Carrie Underwood appears on the cover of this week's People Magazine, on newsstands Friday. Photo courtesy of people.com.

The run-up to Carrie Underwood’s wedding to hockey player Mike Fisher last weekend was loaded with speculation among interested fans and hungry media. For Carrie, the lead-in to her vows of matrimony was accompanied by recitations of patriotism.

Dressed in her bridal gown, Carrie appears on the cover of Friday’s People magazine with flowers in hand, according to The Ottawa Citizen, and the story unveils some of the events of her big day, including the trick she used to keep from crying through the ceremony.

“My sister told me if I feel like tearing up, say the Pledge of Allegiance,” Carrie explained. “I must have said it 20 times that night!”

The wedding was dotted with celebrities. The Citizen cites four NHL players among the 250 guests, and other reports have indicated that country artists Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Garth Brooks showed up, along with a smattering of “American Idol” personalities, including Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.

Carrie’s dog, Ace, attended the wedding in an all-pink tuxedo; the ballroom was decked in pink for the reception; and table assignments were handed out on hockey pucks. The couple’s first dance was to a live performance of “Love Never Fails” by contemporary Christian singer Brandon Heath.

“The night exceeded all the hopes I had,” Carrie said. “It was a great party.”

Carrie’s wedding trumped several other celebrity events that might have been People’s lead story in another week. The right-hand column on Friday’s cover touts Mel Gibson’s meltdown, Bristol Palin’s reunion with her ex-fiance and Lindsay Lohan’s jail sentence.

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