Elton turns down $10m

Sir Elton John has turned down £5.6 million for the exclusive rights to his wedding to David Furnish.

The singer was offered $10 million by an American company to cover his wedding on Wednesday, the Evening Standard has learned.

A friend said: "Elton was approached to do a huge thing with an American media organisation which wanted to cover everything including the build-up and the wedding day itself. They were offering $10 million, but Elton is just not interested. He wants it as private as possible."

The offer dwarfs amounts paid to other couples. The rights for Victoria and David Beckhams' wedding were sold for a reported £1 million to OK! which is said to have paid Jordan and Peter Andre £1.75 million. Sir Elton's wedding, on the day civil partnerships become legal in Britain, will be held at Windsor's Guildhall. Seven hundred guests will attend a reception at Sir Elton's Berkshire home, Woodside.

Prior to the wedding, Sir Elton's "hen night" tonight will be played a video message from Bill Clinton. The minute-long recording will be played at a cabaret party at the Too2Much nightclub in Soho. A source said: "We were running through rehearsals when the tape was played. We knew Elton had good connections, but to see the ex-US president was something else."

Mr Clinton congratulates Sir Elton, 58, and David Furnish, 42, and says: "If there were more people like Elton, the world would be a better place."