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THE VEGGIN BRIDE

Stella has meat-free wedding

SHE'S one of Europe's most in-demand fashion designers and her clothes are the definition of expensive cool.

So what did veggie Stella McCartney serve up for her wedding feast yesterday but that 70s favourite...the mushroom vol-au-vent.

OK, so her celebrity caterers described them as "organic puff pastry filled with wild mushrooms" but there was no getting away from the truth.

And so it was that the showbiz circus rolled on to Scotland's sleepy Isle of Bute yesterday for the wedding of Stella and magazine magnate Alasdhair Willis.

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But behind the happy families act, there were fears that the vol-au-vents could start flying if Stella, 31, and her new stepmum Heather Mills crossed each other.

It's said Stella doesn't see eye-to-eye with pregnant Heather, the young second wife of her Beatles legend father Sir Paul.

An American guest said of the relationship between her and pregnant Heather: "I am told it's gotten worse recently.

"All eyes will be on her and Heather hoping that the pair get on. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a tense occasion."

Meanwhile ex-SAS security guards lurked in the undergrowth surrounding Mount Stuart House, where the Stella tied the knot with groom Alasdhair Willis yesterday at 4pm.

Cheers were heard from inside the house shortly before 5pm, suggesting they had finally been pronounced man and wife.

Nothing was left to chance at the immaculate stately home owned by Jonny Dumfries, the Marquis of Bute and a close family friend of the McCartneys.

Trip wires were placed in the undergrowth, roadblocks were set up and 100 security guards roamed the area.

Locals whose homes are on the Mount Stuart estate were given special ID tags - without which they couldn't pass through.

Workers involved in the bash - from cleaners to waitresses to bar staff - were ordered to sign confidentiality agreements and employees at hotels block-booked by the wedding party were also required to sign pledges not to speak about their guests.

Celebrities such as Madonna and film director husband Guy Ritchie arrived at the house shielded from view in a fleet of Range Rovers with blacked-out windows.

But mystified tourists and locals were last night asking whether the £100,000 security operation was really necessary.

American tourist Sheila Smith, 61, from North Carolina, said she was disappointed the big names didn't show their faces.

She said: "It's a shame that they've been so secretive about it all. Everyone knows they are here and we are all really keen to see them."

The final straw for many came on Friday night when locals in Kingarth were turned away from the village pub to make way for Stella's hen-night. Yesterday morning a dozen horses arrived in to ferry the bridal party by cart through the 300-acre estate, which boasts a racing track, beach and private moorings.

Sir Paul, who footed the bill for the extravaganza, arrived on Friday with Heather. They flew from London to Glasgow Prestwick by private jet before continuing to Bute by helicopter.

Other guests including supermodel Moss flew to Glasgow International and took the ferry from Wemyss Bay.

Stella and Alasdhair married in Mount Stuart Chapel - decked out in carrerra marble which turns blood red when sunlight hits the walls. After the ceremony the guests poured into the Grand Hall where they were met by the Rothesay Pipe band.

Stella had commissioned designers to transform the marble hall with exotic lime incense candles and heather thistle table decorations - her late mother Linda's favourite scent and flowers.

But celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, wasn't impressed with the food provided by London firm Rhubarb.

He said: "I would never have cooked this menu, but she was probably trying to keep all her friends on strict diets happy."

He said the mushroom vol-au-vents needed "some meat or fish" to liven them up. "Prawns or seabass would have been good."

THE GUESTS

FAMILY: Paul McCartney and his wife Heather, sisters Mary and Heather and brother James, uncle Mike McGear and his wife Rowena, Alasdhair's parents Robert and Olwyn.

FRIENDS: Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie with daughter Lourdes and son Rocco, Kate Moss and boyfriend Jefferson Hack, Liv Tyler and her husband Royston Langdon, Gwyneth Paltrow and boyfriend Chris Martin, George Martin and wife Judy, Gucci boss Tom Ford with his partner Richard Buckley, Hugh Grant, Chrissie Hynde, Sharleen Spiteri, Ringo Starr's daughter Lee Starkey and Pierce Brosnan.

THE WEDDING MENU

Dozens of chefs from top London based catering firm Rhubarb were drafted in to provide the food for Stella's wedding.

The wedding reception dinner was a strictly vegetarian affair in accordance with Stella's beliefs.

Starter

Artichoke souffle with artichoke puree with bay leaves and truffle buerre blanc.

Main

Organic puff pastry filled with wild mushrooms and truffle cream with beans and parmesan mash

Dessert

Wild strawberries and berries with cream


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