Jay-Z and Beyoncé 'tie the knot'

Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles have reportedly tied the knot in New York.

A website quoted a friend as saying on Friday: "Jay wanted it to be a really private affair - close friends and family."

Guests at the ceremony, which was reportedly followed by a party at the rapper's apartment, included Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles, her father and manager Mathew, her sister Solange, Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, George Clooney and friend Gwyneth Paltrow.

The claim followed widespread speculation that drew paparazzi to the street outside Jay-Z's penthouse on Friday.

A number of sport utility vehicles with tinted windows was seen coming and going from the garage late in the afternoon, and one of them carried two people dressed in chef's uniforms carrying large, square, white boxes on their laps. Men dressed in tuxedos were also spotted on the roof of the building, where a white tent was erected.

The supposed wedding came as it was reported earlier in the week that the couple took out a wedding licence in Scarsdale Village, New York, valid for 60 days.

Jay-Z, 37, whose real name is Shawn Carter, and Beyoncé, 26, also known by her full name Beyoncé Knowles, have been romantically linked since September 2002.

© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.