McFadden and Katona tie knot

A handful of young female fans shiver on the sidelines

Westlife star Bryan McFadden and former Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona have got married at a private ceremony near Dublin.

The celebrity couple tied the knot at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the village of Rathreigh, County Meath.

Katona, who wore a £20,000 dress, was more than an hour late for the ceremony.

They make a lovely couple, everything went very well

Father JJ Mullen

Roger Kasper, associate manager of Hello! magazine, said: "Bryan joked just before she arrived that he was going to give her five more minutes and then that was it. There were slight worries."

McFadden's school chaplain, Father JJ Mullen, performed the Catholic ceremony

He said: "They make a lovely couple, everything went very well."

The couple are believed to have signed an exclusive £300,000 photo deal with Hello! magazine.

Kerry Katona left Atomic Kitten after becoming pregnant

But scores of photographers and a handful of young female fans still shivered on the sidelines as guests arrived in cars with darkened windows.

McFadden and Katona entered the grounds in a convoy of three black Mercedes and a four-wheel drive vehicle escorted by two police motorcyclists.

Specially-designed security screens shielded the couple as they walked into the church.

The 250 guests had been warned not to bring cameras and many were searched as they entered the 150-year-old stone church.

Westlife: Have notched up nine number ones

The couple's four-month-old daughter, Molly, joined the congregation.

Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton was a bridesmaid.

And the guest list included Irish singer Ronan Keating, his wife, Yvonne, and pop group S Club 7.

Dane Bowers sang his hit From the Heart during the ceremony.

But contrary to rumours McFadden's Westlife bandmates - Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily and Kian Egan did not perform.

Wedding co-ordinator Joanne Byrne said: The guys are out to enjoy themselves.

Security

"It is a big Irish family wedding. They have got a wedding band and DJ. They are out to have a good time and it is going to be a very late night."

Nicky Byrne was accompanied by his girlfriend Georgina, the daughter of Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.

The one-track road leading to the church was sealed off

The couple hired a team of security guards to patrol the grounds of Slane Castle to keep onlookers and the paparazzi, away from their reception.

It is the first major function to be held at the castle - overlooking the River Boyne, nine miles from the church - since its east side was destroyed by fire in 1991.

The wedding comes almost 18 months since the couple, both aged 21, first began dating.

They live in McFadden's native Dublin.

McFadden: Massive success with Westlife

Katona was a founder member of the hit female trio Atomic Kitten.

She left the group earlier this year soon after becoming pregnant just days before Atomic Kitten went to number one with Whole Again.

But McFadden remains very much a member of the hugely successful all-boy group Westlife.

His wedding caps a year crammed with success for the group with hit singles, albums and sell-out performances across three continents.

Westlife's recent double A-sided single Queen Of My Heart/When You're Looking Like That gave the group their ninth UK number one - a record beaten only by The Beatles.

Globally, Westlife have sold more than 12 million albums, Westlife and Coast to Coast.

Their third hit album World of Our Own, recorded in Dublin, London and Sweden, is currently at number six in the UK album charts.