Claudia Schiffer has finally made it to the altar. At least we think so.
The oft-engaged, but hitherto unhitched supermodel married British film producer Matthew Vaughn Saturday in a super-secret ceremony in the English county of Suffolk.
No commoners were let into the affair, held in a church in the village of Shimpling, so we have to take the word of the officiating pastor, the Reverend Ian Friars.
"With Matthew and Claudia's agreement, I can confirm that they married...this afternoon," he told reporters gathered outside. "The service was according to the rites of the Church of England...[and] reflected the couple's faith and commitment to each other."
Schiffer was so uptight about being photographed in her silk Valentino gown that she emerged from the chapel swathed in blankets. A throng of onlookers reportedly booed the bride (talk about your tough crowds) after Schiffer failed to show off her ivory-hued dress, described by the Italian designer as "classical, almost fairy-tale."
For the reception, the German babe and her hubby retired to their new digs--a 16th century Tudor mansion they recently snapped up for a reported $7.3 million. (That's pocket change for Schiffer, whose net worth is reportedly north of $50 million and who commands up to $50,000 a day for wearing clothes and looking beautiful.)
To avoid the crush of paparazzi, the paranoid couple had petitioned local officials to close a half-mile public path encircling the property (the petition was granted to the consternation of many locals, who felt the newlyweds were unfairly taking advantage of their fame to skirt the law). The twosome wanted to keep things so hush-hush they purportedly made all involved in the proceedings--from the vicar to the musicians to the florists to reported guests like Elton John--swear to secrecy.
Aside from Elton, the 300 guests supposedly included former German tennis star Boris Becker, fellow supermodel Naomi Campbell, Brad Pitt (no word from the British media on whether Jennifer Aniston made the cut), Madonna and her husband, Guy Ritchie. Vaughn produced Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatchand served as best man to the filmmaker when he married Madonna.
According to the British tabloids, which have been hyping the wedding for weeks (no wonder the couple wanted to keep them out), the reception menu included gulls eggs, Dom Perignon and traditional German wedding cake. After a disco-themed bash, the couple and guests were to--if you believe the oft-dubious British media--play a game of soccer.
Of course, the Schiffer-Vaughn camp has refused to confirm any of the reports. About the only wedding-related item the clandestine couple would cop to is that they didn't sign a prenup and will each hold onto their separate fortunes in the "unlikely event" of a divorce.
Schiffer's third engagement has proven to be the proverbial charm. The 31-year-old catwalker had previously been engaged for what seemed like forever (okay, it was six years) to magic man David Copperfield, but they called it quits in 1999 without ever walking the aisle. The following year, she reportedly became engaged to Brit Tim Jeffries, a business tycoon and art-gallery owner with a taste for models and actresses. But she never confirmed the betrothal and, alas, they, too, split without swapping vows.
As for Vaughn, the 31-year-old reportedly won Schiffer over when he gave her the most romantic of gifts--a tortoise. What a smoothy.