Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz got hitched Saturday night under tents and amid tight security, but E! News has an insider's account of the top-secret wedding ceremony and reception.
The ceremony was held in the backyard of parents Joe and Tina Simpson, decorated in an Alice in Wonderland theme.
It was magical and beautiful," says the guest, who termed the whole affair "The Joe Simpson Show. After escorting Ashlee down the aisle, Joe Simpson regaled the 100-plus guests with funny and touching stories of his daughter before performing the brief ceremony himself. The elder Simpson got choked up throughout the ceremony, as did Ashlee and Jessica. "They were all crying," says the source. "It was very moving."
Seeming to acknowledge the challenges of marrying into the Simpson family, at one point Joe quipped, "Pete is a very patient guy."
Ashlee wore an ivory Monique Lhuillier gown with a veil for the ceremony, while the bridesmaids were draped in black Vera Wang numbers. The men wore black tuxes with skinny black ties. Guests had been asked to wear dark clothing, and most everyone did, with attire ranging from black jeans and sports coats to fancy black tuxes and dresses.
The reception and dinner followed.
Jessica and Tony Romo sat at the wedding party table, but the guest observes, "Jessica did not look happy the entire night. She just wasn't her bubbly self. She was very subdued, and she and Tony barely interacted the entire night, except for some dancing at the end.
"You could tell she was really happy for her sister, but that maybe she was a little bit sad that things aren't working out as well for her."
Jessica did, however, give a very emotional, off-the-cuff speech toast, saying that Pete and Ashlee's relationship "has inspired [her] to love again" and spoke very affectionately of her little sister.
"She apologized for not writing anything more formal," the guest says, "but it was very much from the heart."
Wentz's brother also gave a toast.
The guest says that for a wedding of two musicians it was subdued, with a DJ and no band. "It was weird. No one was dancing. There was like nobody on the dance floor until after they cut the cake, and then people finally danced." After taking photos, the bride livened up and slipped into a "sexy black party dress" and danced. "She managed to hide her pregnancy pretty well," the source says. "She really didn't look pregnant."
Guests were required to check their cell phones and cameras outside the tent. "You could step out and make a call, but you had to check the phone in before returning back inside. It wasn't a big deal. Everyone there gets it." The reception did experience some drama. At one point later in the night, Ashlee lost one of her diamond earrings. "Pete got on the mic and told everyone to look for the earring," the guest says. "He said they cost more than the entire wedding!" Within a few minutes, a guest found the missing bling.
By about 1:30 a.m., the reception had died down and most guests had left. "It was beautiful. It was truly intimate...friends and family only. It wasn't a Hollywood wedding at all," says the attendee.
