Madonna (Probably) a Mrs.

December 22, 2000 -- Did they or didn't they? Pop megastar Madonna apparently wed British film director Guy Ritchie on schedule today, British tabloid newspapers have noted. But all is quiet outside the locked gates of lush Skibo Castle in Dornoch, Scotland — the site of the couple's planned wedding. No formal announcement of marriage was issued, even hours after the event was scheduled to have occurred.

After the arrest of two men who planned to tape the baptism of her infant son, Rocco, Thursday, Madonna retreated to the secure castle and its surrounding 7,500 acres. Three security teams were patrolling the grounds with heat-detecting equipment, which would alert them if any photographers were hiding on the grounds.

Brit tab the Sun quoted one source as saying, "Madonna has been very security-conscious. If someone has slipped the net, heads will roll."

Hundreds of reporters waited in the misty night, camped impatiently outside the gates of Skibo Castle, but no confirmation came from inside the vast estate.

The Sun and the Mirror newspapers and British television channels said they still did not know if the couple was married, four hours after the ceremony was scheduled to have taken place (at 9 p.m. EST). But BBC Scotland's Craig Anderson said, "We understand that Madonna and Guy Ritchie have been married."

Representatives of the world media remained at Skibo Castle's impenetrable gates, getting increasingly angry at the lack of a formal announcement. "I am not bored with Scotland — just Madonna's media machine," Lema Storvand, a Norwegian reporter, told Reuters.

It could be the Material Girl's best revenge; her 1985 wedding to actor Sean Penn in Malibu, Calif., was overrun with media helicopters, which were so loud that the couple had to shout their vows.

Madonna has had the Highlands in a whirl for a week as Hollywood High Society descended, first for Thursday's baptism of Rocco, and then for the wedding.

Celebrity guests have given the roughly 1,000 media members something to cover, with a steady stream of celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow (the alleged maid of honor), Sting, and Rupert Everett landing in the tiny Scottish village.

Rhinestone CowgirlVery few details are known about the actual ceremony, though it's said that Madonna's dress was a gothic-style creation from hip designer Stella McCartney (daughter of former Beatle Paul). London jeweler Susy Lauder revealed to CNN that the pop megastar selected an antique 19-carat diamond bracelet (valued at $72,000) from her store for the wedding, upon McCartney's recommendation.

Madonna allegedly walked down the aisle in diamond-encrusted cowboy boots. The bride's attire and reception décor were rumored to be in the same urban cowgirl vibe as her latest album, Music; wedding stationery even featured a cowboy hat imprint.

Ritchie, on the other hand, was said to have worn a kilt in his family tartan as his formal wedding attire. Many wags debated whether the groom would be going "regimental" (i.e., undie-less) under his kilt-and-sporran ensemble.

Sting, also wearing a kilt, was the first wedding guest spotted entering the Skibo grounds today. His wife, Trudie Styler, and three of the couple's children arrived shortly afterward in a chauffeured car. Also expected to attend were George Clooney, Elton John, Debi Mazar, and rockers Bryan Adams and Jon Bon Jovi. Brad Pitt; his wife, Jennifer Aniston; and Madonna's family reportedly flew in yesterday, after encountering a delay due to weather conditions.

Reuters contributed to this story.