The star of “Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria and her toyboy beau Tony Parker NBA champion exchanged vows in a civil ceremony in Paris on Friday, as required by french law even when a couple have a church wedding as well.
The civil ceremony took place before a modest crowd of about 40 guests, including French soccer player Thierry Henry and some of Parker’s teammates from the San Antonio Spurs. The ceremony was held at Paris’ City Hall at the 4th District Town Hall with the mayor of Paris pronouncing them husband and wife.
After arriving in a white stretch limo to the civil ceremony, a pretty-in-pink Eva, 32, in a way-above-the-knee Chanel dress with striped black and white straps was spotted waving to the crowd of over 1000 fans before heading into the municipal building.
Eva arrived first and was accompanied by about eight guests in cream, pink and purple dresses. She turned, smiled and waved for the crowd of waiting photographers and reporters who were kept well back behind two rows of police barriers. Inside Eva changed in Bertinotti’s office into a short white dress for the ceremony.
Tony Parker, who was born in Belgium and grew up playing basketball in France, arrived about 10 minutes later wearing a dark suit. He went straight in without waving.
In between, other guests arrived in a Humvee stretch limo
Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe officiated and gave a speech saying how happy he was that they were married in the City of Light, said the mayor of Paris’ 4th District, Dominique Bertinotti.
“I married a friend to the woman he loves. It was touching, moving, very warm and at the same time very relaxed, Delanoe said on RTL radio Saturday.
Parker translated Delanoe’ speech into English for the guests, who numbered about 40.
The ceremony, in a room with blue-and-white trimmed walls, a French flag and a portrait of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, lasted about 45 minutes. Bertinotti said there was a small reception afterward that also lasted about 45 minutes.
Celebrities guests included Longoria’ Desperate Housewives castmates, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jamie Foxx, Lopez and Parker’s San Antonio Spurs teammates. Fellow housewives Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Nicolette Sheridan reportedly arrived Friday at Paris’ Bourget airport in a private jet. Marcia Cross, who stars in the series as Bree and recently gave birth to twins, is not expected to attend the wedding.
The couple left in a black Mercedes sedan with tinted windows.
The celebrity couple then held a second, more lavish wedding ceremony on on the auspicious date of 7th July 2007 at Eglise Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, in a Paris cathedral dating to the 12th century. The church, which is located near the Louvre Museum, once served the French royal family. Media interest was intense and residents nearby purportedly charged television companies 2,500 euros or about 3,400 US dollars to use their balconies. Paparazzi were circling and it was a game of cat and mouse
The religious ceremony was followed by an exclusive, star-studded bash at Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, a chateau southeast of Paris.
You do not have to be rich and famous to get married in France. Anyone can have their very own fairytale french wedding.