ONCE it was only revolutionaries such as Fidel Castro who could seize a Caribbean island. Yesterday it was Google, the internet giant, that took control of Necker in the British Virgin Islands for the wedding of Larry Page, its co-founder.

There was a price: Sir Richard Branson, the island’s owner, was ready to step up as best man for the marriage of his fellow multi-billionaire.

Page, 34, America’s fifth-richest man with a fortune of £9 billion, was marrying Lucinda “Lucy” Southworth, 27, a student in biomedical informatics at Stanford University who already has a masters degree from Oxford.

With security men on hand to warn away vessels carrying photographers, the best chance the paparazzi had of getting a picture was via a Google Earth satellite image.

Google has hired the 74-acre island and taken over hotels on nearby islands for the three-day nuptials for an estimated fee of £500,000. A white marquee was built on the shoreline for the reception. The captain of a passing charter boat said it appeared workers were adding sand to the beach and placing fake palm trees to give it an authentic tropical look.

The bride is on course to gain a doctorate at Stanford. Her groom dropped out of his PhD programme at the same Californian university to start Google.

One of Southworth’s friends said in an internet posting: “They are really nuts about each other; they make google eyes to each other all the time.” Denise Hale, a San Francisco socialite, said: “They are a very well-matched couple. She’s stunning and bright, and he’s very attractive and bright.”

The bride’s brother-in-law worked as the national field director for George W Bush’s 2004 presidential campaign. At one stage, it was rumoured that three American presidents might show up to the wedding: Bill Clinton and both George Bushes.

Al Gore, the former vice-president, had to decline his invitation because he is due in Norway tomorrow to collect his Nobel peace prize.

Bono, the U2 singer, was a guest and was expected to perform. The Red Hot Chili Peppers also played at the reception.

The 300 guests were being flown in from around the world on private jets and then taken to the island by boat and helicopter. Most were staying on a neigh-bouring island. Branson’s 14-bedroom holiday home was reserved for Page’s family.

He and Branson have been friends for four years. The Virgin Group owner enlisted the Google Earth service to help search for his friend Steve Fossett after the billionaire adventurer’s plane went missing last September.

Page co-founded Google in 1998 with Sergey Brin, his Russian-born classmate at Stanford. Brin married on an island in the Bahamas last May.

One event organiser commented: “Booking a private island is becoming more of a trend these days with billionaires.”

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