When Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt said “I do” in an intimate ceremony at their French estate in August 2014, fans expected their honeymoon to be just as dreamy—perhaps a tropical escape or a luxurious European getaway. But in true “Brangelina” fashion, the couple defied expectations.
Instead of lounging on beaches or sipping wine by the sea, Angelina and Brad spent their honeymoon on a movie set—working together, directing and starring in a deeply emotional film about love, pain, and reconciliation. Their honeymoon wasn’t a vacation in the traditional sense—it was a creative journey.
A Honeymoon Like No Other
Shortly after their wedding at Château Miraval, Angelina and Brad flew to Malta and Gozo, two islands in the Mediterranean, not for leisure—but to begin filming "By the Sea" (2015), a drama written and directed by Angelina Jolie herself. The couple spent their honeymoon playing a troubled married pair on the brink of collapse—a bold and intimate project to take on just days after tying the knot.
In a 2015 interview, Jolie admitted the timing wasn’t exactly romantic by traditional standards. “We joked that this was our honeymoon. But then we were shooting scenes where we’re fighting and emotionally tearing each other apart,” she said with a smile. Still, the experience brought them even closer.
The Film: By the Sea
By the Sea tells the story of Roland and Vanessa, a couple struggling to reconnect during a vacation in 1970s France. The film is quiet, moody, and reflective—exploring themes of grief, distance, and love lost and found. It was Jolie’s third directorial project and her first time directing her husband.
While the story is fictional, both actors said the process helped them explore their own relationship on a deeper level. It wasn’t easy—but it was meaningful.
“It was our way of communicating,” Jolie later said. “It was a strange honeymoon. But it was our way of seeing if we could work together, and we learned a lot about each other.”
A Creative Partnership
Working together was nothing new for the couple. They first met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2004, so returning to a film set as a married couple felt almost poetic.
On the Malta set, far from Hollywood, they were surrounded by their children, who stayed with them throughout the shoot. It wasn’t a secluded romantic getaway, but rather a working honeymoon filled with family time, artistic exploration, and the kind of intensity that defined much of their relationship.
Honeymoon with the Kids in Tow
True to their family-first values, Brad and Angelina didn’t jet off alone. All six of their children—Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne—joined them during filming. While their parents worked by day, the kids reportedly enjoyed exploring the islands, playing, and learning on set.
Their approach to marriage and parenting was never traditional. Jolie once described their family as a "tribe," always on the move, constantly learning and evolving together.
Legacy of the Honeymoon
In retrospect, their honeymoon says a lot about their relationship: passionate, intense, collaborative, and rooted in shared experiences. While most newlyweds might choose a break from work, Angelina and Brad leaned into what brought them together in the first place—storytelling, film, and creative partnership.
Sadly, just two years later, Jolie filed for divorce. But even as their marriage ended, their time in Malta remains a fascinating chapter in the story of Brangelina: a honeymoon not of escape, but of artistic immersion and emotional honesty.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s honeymoon was anything but conventional. It wasn’t a time for indulgence or relaxation—it was a time for creation, reflection, and connection. It showed the world that their bond was rooted in more than romance; it was built on a shared love of art, family, and the courage to explore even the hardest parts of love.
Their unconventional honeymoon was, in many ways, a metaphor for their relations
