LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- Nothing says true love like releasing a caged butterfly , do n't you think ? Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLoughlin are to be paid $ 5 million for the picture rights to their wedding . The butterflies are reported to be the piece-de-resistance of England 's most anticipated celebrity wedding of the year . Wayne Rooney , the best English footballer of his generation , and Coleen McLoughlin , his High School sweetheart , were to marry in an estimated $ 10 million ceremony in Italy Thursday . As they kiss , guests are apparently meant to open boxes and release the butterflies . The moment has been pilloried widely in the British media , tacky and over the top they all think , but is it just sour grapes ? It has been a long and , at times , bumpy road for the couple to the altar . One littered with fierce criticism from the British press , which has enjoyed nothing more than lampooning Rooney and McLoughlin for being 'common . ' The Daily Mail once even asked : `` Is this Britain 's ghastliest couple ? '' Rooney has been dubbed `` Shrek '' and `` Mr Potato Head '' due to his looks and his background as the son of a school dinner lady who grew up on a council estate is often referred to in a disparaging way . McLoughlin , meanwhile , has been subjected to page upon page of bitter stories about her weight , shopping sprees and her lack of closeness to Victoria Beckham . There has also been fierce criticism over the fact she has managed to become a millionaire in her own right . It 's all down to Rooney apparently , and nothing to do with her appearing to be quite a decent person , who did well at school and has cleverly managed to parlay some of her fame into various media and advertising projects . Anyone who has seen her television show -- Coleen 's Real Women -- can see she is a decent , bubbly person , who is very good at putting people at ease . Much to the media 's fury , the couple have sold the rights to cover the wedding to OK magazine for a record $ 5 million . However they 're not pocketing all the cash themselves , with an undisclosed sum from the fee to be donated to the Claire House children 's hospice in Cheshire -- where McLoughlin 's disabled foster sister Rosie is cared for . The queen 's grandson , Peter Phillips and his bride Autumn Kelly , recently received $ 1m from Hello magazine to cover their wedding but they did n't receive an eighth of the opprobrium now directed at the more generous , but lower class , Rooney and McLoughlin . Moreover , in lieu of presents , Rooney and McLoughlin have also asked guests to donate money to the Alder Hey children 's hospital in Liverpool . The wedding might be over the top , with a private yacht and luxury jet for guests ( they are covering the guests ' costs ) , expensive plonk and a $ 200,000 wedding dress , but at least the couple have worked hard for what they have . Their success despite a working-class background appears to be the greatest source of frustration for critics . It 's just not on that someone who was n't born into privilege and did n't go to a posh school can enjoy their wealth . That would be ugly . If anything , the couple 's relationship and success is a triumph over adversity . They have known each other since McLoughlin was 12 , but she spent two years fending off Rooney 's entreaties to go out on a date . He finally got his chance when he saw her struggling to fix a broken bicycle chain . He rode over to help , popped the question again and got a yes . Surely they should be congratulated for creating their own modern fairytale complete with butterflies ? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer .
English football star Wayne Rooney and sweetheart married in lavish ceremony . Glen Scanlon says media have launched bitter attacks on the couple . Working - class background continues to be critics ' greatest annoyance , he says .