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Cruise, Holmes marry in Italian castle
2006-11-18
In a fairy-tale setting, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes exchanged wedding vows Saturday in a glowing 15th-century castle in this medieval lakeside town. Cruise's publicist, Arnold Robinson, confirmed that the evening ceremony had taken place and said he would release details later. It was expected to be a Scientology ceremony. Oil-fed torches and tiny candles flickered from the battlements and windows of the Odescalchi castle as the couple and fellow celebrities gathered for the ceremony in the town about 27 miles northwest of Rome. One of the guests was the couple's daughter, 7-month-old Suri, who was dressed in white and arrived in her mother's arms. Holmes wore a black dress and boots before she changed into a Giorgio Armani gown for the ceremony. Cruise came from Rome, where the family had been staying in a luxury hotel near the Spanish Steps, in a van and, sporting dark shades, waved to fans. When the groom drove up, Holmes, anxiously gesturing with a hand, watched from a castle window. Other VIPs driven through the castle gates included Brooke Shields, Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey and Roberta Armani, the designer's niece. People magazine also reported that Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, along with David Beckham and his wife, Victoria, came to the castle. And "Entertainment Tonight" said Italian singer Andrea Bocelli serenaded the couple after the ceremony. The two stars arrived separately to the castle earlier Saturday, with pouring rain forcing Holmes and her daughter to take shelter under large, green umbrellas as they left their limousine. But the sun was shining on the castle when Cruise arrived, with some fans shouting, "Tom, Tom!" As the sun began to set, candles were placed in pots along the road to the castle and in some of the windows. Men wearing tuxedos and women holding up the hems of their long gowns walked up the steep path to the castle. Holmes was giving Cruise a Vacheron Constantin watch engraved simply, "I Love You," as a wedding gift, the company said. It said she bought the gift in Los Angeles last week. Security was tight, with Carbinieri paramilitary police patrolling the walls of the castle and all vehicles banned from the center of Bracciano. The flag of the Odescalchi family, whose ancestors include Benedetto Odescalchi, the 17th century pope Innocent XI, fluttered over the castle's towers. "When I first walked here, I didn't know why they chose this place," said Emily Roeder, 19, of Atchison, Kansas, who came to Bracciano for the day from Florence, where she is studying. "Then I saw the castle and the streets all around, and it's really romantic." Hundreds of the town's 14,000 residents and fans of the stars braved intermittent rain to catch a glimpse of the arrivals. "I want to see at least one of them -- even if it's not Tom Cruise," said 15-year-old Erica Bandiera. "I want to see Beckham's wife," said her friend Luca Costanzi, 15, with a huge grin. The town's narrow streets also teemed with journalists and camera crews. Locals found their own ways to welcome the bride and groom. At her Il Ristorantino dining spot, owner Simona Palazzini offered a "Top Gun" menu that included fettuccine with seafood called "Mission Impossible" and apple pie with cream and hot chocolate named after Suri. At the nearby Trattoria del Castello, guests could order a "Tom e Kat" -- a basket of parmesan cheese with truffles and mushrooms. "Wishing you love and happiness," read one sign written in English and taped to the window of a coffee shop. On Friday evening, Cruise and Holmes attended a reception at a villa on a hill overlooking Rome. Scientology ceremonies contain many elements of traditional weddings, including rings and vows. But they also include certain Scientology fundamentals, including vowing never to go to bed without communicating about any differences. A spokesman for the Church of Scientology for Rome, Fabrizio D'Agostino, said an exchange of vows with a Scientology rite was not legally recognized in Italy, and would have to be preceded or followed by a civil union. Bracciano Mayor Patrizia Riccioni said her office had not received a request to celebrate a civil wedding as of midday Friday. Holmes and Cruise became engaged in June 2005. Their daughter was born April 18. Cruise, has two children, 13-year-old Isabella, and 11-year-old Connor, from his marriage to Nicole Kidman. Kidman and Cruise divorced in 2001 after 10 years of marriage. Holmes, who starred in TV's "Dawson's Creek," had been engaged to Chris Klein. Cruise also was previously married to Mimi Rogers, and had a high-profile romance with Penelope Cruz. ___ Associated Press writer Marta Falconi contributed to this story from Bracciano.
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