
They officially tied the knot in a low-key official ceremony at the city hall on Thursday.

But today, Prince Ernst August Jr. of Hanover and his Russian fashion designer bride Ekaterina Malysheva pulled out all the stops in a lavish ceremony at Hanover Market Church.

The ceremony featured a traditional guard of honour, along with a horse-drawn carriage that looked like it had come out of a fairy tale.

The couple, who have been together for six years, enjoyed a lavish ceremony at the Hanover Market Church

There was a traditional guard of honour for the newlyweds, who both work in London. Ekaterina is a fashion designer while Ernst is a banker

The couple had 'officially' tied the knot on Thursday in a low-key civil ceremony in the town hall

However this was a chance for the couple to show off their royal regalia and tradition

Ekaterina Malysheva, who runs the popular clothing line EKAT, looked absolutely stunning in her white bridal dress, fashioned by Swiss designer Sandra Mansour

The ensuing celebrations are set to be a society event, featuring a reception and dinner held between two of the Hanover family castles in Western Germany.

The guests will first head to the castle Herrenhäuser for a reception before a lavish dinner at Marienburg Castle.

Banker Prince Ernst, 33, and his 31-year-old bride Ekaterina, have been together for nearly six years and live together in London.

The bride looked absolutely stunning in her bridal gown, fashioned by Sandra Mansour, a Swiss desinger.

Ekaterina also runs her own clothing line, EKAT, which counts stars including Sienna Miller and Rita Ora among its fans.

The talented creative was born in Russia but grew up in Prague.

She moved to the UK at the age of 19 to study at the London College of Fashion before going on to start her own business.

The pair await their horse-drawn carriage outside outside Hanover Market Church in central Germany

Adoring crowds line the street to get a glimpse at their new princess, who was born in Russia but grew up in Czechslovakia

The couple will then travel to a reception and dinner held between two of the Hanover family castles in Western Germany

The fairy-tale marriage, however, was slightly marred by the refusal of Prince Ernst's father to give his blessing

The newly-weds share a loving kiss as they leave the ceremony in the horse-drawn carriage

Ekaterina waves to the cheering crowd as the newly-weds drive through the city in a horse-drawn carriage

The reported refusal of Prince Ernst-August V to give his blessing to the marriage has undoubtedly cast a shadow over the otherwise celebratory atmosphere.

The 63-year-old has refused to give the union his blessing since Prince Ernst proposed to Ekaterina during a family holiday in Greece.

The older Prince is said to want properties and titles he gifted to his son signed back over into his possession, including the iconic Marienburg castle, where the wedding dinner will be held.

The Prince heads up the royal House of Hanover, which provided monarchs to Great Britain from 1714 to 1901. His mother-in-law is the famed Hollywood icon Grace Kelly.

However the Prince also has a chequered past. In 1999 he allegedly assaulted a journalist as he returned from a charity gala. And in 2000 he caused a public row by urinating on the Turkish Pavilion at the Expo 2000 event in Hanover.

Plenty of Europe's royalty were present for the nuptials. Pictured, Prince Christian of Hanover and his fiancee Alessadra de Osma

Prince Andrea Casriraghi of Monaco along with his wife Satiana Santo Domingo daughter India Casiragh (left). Prince Georg Friedrich Ferdinand Prince of Prussia and his wife Princess Sophie of Prussia (right)

Princess Alexandra of Hanover (centre left) looks overjoyed as she exits for the wedding