In a worrying example of inverse priorities, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden welcomed a baby on September 9th, and now they’ve decided to become man and wife.
Engaged since March of 2007, the long-standing couple finally sealed their union in a private ceremony in Nicole’s LA home, with Joel’s brother, Benji as their only live witness. They were joined in their nuptials by 45,000 fellow members of the Unification Church, who were married by the Church’s iconic leader at exactly the same time.
“Joel had been asking Nicole to get married since before Harlow was born,” says a friend. “She wasn’t in a rush, but when Adam Goldstein (aka ‘DJ AM,’ her ex fiancee,) died in August, Nicole didn’t want to spend another day not being Mrs. Joel Madden.”
But despite their celebrity the event was low-key, “Nicole is a free spirit and wanted a wedding that reflected that,” a friend told the Star. “She read about the mass wedding online and thought it would be perfect for them.”
