How Sheen and Richards Show Their Love

By Stephen M. Silverman

06/21/2002 at 01:00 PM EDT

Most lovers exchange rings when they marry. Then, according to PEOPLE's latest cover story, there are newlyweds Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards. For them, the trail of giddy romantic surprises began a week before the wedding, when Sheen, 36, arrived home coyly brandishing a tattoo parlor T-shirt. "I'm like, 'Okay, what did you do?,'" Richards, 31, told PEOPLE. Then, knowing Sheen's penchant for body art (10 tattoos, not counting the three he is removing), she conducted a swift skin search. When the "Spin City" star removed the bandage on his left wrist, there was her name scripted on the underside. "I love that!" said Richards, who now plans to tattoo his name on her ankle. "I've never had anyone tattoo anything for me!" Richards, 31, saved her response for their June 15 outdoor wedding at the Brentwood, Calif., estate of "Spin City" creator Gary David Goldberg. After exchanging evening vows, the cherubic former Bond girl and the once-notorious bad boy -- now four years sober and distanced from his tabloid past -- enjoyed a prolonged kiss. Then, when they turned to face the gathering of 85 relatives (including Charlie's dad, Martin Sheen, 61) and friends, a six-person gospel choir burst into a raucous, a cappella rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" -- Richards's salute to her baseball-obsessed new hubby. Batter up.