Honestly, if you weren't scrolling through Instagram in May 2022, did you even witness the cultural reset that was the Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker wedding? It wasn't just a ceremony. It was a takeover. A gothic, pasta-filled, Dolce & Gabbana-clad takeover of a tiny Italian fishing village.
Most people think of it as one big party. It wasn't. It was actually a trilogy. A three-act play that started with a tequila-fueled blur in Las Vegas, moved to a sterile courthouse in Santa Barbara, and finally exploded into the opulent, religious-iconography-heavy fever dream in Portofino.
The Three Weddings of Kravis
Let’s be real: one wedding is stressful enough for most humans. But Kourtney and Travis aren't most humans.
First came the Las Vegas "practice" wedding. It was 2 a.m. at One Love Wedding Chapel. There was an Elvis impersonator who, hilariously, kept calling Kourtney "Khloe" throughout the vows. They didn't even have a marriage license yet. It was just raw, post-Grammys energy.
Then came the legal part. To make sure the paperwork actually cleared, they had a small, low-key ceremony at a Santa Barbara courthouse. Kourtney wore a white mini dress and a veil, while Travis’s dad and Kourtney’s grandmother, MJ, looked on. It was functional. It was the "business" end of the romance.
But the Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker wedding the world remembers is Italy. That was the main event.
Why Portofino?
The couple has always had a thing for Italy. They spent a lot of time there during their first summer as a couple. For the big day, they chose Villa Olivetta—a stunning estate owned by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.
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The vibes? Pure gothic romance. Think deep red roses, flickering candles, and enough gold leaf to blind a person.
The Dolce & Gabbana "Sponsorship"
There was a lot of chatter about whether the wedding was basically a giant commercial. Basically, it was. The fashion house didn't just dress the bride; they dressed the entire family. Every sister. Every kid. Even the speedboats ferrying guests to the castle were decked out in D&G animal print pillows.
Kourtney’s look was the centerpiece. She didn't go for a traditional ballgown. Instead, she wore a custom white silk lace and satin corset mini dress. It was inspired by 1960s Italian lingerie.
But the veil was the real star. It was a cathedral-length masterpiece featuring a massive embroidery of the Virgin Mary. It wasn't just random religious art, either. The design was based on one of Travis’s head tattoos. Underneath the image, the words "family, loyalty, respect" were stitched in.
The Walk Down the Aisle
It wasn't a perfectly smooth walk. In the Hulu special 'Til Death Do Us Part, we saw that the massive veil kept getting snagged on the bushes and the uneven flooring of the villa's gardens. Kourtney had to stop several times to get it unstuck.
Kris Jenner walked her down the aisle. Andrea Bocelli was there, too. He sang "I Found My Love in Portofino" while his son, Matteo, played the piano.
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What Actually Happened at the Reception?
Once the "I dos" were done at Villa Olivetta, everyone moved to Castello Brown. This is a 16th-century castle overlooking the harbor.
The food was very Italian. Very specific.
- Fresh Pasta Bar: Staff were literally hand-making pasta to order.
- Cannoli Station: Kylie Jenner posted clips of the shells being filled on the spot.
- The Cake: A four-tier white cake covered in red roses, matching the proposal aesthetic from Montecito.
The party lasted until 3 a.m. Travis’s son, Landon, gave a speech that reportedly brought people to tears. Machine Gun Kelly did an impromptu performance of "Bloody Valentine." Even the Blink-182 classic "All the Small Things" made an appearance, naturally.
Who Was Missing?
The guest list was surprisingly tight for a Kardashian event.
- Scott Disick: Not there. This was a huge plot point on their reality show. He wasn't invited to the intimate Italian leg of the journey.
- Caitlyn Jenner: Also absent.
- Pete Davidson: He was busy with his final episode of SNL and couldn't make the trip with Kim.
Making It Last: Beyond the Wedding
A lot of people predicted this was just "for the cameras." But looking back, the Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker wedding marked a genuine shift for Kourtney. She leaned fully into the "Barker" aesthetic—the leather, the lace, the rock-and-roll edge.
They’ve since welcomed their son, Rocky Thirteen, proving that the "family loyalty" embroidered on that veil wasn't just for show.
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Actionable Takeaways for Your Own Event
You might not have a $60 million superyacht at your disposal, but there are things to learn from the Kravis nuptials:
- Personalize the Iconography: Don't just pick a theme. If you have tattoos or family symbols, find a way to weave them into the fabric of the day—literally.
- The "Mini" Trend: Kourtney proved you don't need a 20-foot train to look like a bride. Short dresses are practical for dancing and coastal venues.
- Local Flavor: If you're doing a destination wedding, lean into the local food. People remember the fresh pasta bar more than they remember the centerpieces.
If you're planning a wedding soon, think about the "Act 1, Act 2, Act 3" approach. Separating the legal ceremony from the celebration can actually take a massive amount of pressure off the big day. It allows you to focus on the "legalities" one day and the "party" another.
Just maybe make sure the officiant knows your name. Unlike poor Elvis in Vegas.
To see the full visual journey of the day, you can check out the archival footage in the Disney+ or Hulu special 'Til Death Do Us Part: Kourtney & Travis. It covers everything from the veil snags to the 2 a.m. dancing.
Next Steps:
If you're looking for more style inspiration from the Kardashian-Jenner archives, you can browse the official Dolce & Gabbana 1990s collections that Kourtney used as her primary mood board for the Portofino weekend.