Blake Shelton Had ‘Awkward Conversations’ About Why His Friends Surprisingly Didn’t Get a Wedding Invitation

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are one of Hollywood’s most high-profile couples, a duo that first met on the set of the singing competition show The Voice. Shelton and Stefani, who might be very musically dissimilar, have created a whole new life together, dividing their time between California and Shelton’s home state of Oklahoma. Recently, Shelton and Stefani tied the knot in a small ceremony, surprising fans who expected the happy couple to throw a big party — and in the days since the nuptials, Shelton has opened up about the “awkward” answer that Shelton has for fans who ask the country star why they didn’t receive a wedding invitation. 

Gwen and Blake have been dating for years

When Shelton and Stefani met while filming The Voice, the two were both involved with other people. Shelton was in a relationship with fellow country star Miranda Lambert, and Stefani was married to Gavin Rossdale. However, within months of meeting, their respective marriages broke down, and soon, Stefani and Shelton found solace in each other.

The exact date of their first date hasn’t been revealed, but it is reported that the two started dating sometime in late 2015. Shelton and Stefani have since embarked on a high-profile relationship, singing duets and regularly opening up about the chemistry between them. 

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s wedding was a spontaneous celebration

In October 2020, after nearly six years together, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani got engaged. Shelton shared the happy news with fans by posting a photo to Twitter, featuring Stefani rocking a huge engagement ring. “Hey @gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020 … And the rest of my life .. I love you. I heard a YES!” Shelton captioned the sweet snap.

Shelton and Stefani weren’t so forthcoming regarding their wedding plans, revealing little about the date that they planned to tie the knot. In fact, when it was revealed in July 2021 that Shelton and Stefani had gotten married at Shelton’s Oklahoma-based ranch, many fans were shocked. The ceremony was small and intimate, with less than 50 guests. Many of Shelton and Stefani’s close friends didn’t attend the ceremony — but as Shelton has admitted in the days since the wedding, that was by design. 

What ‘awkward conversations’ has Blake Shelton had with friends regarding his nuptials?

In a recent interview with Storme Warren, Blake Shelton revealed that some of his friends have questioned why they weren’t invited to the wedding. “I’ve had awkward conversations with so many of my friends. ‘Oh, oh, yeah. I read about that. How was that?’ Listen, we kept it small, get over it. That’s not about you. So, there’s a lot of them,” Shelton said. Shelton didn’t reveal which of his friends specifically asked about being excluded from the wedding, but fans have noted that Adam Levine, Shelton and Stefani’s close friend and former coach on The Voice, did not attend the nuptials. 

Shelton also said that he and Stefani haven’t gone on a honeymoon yet, admitting, “We still are probably going to … We did have some time after the wedding, just she and I, but you know … We just wanted something calm for a minute and not to run off and then go do something else.” At the end of the day, concerns about COVID-19 might have also contributed to Shelton and Stefani’s desire to keep things low-key for their wedding. Their small wedding not only served to make the day more intimate, but reduced concerns about transmitting illness as well.