Eight Years, Two Children, No Rush: Why Arjun Rampal and Gabriella Demetriades Chose Marriage Now

The wedding took only a few minutes.
The relationship took nearly eight years.
On Friday, actor Arjun Rampal and longtime partner Gabriella Demetriades walked into a government office in Goa, signed a few documents, smiled for a few photographs and emerged as husband and wife. There were no destination-wedding hashtags. No palace. No celebrity guest list stretching across Instagram.
Just paperwork.
And perhaps that is what made it interesting.
By the time the signatures arrived, the couple had already done most of the things people traditionally associate with marriage. They had built a home, raised two children and spent years navigating life together in the public eye. The wedding, in many ways, felt less like the beginning of a love story and more like the latest chapter in one.
Freedom Issue 2026
14 Aug 2026 - Vol 05 | Issue 33
Shashi Tharoor on being radical liberal | Ram Madhav on how Gandhi used his Hinduism | TCA Raghavan on a diplomat's travels in history | Sumana Roy on the novel beyond the Booker | Carlo Pizzati on the dissolution of Borders
Arjun Rampal And Gabriella Demetriades Were Already A Family Before The Wedding
According to ANI, the marriage was registered at the Sub-Registrar's office in Mapusa, North Goa, under Goa's Uniform Civil Code. Sub-Registrar Suraj Vernekar confirmed that the couple completed the formalities in the presence of close friends.
Pictures from the registration office showed a remarkably relaxed couple dressed casually, twinning in white t-shirts, rather than in elaborate wedding attire.
And that simplicity reflected the relationship itself.
For years, Arjun and Gabriella had shown little urgency about formalising their partnership. Unlike many celebrity couples who race from romance to wedding announcements, they appeared comfortable allowing the relationship to evolve at its own pace.
Arjun Rampal-Gabriella Demetriades’ Relationship Timeline
Their story began in 2018 when they reportedly met through mutual friends and started dating soon afterwards.
A year later came a surprise announcement.
In 2019, the couple welcomed their first son, Arik. The arrival made headlines because Arjun and Gabriella had not yet married, something still relatively uncommon in mainstream Bollywood circles.
Then came another milestone.
In 2023, they welcomed their second son, Ariv, further cementing what had already become a stable family unit.
Somewhere along the way, the marriage question stopped feeling urgent.
In fact, fans only learned the couple was engaged when Arjun casually revealed it during an appearance on Rhea Chakraborty's podcast earlier this year.
Now, in 2026, the relationship has come full circle.
Dating. Parenthood. Engagement. Marriage.
Not necessarily in that order.
Who Is Gabriella Demetriades?
Much of the public conversation around Gabriella begins with Arjun Rampal.
But she had her own career long before becoming part of Bollywood headlines.
Born and raised in South Africa, Gabriella began modelling as a teenager before expanding into fashion design and entrepreneurship. She later launched fashion ventures including Deme and VRTT Vintage and has frequently spoken about balancing motherhood with her professional ambitions.
Over the years, she has maintained a public identity that extends beyond simply being a celebrity partner.
A Second Chapter For Arjun Rampal
The marriage also marks another milestone in Arjun Rampal's personal journey.
Before Gabriella, the actor was married to former supermodel Mehr Jesia. The couple married in 1998 and share two daughters, Mahikaa and Myra. Their separation became public in 2018, and their divorce was finalised in 2019. Arjun has since spoken about maintaining an amicable co-parenting relationship with Jesia.
That makes Friday's wedding less a fairy-tale ending than a story about starting over.
Why This Wedding Feels Different From Most Bollywood Weddings
Perhaps the most striking thing about the ceremony is what it lacked.
No weeks of speculation. No designer wedding campaign. No exclusive magazine covers.
Just two people who had already spent years proving their commitment to each other.
In an age when celebrity weddings often become productions in themselves, Arjun Rampal and Gabriella Demetriades chose something quieter.
The legal formalities may have taken only an afternoon.
The life they were formalising took eight years to build.
And that is what makes this wedding feel less like a celebrity event and more like a modern relationship story.
(With inputs from ANI)
