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THE WEDDING OF PAUL & HEATHER
JUNE 11TH 2002 4.30PM
For those of you who need to know every single detail of the McCartney nuptials reprinted here are the most indepth and best news stories related to the wedding that we were able to find!
McCartney family jet out for big day Jun 11 2002 by Jenny Watson, Liverpool Echo
SIR Paul McCartney's family gathered at Liverpool John Lennon Airport this morning (Tuesday, June 11) for their very own Magical Mystery Tour. Fifty relatives, including cousins, second cousins and uncles, checked in at the Speke airport at about 7.30am to go to their famous relative's nuptials. Excited guests loaded with hat boxes, suits in covers and suitcases posed happily for photographers and revealed how they had been kept in the dark over the celebrity wedding of the year. Relatives said they had been told of the wedding in February but were not given specific details in a bid to keep the wedding shrouded in secrecy. Mum-of-two Sally Murphy, 38, Sir Paul's second cousin, who is married to Kevin, also 38, said: "We found out in February that we were invited to Paul's wedding and have had to keep the whole secret ever since. We were given a few details like when we'd be going and that it would be a private plane. "We are extremely excited. It's going to be a fantastic day for all the family and we're very happy for Paul and Heather." Beattie McCartney, 60, an English tutor, who is married to Paul's cousin Keith, 65, an engineer from Houston, Texas, said: "We are absolutely delighted Paul is marrying Heather. She is a beautiful girl and very chatty. It has been difficult not letting the cat out of the bag." Linda Danher, 50, an NHS worker of Oxton, married to Paul's cousin Burt, who died in March, added: "Heather is a wonderful girl and has brought Paul much happiness after the devastation of losing Linda. Linda and I came into the family at the same time and called each other the 1969 babes. "I think because he had a happy first marriage he will have a happy second marriage with Heather." Helen Rowlands, 37, of Widnes, a nursery manager who is Paul's cousin, said: "It's all been very top secret. I couldn't even tell people at work. I just had to book the time off. Heather is a lovely normal girl who is extremely friendly and will make Paul very happy." Birkenhead hairdresser Carol Sherry, 56, who is Paul's cousin, said: "There will be about 100 family members. It will be a great McCartney get together. Paul is extremely generous and it's typical of him to want all his family
Wednesday June 12, 10:27 AM
Tears of joy at McCartney wedding
Heather Mills wept tears of joy as she exchanged vows with Sir Paul McCartney in front of 300 guests at a picturesque Irish church. The bride, who was by tradition slightly late for the ceremony, faltered as she spoke in front of family, friends and celebrities, Sir Paul's spokesman said. Mills carried a bouquet of 11 McCartney roses - named in honour of her new husband - and two peonies. The 4.30pm ceremony was conducted by the Venerable Cecil Pringle, Archdeacon of Clogher. As befits a wedding for one of the world's best known songwriters, his bride entered the 17th century church to the strains of a bridal march, set to the song Heather which he penned for his recent album Driving Rain. And as the beaming pair walked down the aisle after the formal part of the ceremony, the organ played the Wedding March from the film The Family Way, for which Sir Paul wrote the soundtrack in the Sixties. Guests included Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and the band's producer Sir George Martin - commonly known as the fifth Beatle - as well as Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour. Sir Paul's 1969 Marylebone register office wedding to late wife Linda saw none of The Beatles invited. Today's ceremony was followed by a reception featuring five bands. The Irish location was chosen because his mother Mary Patricia Mohin - who died when her musician son was just 14 - lived in nearby Castleblaney, Co Monaghan and was raised there before moving to Liverpool at the age of 11. A spokesman for Sir Paul said: "The ceremony was joyful and moving. Heather captured the hearts of the congregation when, overcome by the emotion of the occasion, she briefly faltered and wept tears of joy whilst making her vows." Sir Paul's brother Mike was best man, a role he carried out at the Marylebone wedding three decades ago, and wore a brown three-piece suit with a pink-red McCartney rose buttonhole. Heather, who was eight minutes late, was given away by her sister Fiona Mills and wore a fitted ecru lace dress which she designed herself. It was made by Eavis & Brown. Heather's hair was styled by Amanda Amos from Brighton and her makeup was by Mathew Alexander of Michael John. Instead of a traditional reading the couple's friend, poet Adrian Mitchell, read Roses In The Summertime - a poem he wrote specially for the newlyweds. Hymns at the 30-minute service were Praise My Soul The King of Heaven and Lord Of All Hopefulness. Sir Paul and his new bride had been keen to keep the event under wraps, but news of the location leaked out and the estate owner let the date slip. Preparations had been continuing for days to ensure it was all to the couple's specifications. Sir Paul, 59, and his 34-year-old bride arrived on Sunday and posed for photographs outside the castle grounds on Monday. He said then: "We would just like to thank all the people who have wished us good wishes and who have written to us."
Sir Paul raps at his wedding by Richard Simpson
Sir Paul McCartney had his 270 guests in fits of laughter when he rapped a song about his love for new wife Heather at the reception following their wedding at Castle Leslie in Ireland last night The former Beatle was joined on stage by five rappers and dancers, then his brother and best man Mike, and eventually Lady McCartney herself in the rap which ended with them revealing the location of their honeymoon - McCartney's house in the Hamptons, Long Island. The performance was one of many highlights of the £2.5 million wedding in the grounds of the 17th century castle in Glaslough, County Monaghan. The grand finale came at 1.20am with the couple sailing across the lake in a boat festooned with flowers while watching a £100,000 firework display. They then left in a helicopter bound for Belfast International Airport where their private jet was waiting to fly them to America. After a meal of mushroom pastry, salad, a roasted wheat dish, plus an Indian-style buffet washed down with merlot, Australian chardonnay and gallons of champagne, in a 500-metre marquee beside the castle lake, Sir Paul and Lady McCartney screened a 10-minute vdeo the theme of which was "kissing" said one guest. The couple were filmed kissing some 20 times in different countries around the world. Sir Paul's droll Scouse humour flavoured his speech when he recalled his Liverpool childhood. Guests laughed when he said: "Back then, I'd have had a wedding just to get the rice. He went on: "My trousers were so thin that if I sat down on a penny I could find out which way up it was - heads or tales." The bride's sister, Fiona Mills, who gave her away, spoke movingly about the fact that Heather had looked after her like a mother throughout her life, and that she's been a "best friend". Heather, 34, also grabbed the microphone and started singing God Only Knows What I'd Do Without You, by the Beach Boys. Sir Paul shed a solitary tear before standing up and applauding wildly. Throughout the reception, Heather showed off a stunning white gold ring inset with half a dozen white and yellow diamonds. The 270 guests included Steve Buscemi, Ringo Starr, Aidan Quinn, Jools Holland, Chrissie Hynde, Twiggy, Monica Seles and Sir George Martin.
This article is from the UK's Sun newspaper- some new details on the wedding from Mike McCartney:
It's great Macca's happy By CHARLES YATES
SIR Paul McCartney's brother yesterday gave the inside story on the wedding of the year. Mike McCartney was Macca's best man when he married Heather Mills at the private family ceremony in Ireland. And yesterday he said: "It's great that Our Kid has found someone to be happy with." Mike, 58, revealed that he walked his brother into church humming Irish band Thin Lizzy's hit The Boys Are Back In Town. And he told how he bought Paul a FRISBEE as a wedding present. Mike said the unorthodox entrance won praise from former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. Talking for the first time about the hush-hush do at Castle Leslie, Co Monaghan, Mike said: ""I'd whispered to the relatives on the right of the church 'The Boys Are Back In Town' as we walked past them. "After that I couldn't get the song out of my head. "Ringo told me afterwards, 'I loved the entrance'." Mike told how his son Joshua, 19, was an usher at the service in a 17th century chapel on the castle estate. One of his jobs was to hold the box containing the wedding rings. Mike said: "Joshua is a drummer himself in a rock 'n' roll band called Trilby but at the wedding Paul dubbed him The Lord of The Rings. "I thought I should introduce Joshua to Ringo but it never happened - we were too busy." Mike was a pop star himself in Sixties novelty group Scaffold, who had hits with Lily The Pink and Thank U Very Much. He was clearly moved by the wedding. And he agrees all you need is love. He said: "I've been at the epicentre of the explosion. Things will be coming back from that day for months to come. "Over there I was just feet away from two people who love each other - that' s all you want in life. If you're lucky and you both love each other, that is all anybody needs." Mike said that Paul, 59, felt lucky before the wedding because he had spotted a bright double rainbow the previous day. And for extra luck he wore a "magic buttonhole" to marry former model Heather, 34. "Not only did he have a pink McCartney rose but he had a sprig from Dad's lavender bush and Mum's favourite flowers - two buttercups - in his lapel. "That lavender bush came from our family home in Forthlin Road, Liverpool. All our lives we had lavender around us. "Mum would put it in little sachets and leave it in drawers and Dad would burn it in his ashtray." Mike revealed that he was Master of Ceremonies at Paul's wedding as well as Best Man.He said: "I introduced the first dance, Tony Bennett singing The Very Thought Of You. It was Paul and Heather's favourite song and it was lovely. "At the start there was just Bennett's voice singing. Then all of a sudden the song broke off and Tony was talking on a specially-made recording. "He said, 'So Paul and Heather, how great it is to be part of this great occasion. This is my wedding present to you'." Mike also revealed a couple of snippets from his best man's speech. He said: 'I warned Heather's family of the insanity they were coming into. "I told them the family sayings. I reckon our lot must have invented surrealism centuries ago. Popular phrases used by our lot include 'the answer is, there is no answer' or 'in goes your eye out'. "Or as Aunty Milly would say, 'here we are, where are we?' The whole McCartney clan have been brought up on these absolutely bizarre and magic sayings for years. "I say them and never explain them. They always get you thinking. Nobody ever explained any of them to Paul or me. "I've got six kids and a grandchild just 18-months-old and they've all heard them." Mike also weaved a line into his speech to give the result of Ireland's 3-0 World Cup triumph over Saudi Arabia. He said: "I was changing the speech even as Heather's sister Fiona was making hers before me." For Mike it was his second spell as best man for his famous brother - he gave a speech when Paul married photographer Linda Eastman in March, 1969, at London's Marylebone register office. Mike, speaking at the home he shares with wife Rowena, 39, in Heswall, the Wirral, recalled how Paul was devastated by Linda's death from cancer in April 1998. The brothers had already lost their mother Mary, a midwife, from the disease in 1956 when Mike was 12 and Paul 14. Their father Jim died 20 years later. Mike said: "When we heard that Linda had died, Ro said, what are you going to do? I just got in the car and went down to Paul's house on the south coast. There are some times when talking isn't enough. "It knocked Paul for six. That's the most important time that anybody should bother about anybody else, when death happens. With the passage of time grief gets less, but it never ever leaves you." Mike added: "When we talk about Dad or Mum to this day it all comes back. But there's also a thing where you have to get on with your life. Time goes on with you and without you. "What is great is the fact that our kid has found someone to be happy with. "I am lucky in the fact that I am still in love with the lady that I married 20 years ago. "Paul was best man on that day and his speech was more relaxed and shorter than the one I gave this week. He just ad libbed. "Like Paul and Heather there was an age difference between us - it's 18 years. "Some people said our marriage wouldn't last 20 years ago - but it has." Mike added: "Paul was going out with Jane Asher when he was best man for my first marriage. Then when I got remarried 20 years ago in Penny Lane he did the job again." Mike was not surprised when Sir Paul harked back to his childhood after the speeches at this week's wedding. He said: "At the end of the day we're two little Liverpool lads - that is exactly what we are. We've never really changed - the world has changed all around us. "But every time we get together we are just the way we were. He's remained sane amid all the madness. "There we were in this big posh castle and Our Kid throws the frisbee I bought him as a wedding present. It had P and H written on it. "I am glad they found each other - you've got to be. I wish Paul and Heather all the luck in the world."
MACCA'S LOVE BOAT Jun 12 2002
Beatles idol McCartney and his new bride take honeymoon on £17m luxury yacht James Scott Daily Record SIR PAUL McCARTNEY is taking to the high seas with his new bride Heather Mills. The happy couple will honeymoon aboard the £17million superyacht Salperton, which the former Beatle has chartered for £125,000 a week. Yesterday, in a fitted lace dress and beaming with happiness, model-turned-charity-campaigner Heather married Macca in a fairytale ceremony in Ireland. The happy couple exchanged vows in front of 300 family and friends at St Salvator's church in the grounds of Castle Leslie in County Monaghan. The service started in romantic fashion when Heather arrived at the church across the castle's lake in a barge strewn with white lilies. She was helped from the boat by her matron-of-honour, her sister Fiona, who escorted her to the church. Heather walked down the aisle of the 17th-century chapel to organ music as Paul and his best man, brother Mike McGear, looked on. During the service, Macca's former bandmate Ringo Starr read out the service based on the words of the Beatles hit All You Need Is Love. Heather shed a tear as she swore her solemn vows to Paul and the congregation cheered as he pulled his new bride to him and gave her a loving kiss. Just after 5.20pm, wedding bells pealed from the tower of the picturesque chapel as the happy couple emerged into the sunlight. The guests moved to the castle where they enjoyed an Indian buffet of vegetarian curry, then grooved the night away on a specially constructed dance-floor hidden by a huge white marquee in the grounds. At the end of the evening, the couple were helped on to the wedding barge and taken to the middle of the lake - the cue for the start of a spectacular firework display. After 10 minutes of pyrotechnics, their boat continued across the water where they were picked up by a helicopter. Illuminated by spotlights, the chopper whisked them away to begin their new life as man and wife. The Kiwi-built honey-moon yacht, registered in the Cayman Islands, has been en route to the west of Ireland from the US with nine crew for the past two weeks. The 174ft luxury yacht made its maiden voyage only six months ago. The Salperton has five state rooms finished in cherrywood with en-suite marble bathrooms, a gym and the latest water sports equipment including scuba gear and three sea canoes. The latest DVD technology has been discreetly installed and smoking is only allowed on the deck. A charter firm source said: "The boat is one of the best in the world. It's the last word in ocean-going luxury." For the past week, hundreds of lorries and workmen passed through the castle's gates as feverish activity went on inside the 1000-acre grounds. Giant marquees were erected next to the lake and a pier and pontoons were built as launch pads for the fireworks. Lilies and roses costing £100,000 were imported from the Netherlands. A big family secret also emerged - there's a baby on the way. Macca's daughter, photographer Mary, 28, is expecting a child with husband Alistair Donald. They already have a three-year-old son.The bride and groom's families - including Paul's favourite Auntie Joan - had arrived on Monday and enjoyed a sumptuous dinner in the castle. After the feast, guests sang and danced as Paul played the piano into the early hours. The last revellers finally retired to their rooms at 4am. Yesterday, the other special guests began to arrive. Former Beatle Ringo and his wife Barbara Bach arrived in Belfast in the drummer's private jet before being ferried to the castle. Guitarist Eric Clapton and his wife Melia McEnery were whisked to the venue in a blacked-out Mercedes. Other guests including musician Jools Holland, model Twiggy, singer Chrissie Hynde and composer Tim Rice flew into Belfast yesterday morning. They were taken to a hotel to freshen up and change into their wedding clothes before moving on to Castle Leslie in a blacked-out coach. Other special guests included Hollywood actors Aidan Quinn and Steve Buscemi. Earlier, Buscemi - who starred in Reservoir Dogs - said: "I'm really looking forward to it - it's going to be a blast." Macca and Heather turned down a £1.5million bid from Hello! magazine for exclusive rights to their wedding pictures. Instead, the media were granted a single photograph of the happy couple on the understanding that a donation is paid to Heather's landmine charity. On Monday, Macca, 59, and Heather, 34, ended weeks of will-they-won't-they speculation when they abandoned efforts to keep the celebrations secret. In a brief press conference outside the castle gates, they held hands and exchanged a kiss. When Paul produced a single red rose from behind his back and presented it to his bride- to-be, the crowd roared in approval. Macca said: "As you all know through Uncle Jack, it's tomorrow - but it's a secret." It was a cheeky dig at Sir John Leslie, uncle of the castle owner, who inadvertently let slip the wedding date last week. Unsurprisingly, security surrounding Paul and Heather's wedding was tight. Edinburgh-based Rock Steady Security - who provided guards for Madonna's wedding in the Highlands in 2000 -kept uninvited guests at bay. Heather's marriage to the singer marks the latest chapter in an extraordinary rags-to-riches story. She swapped a penniless childhood on a run-down council estate for a lifestyle she could only have dreamed of. Heather has often spoken of a turbulent childhood growing up in Washington, Tyne and Wear. When she was nine years old her mother walked out on her and her brother and sister. They were left in the care of their father who, Heather claimed, was abusive and violent towards them. She fell into petty crime and played truant from school to go shoplifting and drinking. Her father was jailed for fraud when she was 13 and she travelled to London to live with her mother, but she soon ran away. Heather married computer sales director Alfie Karmal but they split up in 1989. She lost a leg in 1993 when she was involved in an accident with a police motorcyclist on Kensington High Street. She has since become a campaigner for amputee rights as well as landmine victims. Paul met Heather three years ago at The Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards and they became engaged last July.
McCartneys Jet Off on Honeymoon After Irish Wedding By Kevin Smith
GLASLOUGH, Ireland (Reuters) - Sir Paul McCartney and his new wife, former model Heather Mills, were beginning their honeymoon Wednesday after a fireworks display brought their lavish Irish wedding to a spectacular close. Some 300 guests, including rock stars and movie actors, partied until the early hours following Tuesday's ceremony at 17th century Castle Leslie in Glaslough, County Monaghan. "It was a fabulous event, really fantastic. Everything went according to plan and everyone had a superb time," McCartney's spokesman Geoff Baker told Reuters. He refused to confirm the couple's honeymoon destination but hinted it may be "somewhere in the Caribbean." McCartney, 59, and Mills, 34 -- now Lady McCartney -- crossed the castle lake in a flower-bedecked boat after the fireworks display at around 1:30 a.m. before boarding a helicopter for Belfast airport where a private jet was waiting. Organizers said the fireworks display was the biggest held in Ireland since a Millennium extravaganza in Dublin two years ago. After the wedding ceremony in a 300-year-old church on the castle's 1,000-acre estate -- during which the bride broke down with emotion while making her marriage vows -- guests feasted on Indian-style vegetarian cuisine washed down with vintage champagne in a lakeside marquee. Live music was provided by five bands, including the group ex-Beatle McCartney recently toured with in the United States. True to form, guests said, McCartney was the musical highlight of the evening, climbing up on a specially construcucted outdoor stage to perform a "marriage rap" for his bride. "He looked like he was improvising but it was unbelievable. The energy was incredible," one guest, who declined to be named, told Reuters. Later, Chrissie Hynde, former frontwoman with rock group The Pretenders, sang backing vocals on a medley of 1970s disco hits. Others attending the showbiz event of the year included Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour, U.S. film actor Steve Buscemi and Fab Four producer Sir George Martin. Wedding guests checking out of hotels in the area on Wednesday morning looked tired but happy. British musician and television personality Jools Holland, spoke for many of them: "It was marvelous -- a beautiful traditional family wedding," he told Reuters, adding he may have had "one too many pints of Guinness." For the tiny village of Glaslough -- for several intense days the focus of the world's media -- it was time to move on. "It was exciting," said shop assistant Marie McNaughton, "but I'm glad it's over. Now we can get back to normal,"
GLASLOUGH, Republic of Ireland -- Flowers petals fluttered and bells pealed as ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and his bride Heather Mills departed St. Salvator's church Tuesday after their wedding ceremony. The bride wore a lace dress designed with the help of two London designers, who did not include McCartney's designer daughter, Stella. The groom wore a three-piece brown suit. It was the second marriage for both. A local priest presided over the Church of Ireland service, which was closed to the press. Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr is believed to have given a reading during the ceremony based on the group's song, "All You Need is Love." Sir Paul's children, Stella, James, Mary and stepdaughter Heather, are believed to have attended, despite reports of a rift between them and the bride. A single official wedding photo was made available to publications that made a £1,000 ($1,471 US) an anti-landmine charity, Adopt A Minefield UK. The couple turned down a £1.5 million ($2.2. million US) offer from a celebrity magazine for exclusive coverage of the wedding. "An occasion like this is for everyone," Sir Paul's spokesman Geoff Baker said. The bride, who was by tradition slightly late for the ceremony, faltered as she spoke in front of family, friends and celebrities, McCartney's spokesman said. She carried a bouquet of 11 McCartney roses -- named in honor of her new husband -- and two peonies, he said. Mills entered the church to the strains of the song "Heather," which McCartney wrote for his recent album. As the two walked back down the aisle after exchanging vows, the organ played the "Wedding March" McCartney wrote for the 1966 movie "The Family Way." With reporters and camera kept out of the church, commentators took the sound of ringing bells at the 300-year-old St Salvator's church as a sign that the 34-year-old ex-model and the 59-year-old former Beatle were wed. CNN's Richard Quest said the marriage was delayed by about 30 minutes on Tuesday after a helicopter was heard hovering low over the church as Mills was supposed to have approached. "Organisers -- and we can only assume that is McCartney and Mills -- became very annoyed," he said. "It is said to have left a bad taste in the mouth."
Update (6/12/02) More details: This is London reported that the couple was up partying until 4 a.m. the night before the ceremony. Heather was, as called for by tradition, slightly late -- eight minutes, said one report, for the ceremony, which was performed by the Ven Cecil Pringle, Archdeacon of Clogher, an acquaintance of Sir Paul's late mother Mary. Heather wept as she spoke. Her bouquet consisted of 11 McCartney roses and two peonies. Paul wore a dark three-piece suit with a rose in his buttonhole. Poet Adrian Mitchell, a friend of the couple, read "Roses In The Summertime," written especially for them. As Heather entered the church, a bridal march, based on the song "Heather" from Paul's "Driving Rain" album, was played. Paul's brother, Mike, was best man. Heather's sister, Fiona, was maid of honor. As they walked out of the church, the wedding march from "The Family Way," which was also composed by Paul, was played. Though press wasn't allowed on the grounds, a helicopter managed to get shots of guests arriving, which probably didn't please Paul. The reception, served on gold plates, was completely vegetarian: a vegetable curry, which was served in a Taj Mahal type tent, along with a veggie banquet, with champagne, vintage wine and 1,000 bottles of beer. Over 100 members of McCartney's family were invited to attend the wedding,. They were told about the wedding in February, though they weren't told in advance where it would be, reported IC Liverpool, to help keep the location a secret. Also attending the ceremony: Paul's "Driving USA" touring band, who provided some of the music at the reception. Also playing: An Indo-Irish group called the Celtic Ragas. The climax was a fireworks display as the couple sailed across the castle lake, then waved goodbye under a rose arch. Because guests weren't allowed to bring cameras, This Is London reported they'll be sent pictures by mail. They will likely honeymoon in either Jamaica or the Hamptons in Long Island.
McCartney, Mills get hitched
GLASLOUGH, Ireland - Good day, sunshine, wasn't quite how the umbrella-armed locals greeted the chilly, damp weather. And, yes, a crucial World Cup match between Ireland and Saudi Arabia vied for their attention. Still, down the road from a banner splashed with "Glaslough Welcomes Sir Paul, Heather and Guests," scores of the faithful and merely curious bent over metal barricades and aimed camcorders, holding out hope for a chance to glimpse the biggest celebrity this village of 500 has seen since perhaps Mick Jagger slept here a couple of decades ago. All they may have needed was love, love, love, but Paul McCartney and his bride, Heather Mills, got a lot more Tuesday when they married in a lavish event. Intermittent rain - forcing a rainbow at one point - didn't discourage the 300 guests, mostly family with some celebrity friends who flew in to witness the union of the rocker, who turns 60 next week, and the 34-year-old model. Among the notable names said to be in attendance: fellow former Beatle Ringo Starr, Chrissie Hynde of the rock group The Pretenders, actor Steve Buscemi, producer George Martin, 1960s fashion model Twiggy and Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour. At sometime after 3 p.m., Greenwich Mean Time, a Protestant priest presiding over the ceremony at St. Salvador's Church on the grounds of the 17th-century Castle Leslie estate pronounced the famous couple man and wife. At approximately 5 p.m., bells rang out, signaling the service was complete. It is the second marriage for both. Mills' dress, said to be made of an ecru lace, was not the creation of Paul's fashion designer daughter, Stella McCartney. Mills said she came up with the concept herself, with help from London fashion house Avis & Brown. McCartney's brother, Mike, who was best man when Paul married Linda Eastman in 1969, was best man again Tuesday. John Eastman, Linda's brother, along with Paul's children, Stella, James, Mary and stepdaughter Heather, were on hand, but not part of the ceremony. Rumors of family dissension, however, have been laid to rest. Stella told the Daily Mirror recently the union had her blessing: "Of course. I don't want to say much else but it certainly does have my blessing, absolutely." Security guards kept the site protected over the last week but what is known is that after the church service, the reception got under way in a series of white tents set up on the grounds of the 1,000-acre Castle Leslie estate, located in the tiny town of Glaslough, County Monaghan, about 80 miles north of Dublin. Castle Leslie is a luxury hotel whose previous guests have included Jagger (who was not at the wedding). McCartney said he chose the site in part because his mother was born in County Monaghan. Filling in the romantic scene of the day, lilies and roses were imported from Holland. British musician Chinmaya Dunster and his eight-piece band entertained the wedding party with a blend of Celtic and Indian music between the service and the meal. Cristal champagne, along with lots of beer, chardonnay and merlot wines, were said to have been flowing. A vegetarian buffet (both McCartney and Mills are vegetarians) was offered. Stages provided a place for musicians and dancing. Estimated price tags for the wedding have ranged from $1 million to $3.2 million. Geoff Baker, a spokesman for the couple, said, "The theme is definitely relaxed and informal - this is not a glitzy event in that sense." The hoopla surrounding this wedding, however, is far different from McCartney's wedding to Eastman, his wife of 29 years, who died of breast cancer four years ago. That was a low-key ceremony at a registry office in central London, planned a day in advance. The sleepy village of Glaslough has been swamped since last week with media from around the world, and activity had reached fever pitch, with Ireland's World Cup victory against Saudi Arabia adding to the excitement. Fans came from as far as Zurich, from the middle of England and from 50 miles to the north. Paul McAteer, Mandy Clarke and their son Bradley drove down from Bambridge in Northern Ireland and were among the first to stake a spot by the barricades about 11 a.m. And they own only one Beatles album. "When this is on your doorstep how could you not come down and see it," explained McAteer, 35, a trucker draped in gold chains. "Are we mad down here?" asked Yvonne Boyd, 39, as the drizzle hardened into a steady rain. Amber-tinted coaches and the odd Mercedes streaked by along with rumors of which celebrity was inside. Sting? Eric Clapton? Bono? (None of those rockers attended.) But in contrast to Madonna and Guy Ritchie's thickly veiled nuptials, these were relatively accessible. "It's hectic - good for business, though," said food van owner Brendan McKenna, whose "Big Macca" burgers looked like a good value at three euros ($2.84) each. "Macca" is what McCartney is called in the British press. For Mills, this is far from her humble upbringing, too. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 9, Mills and her sibling were left in the care of an abusive father - who was not invited to her wedding. At 13, she ran away to London, where she slept under Waterloo Bridge. She was arrested after she stole from the jewelry shop where she worked. It wasn't until a boyfriend secretly sent a photo of her into a newspaper contest that she became a model. At 19, she set up her own modeling agency and not too much later, a marriage to computer sales director Alfie Karmal was short-lived. When the marriage ended, Mills moved to Slovenia to train as a ski instructor. The devastating effects of land mines during Yugoslavia's civil war sparked her to set up a refugee crisis center in England devoted to victims. She became even more focused on it after she was hit by a police motorcycle in London, and her left leg had to be amputated below the knee. Turning to charity work, she was nominated for the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, and in 1999, she met McCartney at a charity dinner. McCartney, whose assets are put at about $1 billion, and Mills did not sign a prenuptial agreement protecting his fortune, according to Baker. "It's not really them." The couple also turned down a reported $2 million offer from Britain's Hello! magazine for exclusive rights to the wedding photos, instead asking publications wishing to use the images to make a $1,500 donation to the anti-land mine charity Adopt a Minefield UK. As for a honeymoon, one British paper, The Daily Mail, reported the couple would spend Tuesday night in the castle's Red room, said to be haunted by former owner Sir Norman Leslie, who was killed on the battlefields of France in 1914. Another report, however, said the couple would helicopter off to an undisclosed location to start their honeymoon. While the party went on inside the castle, outside fans tried to get a glimpse of the two who already have plenty of fans. "They are a lovely couple. She's beautiful and he hasn't aged a bit," said Yvonne Boyd, 39, from Glaslough, who said she was a "big-time Beatles fan." "It's a great buzz for the village - definitely a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I couldn't miss coming down."
