Sao Paulo, Dec. 4 (Reuters): Athina Roussel Onassis, heiress to the late Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis’s fortune, married Brazilian equestrian champion Alvaro Affonso de Miranda in a sumptuous wedding held behind tight security here last night.

Around 750 guests from around the world attended the service and party in the lush grounds of an art museum in the posh district of Morumbi.

The bride’s father, Thierry Roussel, who fought his daughter for control of her fortune and has questioned Miranda’s motives for marrying her, was not present, local media said.

Miranda, 32, called Doda, arrived with his friend and fellow show-jumper Rodrigo Pessoa.

The 20-year-old bride is one of the richest women in the world and the marriage marks a bright spot in a life in which wealth has not prevented tragedy.

Athina has long been known as the“poor little rich girl” in the world’s celebrity media. Her mother Christina died at 37 in 1988 in Buenos Aires, when Athina was just three, after a history of drug abuse.

A blanket of secrecy surrounded the preparations for the wedding although many details emerged beforehand.

The security operation was worthy of a President, with more than 400 guards on duty at the Maria Luisa and Oscar Americano Foundation as the event got underway last night.

Guests were ferried to the venue in a convoy of limousines and had to pass through two security checkpoints.

As the party began, they enjoyed French cuisine and champagne ? 1,000 bottles of Veuve Cliquot champagne had been laid on.

The couple exchanged vows around 10 pm in an ecumenical service as she is Greek Orthodox and he is a Roman Catholic.

Athina met Doda, a two-time Olympic bronze medal winner, in Belgium in 2002 and romance blossomed over their shared passion for horses and riding. They live in a luxury penthouse in Brazil’s biggest city.