Oct 25, 2010

Katy Perry & Russell Brand Take Off for Maldives Honeymoon

Katy Perry and Russell Brand flew to the Maldives on Monday after their wedding at a tiger reserve in India, while authorities investigated whether the wedding party broke noise laws.

Under tight security, the couple tied the knot Saturday at an exclusive resort strewn with colorful lights and flower garlands. Perry reportedly wore a dove gray Elie Saab haute couture dress with lace sleeves. In a statement, a representative for Perry (whose maiden name is Hudson) and Brand said they were "overjoyed to confirm that they were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Brand on Saturday, October 23. The very private and spiritual ceremony, attended by the couples' closest family and friends, was performed by a Christian minister and longtime friend of the Hudson Family. The backdrop was the inspirational and majestic countryside of Northern India."

On Monday afternoon, the newlyweds boarded a helicopter near Ranthambhore National Park and arrived in the city of Jaipur, where they took a chartered flight to the Maldives, Jaipur airport director R.K. Singh said.

The nation of tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean is renowned for its high-end resorts.

Friends who arrived by road joined the couple on the flight, Singh said.

Locals had mixed feelings about the celebrity visit, and Rajasthan state's chief minister on Monday ordered an investigation into public complaints about party noise that lasted into the early hours of Sunday, local district collector Ravi Kumar Surpur said. Local laws bar noise beyond 10 p.m. that would disturb local communities or wildlife.

The Ranthambhore National Park is home to tigers, leopards, wild boars and other animals. If laws were broken, the concerned parties or the resort management would be charged, Surpur said.

Also, two men from the wedding party apologized for assaulting four news photographers, including one from The Associated Press, then taking their car keys and stranding them in the wild tiger reserve Friday. The written apology acknowledged "physical assault" and "bad behavior."

Because of the apology, no formal police investigation was opened. None of the photographers sought medical care.

Local hoteliers and tour operators said the celebrity wedding brought positive attention to the tiger reserve.

The wedding "would only serve the cause of tiger conservation," local hotel owner Balendu Singh said. "The event was a big success, and Ranthambhore would get enough mileage as a tourist destination."

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

0 comments:

Post a Comment