Female Beauty

All the pre-wedding hype could not diminish the scenic and fashion splendor of the Tom-Kat nuptials Saturday evening at the Odescalchi castle by the lake, lit with torches and candles, the guest list studded with stars. The ceremony was performed by a Scientology minister before more than 150 guests, the couple having already been legally married in a civil ceremony in LA before leaving for Italy. Tom wore a dark navy handmade Armani single-breasted tux with French silk shirt to match Katie’s gown, while Katie had changed from her black dress and boots into an Armani-designed ivory wedding gown with matching silk shoes and carried a bouquet of calla lilies also designed by Armani, who is a longtime friend of Tom Cruise and a guest at the wedding. Even Suri, Katie’s new baby, was wearing Armani a white wool bloomer dress, decorated in tulle.

Katie’s gown was off-the-shoulder and slim fitting, with Swarovski bead embroidery and a silk train with Valenciennes lace. According to AP, Giorgio Armani, 72, said Holmes looked “very sweet, and at the same time modern.”

The guest list included Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez with Marc Anthony, Brooke Shields, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, fellow scientologist John Travolta and Kelly Preston, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Victoria Beckham (David had to return to Spain for a Real Madrid match), Russell Crowe, filmmaker J.J. Abrams, Kirstie Alley, and Leah Remini, all of whom had walked up the steep candle-lined path to the castle at sunset, the cloudy sky turning bright pink and orange.

Drums rolled as Tom came first down a stone ramp lined with medieval flag bearers, followed by Katie on the arm of her father, Martin, carrying her Armani bouquet, to be married under an awning surrounded by white flowers. David Miscavige , Cruise’s best friend was best man, and Holmes’ sister, Nancy Blaylock, was matron of honor as Tom and Katie exchanged traditional Scientology vows, which according to the scientology website are somewhat different than standard Christian vows. Tom’s two adopted children, Isabella and Connor, were part of the official wedding party as well.

Custom white gold and diamond Cartier rings were exchanged, followed by a kiss so long that the guests called for it to stop.

The famous blind Italian opera singer, Andrea Bocelli, gave a special performance afterward, and the guests dined on hors doeuvres followed by a several-course meal, with Mr. and Mrs. Cruise now switching to evening wear, also designed by Armani. Katie was elegant in an asymmetric champagne evening dress of silk organza decorated in Swarovski crystal beads. Tom wore an Armani two-button navy blue suit.

As the evening winded down, the bride and groom cut the five-tiered white chocolate wedding cake which was decorated with marzipan roses, and was studded with white chocolate chips and featured white chocolate mouse and white chocolate cream filling.

Estimated to cost $2.5 million with all the security, the Italian lakeside town of Bracciano declared this the “wedding of the year“. Pasta dishes were renamed in honor of Tom and Katie in local restaurants. The mayor was so happy with all the publicity that she waived the $50,000 rental fee for the 15^th-century medieval venue once owned by Pope Innocent XI. The spectacle was right out of a fairy tale mixed with the modern, and according to Armani, the American guests were most impressed.

“For the Americans this was very special, because Americans do not have this kind of thing back home, and they dream of such things in our beautiful country, and you can see the surprise and the awe on their faces,” Armani said.

Updated 23Nov06:

Kirstie Alley and John Travolta skipped the wedding, rumors said because of their buddy Oprah was snubbed.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 20th, 2006 at 5:44 pm and is filed under Celebrity News, Entertainment, Family, Fashion, Her Diary, Relationship. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.