Eva, Parker say 'oui' in Paris
2007-07-06 16:41
Paris - Stretch limo for her; gray mini van for him - and a romantic Paris wedding for both.
Professional basketball player Tony Parker has married Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria at a civil ceremony in Paris on Friday - a prelude to their expected star-studded weekend wedding bash at a lavish and storied chateau.
Longoria, 32, showed up first in a white stretch limo, wearing a way-above-the-knee pink Chanel dress with striped black and white straps.
She was accompanied by about eight guests in cream, pink and purple dresses, most carrying small shopping bags marked Chanel.
She turned, smiled and waved for the crowd of waiting photographers and reporters who kept well back behind two rows of police barriers.
Officialise their vows
Parker, the 25-year-old San Antonio Spurs star who was born in Belgium and grew up playing basketball in France, arrived about 10 minutes later in a gray mini van, wearing a dark suit. He went straight in without waving. French soccer star Thierry Henry was in his group.
In between, other guests arrived in a Humvee stretch limo that, strangely, had California license plates.
Paris Mayor Betrand Delanoe was officiating, welcoming everyone on the steps of the town hall for Paris' fourth district.
French law requires couples who marry to officialise their vows at a city hall, even if they have a church wedding as well.
They and their entourage have given very few details about the nuptials.
The couple were thought to be planning a second wedding ceremony on Saturday at a Paris church that used to serve French royals.
Then, they and their guests were to party at Vaux-le-Vicomte, a 17th century chateau 55 kilometres southeast of Paris.
'Luckiest guy in the world'
The couple have enjoyed the tourist sights in the lead-up to the wedding.
They and a group of about 40 family and friends spent most of Wednesday riding attractions at Disneyland Paris, a spokesperson for the park said. Longoria did rides once, Parker and his friends rode some several times, he said.
They also visited the romantic site of Mont-Saint-Michel on the Normandy coast, eating foie gras, cheese, omelettes and apple pie at La Mere Poulard, an employee at the famous restaurant said.
In an interview with Le Parisien newspaper published on Friday, Parker said he was eager to have kids.
"That would be even better than my NBA titles, even if I don't compare private life and sports," he said. "Eva talks to me about it all the time. I'd like to have girls, because I come from a world of boys." He also said he considers himself "the luckiest guy in the world."
"I feel blessed, lucky, and I realise it," he said.
- AP