Celine Dion and Rene Angelil renew their vows LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 /CNW-AsiaNet/ - At five o'clock this afternoon, January 5, 2000, five years after their Roman Catholic wedding in Montreal, Que., Celine Dion and Rene Angelil renewed their vows in a religious ceremony conducted by Monsignor Michel Sayde of the Melkite Byzantine Eastern Catholic rite. The ceremony, the ritual itself and the prayers recited by the celebrant and the couple served as a precedent in the history of the Byzantine rite. Because of their profound devotion to family life and friendship, it was very important to Celine and Rene that they be surrounded by family and friends for this celebration. Some 235 guests were brought together at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, for this lavish event. The decor, the music and hymns (both religious and secular), the reception and the banquet all reflected the Lebanese and Syrian origins of Rene Angelil. Prevalent in the decorations were the star and the crescent, central symbols of Middle Eastern culture; as well, various Arab cultures were represented with music, dance and costumes. Just as evocative of this culture were the camels and exotic birds. The chapel where the religious ceremony was held had been redesigned to evoke the architecture and atmosphere of an Arab mosque. The ballroom of Caesars Palace was transformed into a beautiful Oriental garden. Six Berber tents were set up, each representing a scene from A Thousand and One Nights. The magic and the mystery of the Orient were re-created with dancers, jugglers, musicians and singers. Even camels and exotic birds... Seated Oriental-style on brightly colored cushions, the guests were served a five-course meal prepared by Lebanese, Syrian and Moroccan chefs. The men were dressed in black; the women wore the colors of precious gems: emerald, sapphire, ruby and diamond. The groom was in white; the bride wore a golden gown by Givenchy. The entire event had the magic of a fairy tale, and, for this extraordinary couple, was the perfect beginning to their sabbatical. AH! YA ASMARIL LONE HAYATIL ASMARANI HABIBI WI YOUNOU SOUD AMMAL KEHLI RABBANI Celine and Rene would like to thank the following people who have worked to make this event a wonderful memory for all who attended. Caesars Palace : Arthur Goldberg, Anna DeMartino, Linda Crane, Paul O'Neil, Danielle Strong, Deborah Munch, and all their co-workers. Chefs Greg Waldron & John Hui and staff. Guest Chefs : restaurant Daou, Montrial. Set Design : Johanne Dastous, designer Production : Destinations by Design : Joyce Sherman, Jim Nelson, Andrew Erskine, Tami Hance. Coordination: Ian Donald, Suzanne Gingue, Shari Weber, Simon Watkins, Yves Aucoin, Denis Savage, Michel Dion, Eric Burrows. Ritual Ceremony : Monsignor Sleiman Hajjar Priest : Mgr Michel Saydi. Singer : Vera Loutfi. Musicians : Muchid Alkhalaf, Monir Sabet Nosseir, Youssef Abdalla Magdy. Merci a Eddie Alepin. Dress and suit for Celine and Rene were designed by Alexander McQueen for Givenchy. Stylist : Annie L. Horth. Hair : Peter Savic Make-Up : Stephane Marais Claude Challe came from Paris to illuminate this night with his choice of music. Baladi dancer : Samia. Logistics : Sylvie Beauregard. Coordination : Normand Leblanc, Jacqueline Deslauriers, Celine Fontaine, Michel Lapointe, Pierre Trepanier, Karen Marquardt, Guillaume Kelly, Josee Lacroix, Philippe St-Aubin, Fabienne Benita. Press : Francine Chaloult, Kim Jakwerth. This evening is a tribute to Rene from Celine and was made possible by Paul Sara, Johanne Dastous and Mia Dumont. For further information: Le bureau de Francine Chaloult, (514) 481-3972; Kim Jakwerth, (323) 966-4669