Brad and Angelina married once in US, again in France

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Photo / AP

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have managed to keep two wedding ceremonies secret, it was revealed yesterday.

The movie stars, who have been together for a decade, tied the knot in the romantic setting of a chapel at Chateau Miraval, their home in France, last Saturday.

Their spokesman said the two were married "under California law" and a California judge was flown to France to conduct the ceremony.

However, under guidelines issued in California, for a marriage licence to be valid the couple "must be married in California".

A marriage performed in France by a California judge would not qualify, apparently.

That suggests the couple had a previous civil ceremony in California. A register office source in California said couples intending to have a romantic ceremony abroad had a civil marriage performed in the state before they left.

To get their California marriage licence, Pitt and Jolie would have been required to appear together at a county clerk's office, where they would have paid a fee of less than US$100 ($120).

The law requires one witness at a ceremony, which can be held anywhere within the borders of the state.

In Los Angeles, it is also possible to opt for a "confidential marriage licence", which requires no witnesses.