George and Amal Clooney's Relationship Timeline

July 2013: A Chance Meeting

George and Amal Clooney’s love story began in a rather unusual place—the actor’s living room. As the E.R. alum explained to David Letterman in January 2018, Amal came to his Lake Como home with a mutual friend, much to the delight of his agent. “I got a call from my agent, who said, 'I met this woman who's coming to your house who you're going to marry,'" George recalled.

Not only did she win him over, but she also got the seal of approval from two significant people in his life: his parents. “The funniest thing was my mom and dad were visiting, so my parents were there, and we just talked, and we stayed up all night talking," he said.

George later recounted the moment on a 2021 podcast, saying, “The truth was I met this amazing woman, and she took my breath away. She was brilliant and funny and beautiful and kind. I was sort of swept off my feet."

October 2013: London Calling

Though the pair stayed in contact via email after parting ways, it would be three months before they would meet again—this time with intention. “Over a period of time, it became clear we were more than just friends,” George explained to The Hollywood Reporter in September 2017.

For their first official date, he invited the criminal defense lawyer to Abbey Road Studios in London, where he worked on the score for his latest film, The Monuments Men. The two went later hit the town for a romantic meal. “It was one of those places that was incredibly hip and chic,” the actor recalled. “And when we came out, there were 50 paparazzi there. But she handled it like a champ.”

November 2013: Falling in Love

For the next six weeks, George remained in London while he spent quality time with Amal. “It felt like the most natural thing in the world,” the philanthropist told Vogue in April 2018. “Before that experience, I always hoped there could be love that was overwhelming and didn’t require any weighing or decision-making.”

The effortlessness of their blossoming relationship took her by surprise, however. “I was 35 when I met him,” Amal said. “It wasn’t obvious that it was going to happen for me. And I wasn’t willing or excited about the idea of getting married or having a family in the absence of that.”

December 2013: A Change of Scenery

By the holidays, the twosome were vacationing in Mexico together. “We spent Christmas together in Cabo San Lucas,” George revealed to The Hollywood Reporter.

March 2014: George's Epiphany

The twosome, who were quickly becoming close, traded the azure blue waters of Cabo for the plains of Kenya, where they indulged in a wildlife safari for giraffes—Amal’s favorite animal. It was there that George told Vogue he had a life-changing realization.

“Some giraffes walked up to her. They just came out of the blue. I took a picture of her, and she was smiling. I [later] said to my buddy Ben, ‘You know, I think I should ask her to marry me.’ And Ben said, ‘I think that’s a good idea.'”

April 28, 2014: Their Marriage Proposal

George pulled out all the stops to ask the activist to be his wife. After a pasta dinner (homemade by the Oscar winner himself), the actor suggested that she grab a candle lighter from a drawer.

“She reached back and pulled out a ring. And I did all the stuff: got down on my knee, and did all the things you’re supposed to do,” he recounted to The Hollywood Reporter of their special moment. Amal took her time to respond, though, making him sweat it out. “She just kept staring at the ring, going, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was 20 minutes of me on my knee, waiting for her to say yes because she was so shocked,” he told the publication.

September 27, 2014: A Star-Studded Wedding

On September 27, 2014, Amal wed her real-life prince charming at the Aman Canal Grand hotel in Venice, Italy, in what was arguably the biggest celebrity ceremony since Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot three years earlier.

The star-studded guest list included Hollywood heavyweights such as Matt Damon, Anna Wintour, Cindy Crawford, Emily Blunt, and John Krasinski. The brunette bride walked down the aisle in a custom lace Oscar de la Renta creation with a bateau neckline and a sweeping tulle train. “George and I wanted a wedding that was romantic and elegant, and I can’t imagine anyone more able than Oscar to capture this mood in a dress,” Amal told Vogue of her gown at the time.

September 29, 2014: That's Amore!

The pair’s civil ceremony took place two days later at the Venice Grand Hall, and the couple showed up in style, arriving in a water taxi that read “Amore” on the back of it.  

September 30, 2014: Cover Stories

The world got a gorgeous glimpse of the happy bride and groom in their wedding wear on the cover of Hello! magazine just days later, followed by another shot of the happy couple all dressed up on the front page of Vanity Fair Italia. 

October 2014: A Honeymoon in the Countryside

Nine days after tying the knot, the newlyweds reportedly took the next big step in their relationship: purchasing their first home together in the British countryside called Mill House. They would go on to spend the first two weeks of their marriage there, honeymooning in isolated bliss.

October 25, 2014: Reception Round 2

After celebrating their union with a lavish ceremony in Italy and a civil ceremony days later, George and Amal brought the party to the U.K. the following month with a third, more understated event hosted by the bride’s parents, Baria and Ramzi. Taking place in the Danesfield House Hotel, the affair reportedly included a cocktail reception and a luxe three-course meal.

January 11, 2015: A Swoon-Worthy Speech

For their first public appearance as Mr. and Mrs. Clooney, the lovebirds dressed to the nines, hitting the 2015 Golden Globes red carpet. George wore the actual Giorgio Armani tux from their wedding, and Amal showed up in a breathtaking black Dior creation with an asymmetrical shoulder and a long, flowing train.

Later that evening, the leading man shared his appreciation for his significant other while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contributions to his craft. “It's a humbling thing to find someone you love, even better when you've been waiting your whole life—especially when your life's been 53 years," he gushed from the stage. "Amal, whatever alchemy it is that brought us together, I couldn't be more proud to be your husband."

April 20, 2016: Never Been Happier

There was also no mistaking George’s feelings for his spouse of two years in April 2016, when he opened up to Esquire. “I've never been happier in a relationship by any stretch of the imagination,” he shared. “At 52, I found the love of my life, and I'm really happy.”

October 2016: Expanding Their Empire

With homes in Lake Como and England, the Clooneys set their sights on America, finally finding the perfect apartment in Midtown, New York.

February 2017: Baby Bombshell

In February 2017, The Talk’s Julie Chen made a rather shocking announcement involving the couple. "Beyoncé is not the only superstar expecting twins. Congratulations are in order for George and Amal Clooney," Julie said on-air. "The Talk has confirmed that the 55-year-old superstar and his highly accomplished 39-year-old attorney wife are expecting twins.”

George’s pal Matt Damon would later confirm the news, telling Entertainment Tonight, "Look, the two of them, they're just great people, and they're going to be great parents.”

June 6, 2017: The Twins Arrive!

The couple’s twins were born one month early, on June 6, 2017, in the same hospital as Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis, making George a first-time dad. The couple gave a joint statement to CNN at the time, which read, “this morning Amal and George welcomed Ella and Alexander Clooney into their lives. Ella, Alexander, and Amal are all healthy, happy, and doing fine.” It went on to joke, “George is sedated and should recover in a few days.”

September 6, 2017: Having Their Cake and Eating It, Too

They say you can't have it all, but by September 2017, George certainly seemed to. In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said, “every single day of my life, I just feel lucky. Lucky in my career. Lucky enough to have found the perfect partner." He continued: "Sometimes in life, it doesn’t happen on your schedule, but you find the person that you were always supposed to be with. That’s how I feel, and I know that’s how Amal feels.”

May 19, 2018: Hollywood Royalty

George and Amal all but stole the show at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which they not only attended—Amal in a stunning Stella McCartney day dress and matching hat and George in a dapper gray suit—they also bartended. According to Us Weekly, the silver fox hopped behind the bar at the royal reception at Frogmore Cottage to help serve guests. Casamigos tequila—a company he cofounded in 2013—was plentiful.

June 7, 2018: Amal's Loving Tribute

Amal didn’t shy away from expressing her love for her husband while honoring him at the American Film Institute’s 46^th Life Achievement Award gala tribute. “I was 35 and was starting to become quite resigned to the idea that I was going to be a spinster,” she joked to the crowd of meeting George. “Then we met and started hiding out in my London flat, and very soon it felt like no matter what happened, I would never want to be with anyone else.”

She went on to give even more intimate details from their early days of courtship, saying, “I couldn’t sleep when we were apart, and I was told that I would display a particular grin or head tilt when reading his text messages or the letters he would hide in my bag.”

Cut to five years later: “None of that has changed,” Amal assured. “He is the person who has my complete admiration and also the person whose smile makes me melt every time.”

2020: Hopeless Romantics

While everyone else was baking bread and lounging in sweats mid-quarantine, George and Amal were busy making each other swoon with some good old-fashioned love notes. “Even in lockdown, I'll write a letter and slip it on her desk, or she'll write a letter and leave it under the pillow. I'm a big believer in letters,” George confessed to AARP in January 2021.

June 6, 2021: Birthday Retreat

For Alexander and Ella’s fourth birthday on June 6, 2021, the Clooneys flew back to the place it all began, Lake Como, to kick off the summer in style. They reportedly plan to spend the next few months at the waterfront villa.