Whirlwhind weddings - too much too soon?

As Katie Price and Alex Reid embark on their honeymoon following a much-publicised whirlwhind romance iVillage.co.uk love and sex blogger Dr Pam Spurr reveals what leads some to tie the knot in a flash

Are we surprised that Katie Price decided to latch onto Celebrity Big Brother winner Alex Reid in a whirlwind wedding in Las Vegas? Not really, because Katie's a celebrity who never does things by half.

But putting our cynicism aside about her motives - like endless magazine deals she might get out of this new marriage - why do people make such apparently rash decisions?

The celebrity factor

When it comes to celebrity whirlwind weddings there are usually a few key factors at play. First off there's 'planet celeb' where things move much quicker than for most of us. With 24/7 media coverage in celebrity programmes, and celebrity magazines that need filling there are now paparazzi everywhere - including ordinary folk who snap a celeb on their mobile and sell the pic straight on to a tabloid.

This has added pressure to celebrities to keep their profile up so they aren't forgotten in the scrum. What better way than a chemistry-fuelled and quick romance that ends up in a wedding in a matter of months to get loads of coverage?

Then there's the much-needed TLC

With many celebs living out of suitcases as they promote their latest CD, film, book, etc, they are often struck by enormous loneliness.

When they start dating someone it fills that gap so quickly that the pace of a normal relationship speeds right up. I have a feeling that loneliness and feeling lost was underneath Britney Spears marrying her childhood pal Jason Alexander a few years back - that was quite a whirlwind!

Perhaps Katie Price hated those long and lonely January nights when Alex Reid was proving himself to be a nice guy in the house.