This Day in History | 2000 Madonna weds her Guy

The American superstar Madonna has married British movie director Guy Ritchie at an exclusive ceremony in the Scottish Highlands.
Journalists and members of the public were kept well away from the heavily guarded Skibo Castle near Dornoch in Sutherland. Among those on the star-studded guest list were Sting, dressed in a kilt, and his wife Trudie Styler. They introduced the couple two years ago.
The actress Gwyneth Paltrow was maid of honor and two best-men were nightclub owner Piers Adam and film producer Matthew Vaughn. Also invited were actor Rupert Everett and fashion designers Stella McCartney and Donatella Versace.
Madonna, aged 42, married Mr Ritchie, who is ten years her junior, in a ceremony steeped in the groom’s Scottish heritage. Mr Ritchie wore a kilt in the Hunting Mackintosh tartan and his bride’s white Gothic-style dress was adorned with a sash of the same tartan. The bride was given away by her father, Tony Ciccone, and watched by her four-year-old daughter Lourdes.
A Church of Scotland minister, the Rev Susan Brown, who had baptized the couple’s four-month old son Rocco yesterday in Dornoch Cathedral, presided. Then guests were treated to a smoked salmon and haggis champagne reception followed by a ceilidh – a traditional party with singing, dancing and Scottish music. Mr and Mrs Ritchie are expected to spend their honeymoon in Sting’s Grade 1 listed Tudor mansion in Wiltshire.
Yesterday hundreds of people came to Dornoch Cathedral to get a glimpse of Madonna and child as they arrived for the christening of Rocco. Some even climbed trees to get a better view of the celebrities. One fan, Sharon Sutherland from Inverness, was herself married at the cathedral seven years ago.
“I wanted to come here today because I have always been a fan of Madonna,” she said. Two men were arrested at the cathedral and charged with various offences – one of them hid inside the building during the baptism.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

Madonna is widely regarded as the most popular female pop music artist ever.
She made her name in the 1980s with hit singles such as “Like a Virgin”, “Material Girl” and “Like a Prayer”.
She also starred in various films in the 1990s including the critically acclaimed Evita in 1996.
The Ritchies made a film together – Swept Away – in 2002 which turned out to be a flop. Madonna has since published two children’s books – The English Roses and Mr Peabody’s Apples.