Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are officially married.

Kapoor, 32, and Khan, 42 held a quiet official ceremony at the groom's home, which will be followed by an evening reception at the grand Taj Mahal Palace hotel.

The newly-weds married in front of close friends and family, before emerging to pose and wave to the large press pack and fans waiting outside. Kapoor was dressed in an embellished red shawl, while Khan wore a simple grey kurta.

"It was a registered marriage with three witnesses -- Kareena's father Randhir Kapoor, her mother Babita and Saif's mother Sharmila Tagore," marriage registrar Surekha Ramesh told the Press Trust of India news agency.

The couple, dubbed "Saifeena" by the media, come from famous acting families and their wedding attracting frenzied media attention.

"Party time" ran the headline in the Mail Today, which offered breathless coverage of a pre-wedding function in Mumbai on Sunday evening.

"Dressed every inch like a bride-to-be, Kareena dazzled in an orange-yellow lehenga (skirt) and a shimmering golden choli (top)," it said.

"Beau Saif Ali Khan turned out more on the simpler side. He looked dapper in a white outfit."

Superstar actor Shah Rukh Khan -- no relation to the groom -- was one of the first big names to congratulate the couple on Twitter.

"Happiest marriage bond to my friend Saif & Kareena. May Allah keep (your) family healthy & happy. Just saw it is registered, sealed & delivered," he wrote.

Friends have been tight-lipped about the private event, but the bride's uncle, actor Rishi Kapoor, confirmed to AFP that the wedding day would be followed by a reception in Delhi in the near future.

"It is a very joyous moment for our family," he said.

Another celebration is reportedly planned at the Pataudi Palace, the ancestral home of Khan in northern Haryana state.

By Shail Kumar Singh (AFP) (Picture: AP / Kakade)