Julia: A 'Smiling,' 'Beautiful' Bride

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday July 08, 2002 01:00 AM EDT

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The bride of "Runaway Bride" marched down the aisle for real on the Fourth of July. "I'm confirming that Julia Roberts has married Daniel Moder, but that's all we're saying for now," the Oscar winner's publicist, Marcy Engleman, told Reuters. The wedding, according to news reports, took place under a large white tent shortly after midnight Wednesday at Roberts's 40-acre ranch near Taos, N.M. Engleman stated that the ceremony was attended by "close friends and family"; no names or details were confirmed. The New York Post reported that Taos county clerk Jeannette Rael and a local attorney were quietly summoned to Roberts's ranch in anticipation of the ceremony. "I got the call at home about 8 p.m. and was asked to prepare the license for Julia Roberts and Danny Moder," Rael told the paper. "I guess they wanted to do everything at the last minute so that nobody would find out." When she met the couple, Rael said, "They seemed very happy, they walked in holding hands, they were both smiling and joking. Julia looked beautiful." Roberts intends to release one wedding photo to the press, her spokesperson has said. The star, 34, who was briefly married to singer Lyle Lovett in 1993, met cameraman Moder, 33, two years ago, while they were both working on the film "The Mexican," costarring Brad Pitt. Moder reportedly left his wife of five years, makeup artist Vera Steinberg, to be with Roberts, and their first public appearance together was in April at a Taos film festival. Prior to marrying Lovett, Roberts broke up with Kiefer Sutherland three days before their planned wedding in 1991 and ran off with Jason Patric. She has also been linked to Dylan McDermott and Liam Neeson, and last year ended what had been her most enduring relationship, her four-year romance with Benjamin Bratt. He then married actress Talisa Soto in April.