Kim and Kanye’s wedding day in Florence

Kardashian and West celebrated their wedding in the 16th century Forte di Belvedere on Saturday.

Television personality Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West celebrated their wedding on Saturday in a 16th century castle overlooking the historic city of Florence. It was a whirlwind week of wedding celebrations for the couple, who partied in Paris with friends and family before tying the knot in a lavish outdoor ceremony at the Forte di Belvedere in Florence. And while it was the bride’s third trip down the aisle, it was the rapper’s first wedding, and he was a typical nervous groom, an onlooker told People.

Kardashian’s good friend, Lorraine Schwartz, was the mastermind behind the couple’s jaw-dropping jewels for their weekend wedding, People exclusively confirmed. Surrounded by a backdrop of breathtaking floral wall arrangements, the bride — in her gorgeous Givenchy gown — and her groom exchanged custom wedding bands. The event took place in the Forte di Belvedere, set on a hill overlooking the city which the couple hired for the night for 300,000 euros ($408,900).

The couple, known collectively as Kimye, celebrated their nuptials accompanied by their daughter North and around 200 family and close friends.

A private security firm kept curious fans, paparazzi and television cameras from getting too close to the site, a Renaissance stronghold with high sloping walls that had been boosted by specially erected privacy screens, reported Reuters.

According to a local newspaper, suppliers had been threatened with a $5 million penalty if they revealed details of the event and guests were asked to hand in their mobile phones to stop anyone taking pictures.

Most Florence residents appeared to take the preparations in their stride but groups of fans waited outside the luxury hotels and the party site, hoping for a glimpse of the celebrity couple and their guests.

The guests were escorted by city police to the event where they dined on catering provided by Galateo, one of Florence’s most famous caterers. Residents in the San Nicola area of Florence received letters warning them that the music will be booming until midnight.

The guest list had been kept a tight secret but several celebrity magazines said power couple Jay-Z and Beyonce and singer Justin Bieber were expected with other rumoured attendances including actor Will Smith, singer Rihanna and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey. Longtime family friend Malika Haqq told People that the wedding and reception that featured more than $100,000 worth of fragrant floral arrangements as well as performances by Andrea Bocelli and John Legend — was “beautiful! So romantic … Ah, stunning.”

The couple has reportedly arrived in Ireland for a five-day honeymoon at a private country estate following their wedding. A source told the Irish Independent newspaper that the couple, whose 11-month-old daughter North West travelled to Paris with her grandmother, Kris Jenner, landed at Cork airport at 3 pm and were met by a “fleet of Mercedes limousines”.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2014.

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