Greta Gerwig reveals why she and Noah Baumbach had a city hall wedding after dating for 12 years

Greta Gerwig has opened up about her and her now-husband’s decision to have their wedding at city hall.

Last month, the director and Noah Baumbach, who share two children together, tied the knot after dating for the 12 years. At the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala Thursday 4 January night, Gerwig spoke to ET about why now was the right time to say “I do.”

“We wanted to do it, we kept waiting for a moment to make a big wedding, but suddenly we were like: ‘We’ll do a big wedding at some point, but let’s just do it,’” she told the outlet.

“And we were like: ‘Let’s go to city hall, and let’s go to Billy Joel,’” added Gerwig.

The couple met on Baumbach’s Greenberg and went on to work together on films like Mistress America and Frances Ha, which they co-wrote, Baumbach directed, and Gerwig acted in.

Not only have Gerwig and Baumbach collaborated on films such as Frances Ha, Mistress America, and 2022’s White Noise, but they also co-wrote the year’s biggest blockbuster film, Barbie. In 2020, they became the first couple to compete at the Academy Awards in the same categories - Best Picture, Lead Actress, and Supporting Actress - for Baumbach’s Marriage Story and Gerwig’s Little Women.

Speaking to the Guardian, the mother of two referred to the film director as her “favourite person to work with”. She described herself as an “extrovert”, whereas he’s an “introvert”.

“His opinion matters the most to me,” she said “I love making him laugh. It’s the best feeling. When he watches a cut and something makes him really laugh, I’m, like: ‘Got it!’”

Gerwig added: “I fling myself at life, he kind of… takes his time. You know, underneath it all, we both just love movies and art.”

Back in December 2019, Baumback spoke toVogue about his favourite part of working alongside his partner.

“I think the pleasure of writing for us is that it seeps into everything,” he told the outlet. “I’d show her a cut of my movie, and then a few months later, I’m watching her movie.”

“I don’t want to sound sickeningly happy, but it’s a truly great thing to watch someone you love make something and love the thing they make,” Baumbach added. “I don’t know how else to say it without saying great a lot.”

Baumbach was previously married to and shares a child with Jennifer Jason Leigh, while he shares four-year-old son, Harold Ralph Gerwig Baumbach, and a second son they quietly welcomed in 2023, with Gerwig.

In an interview with Elle UK published in July, Gerwig announced that she and her partner of 12 years quietly welcomed their second child together. “The little guy is sleeping through the night,” she said. “But I’m still doing that thing where I wake up, every hour to 90 minutes, and just hover. You just keep wanting to look at that baby. So I’m slightly in a twilight state.”

Despite her tiredness, Gerwig described her baby as “a little Schmoo”, adding: “I don’t know if you can tell energy from this picture, but that’s very much his energy. He’s a wise little baby.”