Pop singer Katy Perry and British comedian Russell Brand embarked on their honeymoon in the Maldives Monday via helicopter, after an eccentric and elaborate wedding in Rajasthan, India, on Saturday.
The couple wed in a traditional Hindu ceremony at Ranthambore National Park, a local tiger preserve. The unusual festivities, made private by a tight security detail, earned a flurry of media commentary when it was reported that Brand presented Perry with a tiger as a wedding gift.
Brand purportedly bought Machli, a female Bengal tiger living in the Ranthambhore reserve, because she was regarded as "the epitome of beauty." The tiger was said to reflect Brand's feelings for Perry. Machli will continue to live at the national park, and the money paid for her will be dedicated to the tiger's care and to the park's restoration and conservation. Russell is also said to have presented Perry with a ruby, which he said possesses "protective powers." Perry presented Brand with extravagant gifts as well, including a baby elephant as a token of her love.
A total of 85 guests, ranging from close family to famous Hollywood figures, attended the ceremony, which was also said to have featured a Hindu guru, a fortune-telling parrot and fire-eating performers.
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