Canadian songstress Avril Lavigne said 'I do' to Sum 41 band member Deryck Whibley in a ceremony in Montecito near Los Angeles on Saturday. The ceremony, which took place in the presence of 110 family and friends, saw 21-year-old Lavigne walk down the aisle in a Vera Wang gown with a bouquet of white roses in her hand.
The wedding was at a private estate where the paparazzi were not welcome. Even though the location had remained undisclosed, the media sniffed it out and photographers were seen camping outside for their share of the action. The bride arrived at the venue in a Rolls Royce at around 3 pm local time and was ushered in for the ceremony amid tight security. Photographers made futile attempts to snap pictures of Lavigne in her bridal glory, and an overenthusiastic lensman was arrested by the cops for trying to crash the wedding.
Lavigne later walked down the aisle accompanied by her father John to
Wedding March and in a non-denominational service, got married to the Canadian musician.
Whibley's fellow band members and family were present at the wedding planned by celebrity planner Mindy Weiss, but the couple's showbiz connections were conspicuous by their absence. After the couple exchanged their vows under an awning full of white flowers, they proceeded to join the guests for the cocktail party, which was followed by dinner in tents. For the party, Lavigne shed her bridal gown and donned a Vera Wang strapless number. Guests ate their dinner in tents decorated with red flowers and sporting red decoration items, keeping with the theme of the party, even as the couple danced to the tunes of
Iris by Goo Goo Dolls.
Meanwhile, Lavigne had a singles' party on June 30 before surrendering her single status. Among the cheesy gifts that the singer and guitarist received were panty sets that had 'The Mrs' written on them in pink, handcuffs, a lacy bra and other interesting underthings. Later, the 26-year-old hubby- to-be joined the entourage and took the ladies out for a night out.
Lavigne and Whibley met in a few years ago but became romantically involved in 2004. In June 2005, they were engaged to be married in Venice and Whibley started 'practicing' to play the guitar wearing his engagement ring. The two also bought a house together in Bel Air in Santa Barbara and equipped it with a nursery.
The photographs of the ceremony were bought over by
Entertainment Tonight Canada, which will air some of the pictures it picked up soon. An interview with the married Lavigne is believed to have been scheduled alongside the wedding coverage.
