Honeymoon for Bec and Lleyton

July 22, 2005

BEC Cartwright and Lleyton Hewitt today left their wedding night hotel in Sydney bound for a secret honeymoon destination.
Rumours have suggested the newlyweds could be spending their first days as a married couple at one of Fiji's exclusive island resorts, possibly Turtle, Wayaka or Toburoa.
Secrecy surrounding the couple's nuptials continued today as the pair snuck out of a side carpark entrance of the Intercontinental Hotel about 2pm (AEST).
They were earlier seen on the balcony of the hotel's exclusive 32nd floor executive level lounge.
The couple were married at the iconic Sydney Opera House yesterday afternoon, sharing the moment with around 180 close friends and family.
They then partied at Taronga Zoo with a special live performance from John Farnham.
The wedding party and guests all stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel.
It was a more subdued mood at the hotel today, possibly bought on by heavy partying until the early hours of this morning.
Yesterday's wedding was closed to the press but was certainly one of the biggest media extravaganzas in recent years.
Television networks and freelance photographers hired helicopters to circle above the Opera House while various media organisations hired boats in the harbour and camped outside the hotel.
The reception, at Taronga Zoo, was also closed with heavy security keeping the prying media away.
Friends described the wedding of the world tennis number two and the pregnant soapie star, who became engaged after only six weeks together, as short, sweet and beautiful.
But that was all they would say for fear of breaching strict confidentiality agreements.
Guests were also told to leave mobile phones and cameras at home, leaving curious fans to wait until the glossy mags are released on Monday.
The couple have sold their story to women's magazine New Idea, as they did with the announcements of their engagement and pregnancy.
The story could make the couple close to $500,000 which would be about double the cost of the actual wedding.
Cartwright, who turns 22 tomorrow, wore a long white Alex Perry-designed gown while bridesmaids Ada Nicodemou, Kate Ritchie, Victoria Supple and new sister-in-law Jaslyn wore off-the-shoulder "sunset" rose, yellow and white floor-length dresses.
Hewitt, 24, opted for a traditional wedding suit with an ivory tie and his groomsmen, coach Roger Rasheed, friend Hayden Eckermann and new brother-in-law Shaun Cartwright, wore suits with pink ties to match the bridesmaids.
The civil ceremony took less than an hour, presided over by Port Adelaide football club chaplain Pastor Brandon Chaplin.
Meanwhile, Hewitt's grandparents Max and Dawn Hewitt took a morning stroll around the city while the tennis player's parents, Glynn and Sherilyn, and sister, Jaslyn, left the hotel just after midday.
No one on the Hewitt/Cartwright camp was talking today but NSW Premier Bob Carr wished the couple well.

"My best wishes to the two of them," said Mr Carr, who was not invited to the wedding.

"Marriage is always a touching affair and this is a very stylish one. I wish them well.

"The world needs this joy at this moment, as ever before."

Bec and Lleyton - love match

By Fiona Connolly

July 22, 2005

From: the Daily Telegraph

THE nation's television darling Bec Cartwright and tennis ace Lleyton Hewitt yesterday became husband and wife in spectacular celebrity affair at the Sydney Opera House.

The simple, yet elegant ceremony saw a glowing bride in a stunning white flowing gown walked down the aisle by her father to Here Comes The Bride played on a harp.

The couple exchanged vows before almost 200 guests just before sundown in a 30-minute ceremony guests described as "simply perfect".

The service was religious and featured a message from Reverend Brandon Chaplin about "romance and reality" and the need to articulate emotions and work hard at a relationship.

And while there was no singing at the civil ceremony, prayers and poems were read out by Hewitt's sister Jaslyn and Cartwright's brother Shaun.

Cartwright was attended by five bridesmaids; her sister Christie, Home and Away 's Katie Ritchie and Ada Nicodemou, Hewitt's sister Jaslyn and Channel Seven publicist Victoria Supple.

The girls were hard to miss in bright pink, frangipani-inspired gowns which graduated to a pale lemon colour with matching lemon wedge shoes.

Hewitt was dressed in a dark suit with matching tie with a frangipani in his buttonhole.

But the wedding of the year was shrouded in a heavy cloak of secrecy enforced by a beefed-up team of security.

Several cross-armed security men formed a human barrier as the passing bridal car approached the Opera House, at which point one photographer was grabbed by the neck and pushed by the group of heavies.

The circus continued at the Opera House forecourt where hundreds of well-wishers were waiting to catch a glimpse of the bride and groom but were left disappointed when the limos disappeared into a carpark under the Opera House.

Hewitt's groomsmen, who were also in dark suits, white shirts and pink ties included: best man, Hewitt's school friend Hayden Eckerman, Brett Smith, son of Hewitt's former tennis coach Peter Smith, Crows football player Tyson Edwards, Cartwright's brother Shaun and Hewitt's coach Roger Rasheed.

But while Hewitt was "very handsome" and appeared relaxed throughout the ceremony, it was the bride who attracted the most admiration.

"Bec looked lovely," tennis legend John Newcombe said following the ceremony.

"She was beautiful, stunning," Davis Cup coach John Fitzgerald agreed.

While there were a smattering of sporting identities and soap stars, the couple's 190 guests were mainly family and friends.

Newcombe and Fitzgerald were joined by other tennis greats Wally Masur, Jason Stoltenberg, Todd Woodbridge, Mark Woodforde and Tony Roach and former Adelaide Crows coach Graham Cornes were also among the guests.

Guests took a sunset cruise from the Opera House to Taronga Zoo while the couple went to the Club Intercontinental for photographs before joining the reception. The special guest performer was John Farnham.

Cartwright put her Dancing with the Stars skills to the test and danced with her father after the speeches.

Secrecy surrounds Hewitt wedding
Date: 21/07/05
By Jonathon Moran, Amy Fallon and Katelyn John

They may live their lives in the public eye, but soap star Bec Cartwright and tennis ace Lleyton Hewitt managed to keep their wedding very private.

Married at the iconic Sydney Opera House, the young couple shared their happy moment with around 180 close friends and family, but almost no-one else.

There were, reportedly, smiles, tears, kisses and applause, and friends later described the nuptials as short, sweet and beautiful.

But the wall of secrecy erected around Australia's celebrity wedding of the year meant media coverage of the event was restricted to distant aerial shots from helicopters and furtive, ground-level glimpses.

Guests signed confidentiality agreements and were told to leave mobile phones and cameras at home.

Most Australians will now have to wait for the glossy mags to see what Bec and Lleyton were wearing, or hear how they pledged their love to each other.

However guests later described the doubles partnership of the world tennis number two and the pregnant soapie star, who became engaged after only six weeks together, as simple and elegant.

"It was simple, to the point and it really touched the heart," said Cartwright's former Home and Away co-star Lynne McGranger.

Hewitt's grandfather Max said the wedding was "terrific", while his wife Dawn said it was "a very happy day" for the family.

Dawn Hewitt added: "It was very emotional (ceremony) but I'm happy to say I didn't (cry)."

Cartwright "looked wonderful" added Home and Away co-star Ray Meagher. "And he (Hewitt) looked pretty good, too."

Bridesmaids Ada Nicodemou, Kate Ritchie, Victoria Supple and Cartwright's friend Charmaine wore off-the-shoulder "sunset" rose, yellow and white floor-length dresses.

"The girls (bridesmaids) all looked like frangipanis with frangipani colours and Bec looked so pretty and so girlie," said McGranger.

His groomsmen, coach Roger Rasheed, friend Hayden Eckermann and new brother-in-law Shaun Cartwright, wore suits with pink ties to match the bridesmaids.

The civil ceremony took less than an hour, presided over by Port Adelaide football club chaplain Pastor Brandon Chaplin.

Media helicopters overhead gave grainy glimpses of the ceremony through Opera House windows, revealing flowers, chairs draped in white, and a large gold harp.

While Hewitt earlier left his Palm Beach mansion in a white limousine, Cartwright was at Sydney's InterContinental Hotel, where guests gathered for pre-wedding drinks.

Both arrived at the Opera House out of sight of the paparazzi, Cartwright ducking down in the back seat of her car.

Security guards helped keep hundreds of fans and media at bay, at one stage physically pulling away one eager press photographer.

With so many tennis stars around, including Hewitt's mentors Tony Roche and John Newcombe, sporting comparisons were inevitable.

Asked how Hewitt would handle the wedding, former tennis star Mark Woodforde said: "Just like he does on the tennis court - shows his heart."

"After what he's been through, he can handle most things, but this is a completely different ball game," added Roche, the former Davis Cup coach.

After the wedding, guests boarded a boat and enjoyed a sunset cruise around the harbour while the newlyweds and bridal party posed for photos on the roof of the InterContinental.

All then crossed the harbour to Sydney's picturesque Taronga Zoo, for a reception and performance by John Farnham, who earlier rehearsed songs including True Love, Simple Life and You're The Voice.

Earlier, a large wedding cake was delivered to the zoo, with three people needed to carry the five-layer construction.

HUNDREDS of fans gathered outside the Sydney Opera House today as tennis ace Lleyton Hewitt married soap star Bec Cartwright.
But the waiting fans and media were disappointed as Hewitt and Cartwright, arriving separately, drove straight into the Opera House's underground car park before the 3pm (AEST) civil service, avoiding the cameras.

Secrecy surrounded the wedding ceremony, held in the Opera House's harbourside northern foyer behind protective white sheets.Outside, security guards and police patrolled the landmark building.

The glamour couple have sold exclusive pictures of their great day to a magazine, and guests were forced to sign confidentiality agreements, and told they risked ejection if found with cameras or mobile phones.

The wedding of the world number-two tennis player and the pregnant soap star was attended by up to 180 guests, including television personalities and members of Australia's sporting elite.

Guests were taken in seven minibuses to the Opera House from the nearby InterContinental Hotel.

"We're on a magical mystery tour – it's fantastic and we wish them all the best," said Cartwright's former Home and Away co-star Lynne McGranger.

Hewitt's grandfather Max said the wedding was "terrific", while his wife Dawn said it was "a very happy day" for the family.

Tennis stars of past and present were scattered among the guests, and predicted a "big test" for Hewitt.

"After what he's been through, he can handle most things, but this is a completely different ball game," said former Davis Cup coach and Hewitt mentor Tony Roche.

Former Davis Cup captain John Newcombe said he was kept in the dark about the details of the day.

Watched by police and security guards, fans strained for a glimpse of the young couple.

"It's a bit of a fairytale love story," added Mark Schilton, 32, on holiday with his partner from Hewitt's home state of South Australia.

After the wedding, the wedding party will take a cruise across the harbour to Sydney's picturesque Taronga Zoo, where the reception tonight will climax with a performance by singer John Farnham.

Hewitt, 24, and Cartwright, 21, met five years ago at a Starlight Foundation charity tennis day.

But they began dating only late last year and became engaged six weeks later, in late January.

Hewitt popped the question on the night of his loss in the final of the Australian Open.