basilica in Montreal that they exchange their vows, during a ceremony worthy of a fairy tale, broadcast live on Canadian television. The controversy is now far behind them, and the singer appears in a spectacular outfit, adapted to the rigors of winter: a wedding dress worthy of a princess, decorated with lace and crystals, which ends in a six-meter-long train. This unique work created by Mirella and Steve Gentile required no less than a thousand hours of work… The veil worn by Céline Dion matches that of her bouquet. However, the most spectacular element of the bride’s outfit remains her headdress, made of two thousand Swarovski crystals – which weighs more than three kilos!
>> PHOTOS – The wedding of Céline Dion and René Angélil
Renewed vows
In the year 2000, the couple received good news: René Angélil overcame throat cancer against which he had been fighting for two years. To mark this happy event, Céline Dion and her loved one decide to renew their wedding vows. This time, they’re heading to Las Vegas, a city dear to their hearts, for a very special ceremony: wishing to pay tribute to the producer’s parents, who got married in 1937, the couple opted for a Melkite ceremony. Radiant in her traditional golden dress, relieved that the man of her life is finally out of the woods, Céline Dion shines. The following year, the couple welcomed their first born, René-Charles, then twins, Eddy and Nelson, in 2010. Nothing seemed to be able to separate them… Alas, the fight against cancer ended up taking away René Angélil in 2016, at the age of 73. Today, herself faced with illness, Céline Dion courageously continues to face the ups and downs of life, while honoring the memory of the dearly departed.
Article written with the collaboration of 6Medias
Photo credits: GALBRAITH/SIPA