So About That Elephant at Nicole Richie's Wedding

When the star wed Joel Madden last week, she surprised her groom with a pachyderm

When Nicole Richie walked down the aisle to marry Joel Madden last Saturday, one wedding guest took up a lot of space at the ceremony: an elephant!

“I was like, ‘What?’” a surprised Madden told PEOPLE. “Then I just laughed –Nicole getting an elephant and not telling me is typical of our relationship. I am so the ‘no’ guy. But if there’s one time I want her to have the craziest thing she wants, it’s the day we marry.”

Crazy? Maybe. Unexpected? Not so much. Richie has been quoted a few times in the past talking about her dream wedding, and an elephant, which Richie prizes as a symbol of luck, had always been part of that Big Day fantasy.

The one that showed up at Lionel Richie’s Beverly Hills estate to greet the 155 wedding guests was 47 years old and welcomed people at the door.

A dream came true for Richie, and her guests were happy, too. According to event planner Mindy Weiss, “Everybody loved the elephant!”

Read more about stars and animals on PEOPLEPets.com:
Paris Hilton Does Her Community Service – and Adopts a New Dog
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