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Keira Knightley’s Wedding: Actress Marries James Righton in Low-Key Ceremony

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Keira Knightley married James Righton in a low-key ceremony in the south of France on May 4, 2013.

Keira Knightley is no bridezilla. On Saturday, May 4, the Anna Karenina actress married Klaxons keyboardist James Righton, and from the looks of things, there was little ado over the "I dos." The couple kept the day very low-key, exchanging vows in an intimate ceremony in the south of France before just a dozen or so of their closest friends and family. See more photos from Keira Knightley's wedding.

Pictures of the happy occasion show the Oscar-nominated star, 28, leaving the Mazan Town Hall hand-in-hand with her new husband, 29, as guests including Righton's bandmates and Knightley's mom cheer them into a waiting silver Renault Clio. Knightley — in a simple but elegant short, strapless tulle dress by Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld, with flats, a cropped Chanel jacket, and a daisy-chain garland atop her shoulder-length brown tresses — looks radiant and relaxed.

"It was a very moving ceremony," an onlooker tells Us Weekly of the intimate affair, officiated by Mazan mayor Aime Navello. "Keira looked emotional during the whole thing. She cried when they exchanged their vows but was still smiling."

 

Related: PHOTOS: Stars' stunning wedding pictures

 

Another eyewitness adds: "It was a sunny day without a cloud in the sky. There were cheers of 'Well done Keira!' when she came out, but there were so few people present, they didn't make much noise."

"It was amusing to see them being driven away in a battered old Renault Clio," the onlooker continues. "The car certainly looked as though it had seen better days."

The newly minted husband and wife will celebrate with a slightly bigger party on Saturday night, at Knightley's mother's home a few miles outside Mazan. Righton's band is expected to perform for the 50 or so guests, rumored to include actress Sienna Miller, and more than 120 bottles of wine have been provided for the fete. The couple also reportedly plan to throw a second bash once they return to Britain.

 

Related: PHOTOS: The most over-the-top celeb weddings

 

Locals in Mazan have grown used to seeing Knightley around town since her mother bought the estate in 2010, and are thrilled to see the A-lister so happy. "We are absolutely delighted for her," Jean-Francois Durand, a near-neighbor, tells Us, adding that the family keeps a very low profile. 

This is the first marriage for both the Klaxons rocker and the Pride and Prejudice star, who previously dated actor Rupert Friend for five years. Their romance went public in April 2011, when they were photographed kissing in an East London park. A little more than a year later, in May 2012, Righton proposed.

"He can turn into this lovestruck puppy around her," a mutual pal told Us Weekly last year, adding that the rocker's friends encouraged him to pop the question. "Honestly, they're good for each other."

Related: PHOTOS: Hot British stars

Speaking about her wedding plans in November, Knightley confessed to being slightly overwhelmed by the whole thing. "The problem is, ever since [the engagement] happened, everyone keeps going…'So when is it going to happen, and what's the dress like?'" the star told Ellen DeGeneres. "I'm just not one of those girls that's had the kind of fantasy wedding thing, so we haven't planned anything, and it's all quite terrifying."

"I sort of looked up on the Internet…if you're getting married, what should you do…" she continued. "I really don't have a clue. I don't get what the big deal is. You say 'I do'…You drink a bit…On the Internet, they keep talking about…There are things like bridal tea parties. I mean, what is a bridal tea party? I've never had a tea party in my life."

"The whole thing is kind of quite confusing, I think," she confessed.

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