A Whole New Ball Game

06/20/2002 at 12:00 PM EDT

The trail of giddy surprises began a week before the wedding, when Charlie Sheen arrived home coyly brandishing a tattoo parlor T-shirt. "I'm like, 'Okay, what did you do?' " says actress Denise Richards, who, knowing Sheen's penchant for body art (10 tattoos, not counting the three he is removing), 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!" says 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 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. When they turned to face the gathering of 85 relatives and friends -- including husband-and-wife pals Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn, Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora and Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy -- 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. "It was a joyous outburst," says the bride's pal Tasha Boley. As the choir broke into "Oh, Happy Day," Boley adds, "Everyone started laughing and clapping. They were radiating happiness."

Dancing on air too. Around 9 p.m., while guests hunted for their places at nine round dinner tables beneath a large tent, a small band struck up the first song the couple had chosen -- "Open Arms" by Journey -- and the newlyweds took to the makeshift high-gloss wooden dance floor. Then they launched into an elegant routine -- complete with dips and turns -- choreographed for them by Fame star Debbie Allen, who gave the pair four private lessons. "I'd never seen Charlie dance before," says his dad, West Wing star Martin Sheen, 61. "He was like Fred Astaire doing a waltz."

As guests settled into their dinner, best man Tony Todd brought down the house with his toast. "Denise is by far the best catch of your life," the actor said. "As newly appointed commissioner of baseball, I award you the official Gold Glove award." Then he presented a speechless Sheen with an authentic Gold Glove trophy (thanks to some inside help from Todd's pal, Cincinnati Reds star Ken Griffey Jr.) etched with a picture of the couple. "Charlie was just blown away," says Boley.