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Beyoncé Knowles has married rapper Jay-Z in a private ceremony in New York, Mary J. Blige confirmed yesterday.

The couple's parents joined a group of close celebrity pals, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, as well as Beyoncé's bandmates in Destiny's Child Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and her sister Solange.

Jay-Z – real name Shawn Carter – and 26-year-old Beyoncé applied for a marriage licence last Tuesday and married on Friday night.

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Award winning couple: Beyonce and Jay-Z are two of the biggest names in the urban music industry

Despite refusing to officially announce their new status as husband and wife, Jay-Z's tour companion Mary congratulated the couple on stage in North Carolina on Sunday.

Following the nuptials on Friday, the 38-year-old hip-hop star and his bride flew to Greensboro, North Carolina, where the rapper was performing at the city's Coliseum venue.

Photographed stepping out of their private jet at Greensboro airport, the low-key couple hid from photographers, who spotted a wedding band on Jay-Z's left hand.

On stage on Sunday, Mary said: "Congratulations to my man, Jay-Z, and my girl, B," before dedicating her song You're All I Need to the newlyweds.

After the couple's wedding ceremony, they threw a lavish party for a group of 30 at Jay's apartment in the fashionable New York district of TriBeCa.

A large white marquee was erected on the top of the building and audio-visual equipment, large flower arrangements and a 5ft tall candelabra were also brought in.

Celebrity florist Amy's Orchids was hired to provide more than 50,000 white orchids from Thailand.

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Ladies in white: Gwyneth Paltrow (left) and Beyonce's 21-year-old sister Solange arrives at the nuptials in New York

Guests – all the women wore white – were banned from bringing mobile phones inside and had to leave them with their chauffeurs.

A friend told People magazine late on Friday night: "It happened earlier this evening. Jay wanted it to be a really private affair – close friends and family."

Earlier, Rowland and Williams had posted a video of themselves on YouTube from their room at the Four Seasons hotel in which they teased viewers that they were at an 'undisclosed location' and refused to say why they were making the flying visit to New York.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z, 37, have been together for six years after teaming up for the rapper's single 03 Bonnie & Clyde.

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Destiny's reunion: Beyonce's former Destiny's Child bandmate Michelle Williams arrives for the nuptials on Friday night

They also collaborated on her hit singles Crazy In Love and Déjà Vu.

They are the most successful couple in the R&B and hip-hop world.

Jay-Z, a seven-times Grammy winner, is reportedly poised to sign a £75million touring deal with Live Nation, while Beyoncé is worth about £15million.

The couple will have to wait for a honeymoon - Jay-Z is performing almost nightly with Mary J. Blige until early May, while Beyoncé is filming her role as Etta James in new film Cadillac Records.

Meanwhile, Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis has denied reports Jay-Z is planning to pull out of this year's festival.

Jay-Z was upset by reports that his billing had "put off" rock fans and the reaction to his appearance on music messageboards, according to The Sun.

Eavis said: "I spoke to his people this weekend. Everything is fine. I'm excited."