Claudia Schiffer bids to keep wedding secret

LONDON - German supermodel Claudia Schiffer is taking a leaf out of her friend Madonna‘s book by opting for privacy over publicity when she married British film producer Matthew Vaughn on Saturday.

Schiffer, who at 31 is still one of the world‘s most sought-after models, wed Vaughn at their five million pound ($7 million) mansion, Coldham Hall, in Suffolk, eastern England, after a determined bid to keep the details secret.

International interest in the glamorous couple‘s nuptials has been intense, fuelled by reports that guests will include stars such as Madonna, Elton John, Brad Pitt and Naomi Campbell. But the couple are determined to keep their big day private, hiring a security firm to patrol the grounds of their 500-year-old home and making everyone involved sign a confidentiality agreement. The couple hope to follow the example set by their friends Madonna and Guy Ritchie, who managed to keep the press from obtaining a single photo from their Scottish wedding in 2000. Schiffer and Vaughn reportedly decided against selling their story like many other stars, including Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones and her Hollywood star husband Michael Douglas. Some details appear to have leaked out. The catwalk queen is said to have ordered an ivory silk Valentino wedding gown and has requested that guests refrain from wearing white. Guests will be served a lavish meal of gulls eggs, Dom Perignon champagne and traditional German wedding cake to be followed by an 1980s themed disco. The soccer-mad couple will top off festivities with a celebrity football match on their grounds the following morning.

Schiffer, worth a reported $55 million, is said to have fallen for Vaughn, 31, after he gave her a tortoise. The only statement released about their wedding so far concerns the couple‘s finances, saying they had verbally agreed not to claim any of the other‘s property if they break up. (Reuters)