JOHN GIBSON and MICHAEL BLACKLEY WORKING away from home can sometimes be a pain. But not, presumably, when it involves attending Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster's £1 million wedding on the Italian Riviera. Reverend Ian Gilmour, the minister of South Leith Parish Church, was asked to read the marriage vows to the happy couple at the star-studded ceremony.
He struck up a friendship with them last year, when he christened their son Alistair at his church in Rod's father's home town. Rev Gilmour today revealed how he and the other guests had been sworn to secrecy over the exact location of the wedding, as Rod and Penny were determined not to let the paparazzi ruin the occasion. He said: "We were split up and booked into various hotels along the Italian Riviera coast and the ruse seemed to work.
"At the vows ceremony we were told 'no video recorders, no cameras, no mobiles'. "They had their own photographers, of course, and we were told that each of the guests will, in time, receive a photographic record of the occasion." WEDDING: Rod and Penny.
The couple were married in a morning ceremony in Portofino, and among the guests was Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, who also attended Alistair's christening. Rod, 62, and his model wife, 36, repeated their vows for guests at a Benedictine monastery later in the day, with guests reportedly including Michael Bolton and his girlfriend, Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan. The 100 guests then celebrated with dancing and fireworks until 5am on board the 164ft luxury yacht Lady AnnMagee.
"The entire day was impeccably organised," said Rev Gilmour. "It was all so much fun. "The food, like the accommodation, was fantastic.
The bride in white looked stunning and the groom was immaculate in white tails as they repeated their vows." At the end of the party, the newlyweds departed on a chartered yacht for a honeymoon sailing in the Mediterranean. The ceremony was almost a year to the day after Rev Gilmour christened Alistair.
He was pleased that Rod, whose father Bob lived near South Leith Parish Church, again wanted to pay tribute to his roots. Rev Gimour said: "I felt privileged to be asked to 'officiate' and get the opportunity to educate, so to speak, the hundred or so guests about sunny Leith and the kirk where Rod and Penny had their son Alistair baptised last year. "Donna [his wife] and I were delighted to represent the Leith community.
In fact, it was exactly a year ago [on Sunday] that I baptised Alistair Wallace Stewart, a truly momentous day in the centuries-old kirk's history." Rev Gimour and his wife yesterday were on the move again for a week-long holiday to Gigha and Islay. Mrs Gilmour quipped: "We're travelling by motorbike.
News RSS