Celebrity Wedding Makes a Little Splash in Malibu

As large balloons in the shape of a yellow cat and a clown floated overhead and dozens of desperate paparazzi milled around outside, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston exchanged wedding vows inside a heavily secured Malibu beach compound Saturday evening.

While the bride and groom reportedly enjoyed prenuptial massages in beach-side bungalows, British and Italian photographers were among those who stalked along Pacific Coast Highway, craning for peeks past the tarp-wrapped, 15-foot fence guarding the white-tented reception area.

Reporters, including a bevy from Britain, arrived as early as sunrise at the site just south of Leo Carrillo State Beach near the Ventura County line.

Some took to a boat, some to a nearby hill. Others offered thousands of dollars to security guards for photos of the event.

One security guard, an off-duty police officer from San Diego who refused to give his name, said one tabloid reporter told him, “We’ll take anything, even photos of the wedding cake.”

Two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helicopters patrolled the airspace above the compound to make sure news helicopters stayed away.

“When Barbra Streisand got married, residents of Point Dume complained about the helicopters and then [pressed] charges,” said sheriff’s Sgt. Frank Kasko. “We would like to prevent that this time if possible.”

Neighboring homeowners shrugged off the press circus.

“Living in Malibu means tolerating some of the celebrity spotlight,” said Lynda Hughes, who lives two houses down from the event. “Yes, the media and the helicopters are annoying, but that’s the excitement of Hollywood. It doesn’t bother me at all.”

Observed another neighbor, “this stuff goes on around here all the time.”

The wedding guests, who were checked for cameras, were shuttled in vans from Malibu High School to the compound, the home of television producer Marcy Carsey. On the highway, people slowed to take photos. “Everyone knows what’s going on. Every other car has a video camera sticking out of it,” remarked one officer.