Say cheese! Celebrity couple wed in a world of their own

NOT a wave, not a smile … and don’t even think about asking for a photograph. It’s fair to say the wedding of Westlife star Nicky Byrne and the Taoiseach’s daughter, Georgina Ahern, was not run-of-the-mill.

The celebrity couple yesterday conducted the first part of an international matrimonial two-hander by tying the knot at a civil ceremony in Wicklow town. However, Nicky and Georgina’s World of Our Own attitude to the event disappointed many young Westlife fans as they failed to acknowledge the large crowds who had waited several hours in scorching sunshine to wish them well.

The grim, red-brick health board building couldn’t provide a more stark contrast to the French chateau to be used for the reception after Saturday’s church wedding near Paris.

Journalists and photographers had gathered outside the office from as early as 7am to cover what was being billed as the Irish wedding of the year. The size of the crowd also soared, just like the 27°C temperatures, as news of the celebrity wedding spread quickly.

While the couple were obliged to be married first in a civil ceremony to comply with French law, one was left feeling they regarded their visit to Wicklow as a bit bothersome.

In scenes more normally associated with ne’er-do-wells arriving at courtrooms, the couple were ushered unceremoniously out of vehicles by muscular security staff in through a back entrance of the registry office.

In another break with tradition, the bride, accompanied by her mother, Miriam, arrived first, pulling up in a silver Ford Mondeo, although she was, in fairness, fashionably late for the 3.30pm ceremony. Dressed in an oriental-style black and white top and designer jeans, Georgina held her hand up to her face as the car swept past the waiting crowds.

Around 15 minutes later, screams erupted as fans identified a huddled figure in a red Ferrari baseball cap as Nicky. Ushered out of the back of an Opel Astra, the T-shirt and jeans-clad singer had clearly abandoned formal wedding attire. About an hour later, Mr and Mrs Byrne emerged separately again and left the office in similar clandestine fashion.

The Taoiseach did not attend yesterday’s ceremony, although the appearance of an air-sea rescue helicopter above the building led to speculation he was not going to miss out on a rare good-news picture opportunity. But then Bertie could hardly jeopardise his daughter and son-in-law’s 100,000 deal with Hello! magazine for exclusive rights to their wedding photos.