Longoria and Parker tie the knot

Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and NBA basketball ace Tony Parker have tied the knot in a civil wedding ceremony in Paris.

Hundreds of photographers and passers by climbed on to ladders, traffic bollards and parked scooters straining to spot the couple when they arrived to be married by the mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, in a Parisian town hall.

The cheering crowd got no more than a quick wave from the diminutive actress as she stepped from white stretch limousine and a brief, rueful looking smile from Parker while the couple's own photographers followed them into the building.

The marriage of Longoria and Parker, fresh from his this third NBA championship, has been billed as the celebrity wedding of the year.

Outside the town hall the crowd on onlookers was eager to see more of Longoria's fuchsia mini dress and Parker's escort of top sportsmen, including Thierry Henry.

The marriage has attracted huge interest but there have been slim pickings for most media due to an exclusive deal with OK! magazine reported to be worth some £1 million.

Cast members from "Desperate Housewives", Parker's San Antonio Spurs team mates, "Miami Vice" star Jamie Foxx, singer Lionel Richie, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones are all expected at the church ceremony and a lavish reception afterwards.

Details have largely been kept secret, but the ceremony on Saturday is expected to take place in Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, a former royal church opposite the Louvre.

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