Ed Miliband marries long-term partner Justine Thornton

Labour leader Ed Miliband has married long-term partner Justine Thornton in a private ceremony in Nottinghamshire.

The civil ceremony took place in a luxury hotel attended by about 50 guests, including his brother David.

Mr Miliband met Ms Thornton, an environmental lawyer, in 2005 and they were engaged in March.

Before the wedding, Mr Miliband said he felt like "the luckiest guy in the world" and he was "really looking forward" to the nuptials.

'Great day'

After tying the knot in the Langar Hall country hotel near Nottingham, at a ceremony attended by family members and friends, the couple posed for pictures outside the venue.

Ms Thornton wore an ivory, empire line dress designed by Temperley while Mr Miliband wore a slate grey suit from Aquascutum.

The 25-minute ceremony included readings from Louis de Bernieres' best-selling novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin and I Carry Your Heart With Me, a poem by the American writer EE Cummings and a variety of music.

The couple used traditional wedding vows although they omitted the promise to "obey".

Following the ceremony Mr Miliband's brother, former foreign secretary David Miliband, wrote on Twitter: "Great day for Ed and Justine. They look very happy - congratulations from all the Milibands."

The Labour leader, 41, has broken with the tradition of having a best man and both he and Ms Thornton are giving speeches at the reception.

Instead of buying presents, they suggested guests give donations to children's charity Barnardo's and to Methodist Homes for the Aged.

'Right time'

Mr Miliband had faced questions about his status as an unmarried father after becoming opposition leader last September.

He told interviewers marriage was "a very important institution" but asked whether he felt it would be important, were he to become prime minister, he said he felt people were "pretty relaxed" about the issue.

But it emerged in March he had proposed last year and he told his local paper it was the "right time" for the couple to tie the knot.

Ahead of the ceremony on Friday, Mr Miliband wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter: "Thanks for all the good wishes. Really looking forward to the day. Feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be marrying Justine."

The couple are due to take a five-day honeymoon in an undisclosed location.