Actress Eva Longoria married U.S. basketball star Tony Parker in a July 6 civil ceremony in Paris. The nuptials were thought to be a prelude to a lavish July 7 celebration at Vaux-le-Vicomte, a 17th Century chateau 54 kilometers southeast of the French capital.
The 32-year-old Longoria, who appears in the popular U.S. TV series "Desperate Housewives," wore a pink Chanel dress with striped black and white straps. She then changed into a short white dress for the ceremony, according to the mayor of Paris' 4th District, Dominique Bertinotti. His office served as the actress' dressing room.
Parker, the 25-year-old San Antonio Spurs star who was born in Belgium and grew up playing basketball in France, arrived about 10 minutes after his fiancee, wearing a dark suit. Accompanying him was French soccer star Thierry Henry.
The 45-minute wedding ceremony was followed by a small reception which also lasted approximately 45 minutes. The couple is expected to reaffirm their vows in a second ceremony to be held July 7 in a Paris church which used to serve French royals.
In a July 6 interview with the newspaper "Le Parisien," Parker said he wanted to have children. "That would be even better than my NBA titles, even if I don't compare private life and sports. Eva talks to me about it all the time. I'd like to have girls, because I come from a world of boys." He also said he considers himself "the luckiest guy in the world."