Ballack, 31, said “I do“ to the mother of his three children in the Kempfenhausen castle in front of the mayor of the town of Berg, Rupert Monn, at around noon. After the private civil ceremony, the two planned on celebrating with a small circle of friends.

A church wedding is planned for Tuesday, as well as a reception at the Bavarian Yacht Club, an exclusive boating club located on the idyllic lake. Reception guests will stay at the Four Seasons Hotel and it has been reported that Ballack, a native of Görlitz, will organize a Wednesday morning “hangover breakfast“ for them.

Ballack and Simone, 30, met ten years ago in a café in Kaiserslautern, where she was waitressing at the time. Ballack has said that when he saw her, it was love at first sight.

The couple now live with their three young sons – Louis, Emilio and Jordi – in the London surburb of Wimbeldon. Before the former FC-Bayern player transferred to FC Chelsea in 2006, the family lived on Lake Starnberg.