NEW YORK (AFP) - US singer and actress Beyonce has married her longtime companion, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, at a private ceremony in New York, People magazine reported on its website Saturday.

The weekly quoted an unidentified friend of the couple as saying the couple had tied the knot at Jay-Z's penthouse apartment in the exclusive Tribeca area of the city late on Friday.

"Jay wanted it to be a really private affair -- close friends and family," it quoted the friend as saying.

Guests at the party, which was reportedly decorated with more than 50,000 white orchids flown in from Thailand, included former Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and the couple's friend Gwyneth Paltrow.

Speculation had mounted since earlier this week that the couple were about to tie the knot after it was reported they had just taken out a marriage license -- good for 60 days -- in New York state.

Beyonce, 26, found stardom with the R&B group Destiny's Child before embarking on a solo music career in 2003 with the album "Dangerously in Love."

Her second album "B'day" was released in September 2006. Also an actress, she starred as Foxxy Cleopatra in "Austin Powers in Goldmember," going on to appear in the latest "The Pink Panther" movie and "Dreamgirls."

Jay-Z, 38, born Shawn Carter, was head of Def Jam records and has sold more than 35 million albums as a rapper since 1996.

He was this week reported to be on the verge of signing a 150 million dollar deal with concert promoter Live Nation -- which would be one of the biggest ever deals in the music business.

Source: AFP