Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt’s wedding in Mexico wasn’t officially binding in the US and was purely symbolic for the cameras. Spencer pledged that he would make it legal in the states, and just like everything else these two do, the gesture was only on the surface. They filmed scenes in an LA courthouse of their supposed follow-up civil wedding for their reality show “The Hills,” but they did it after hours, used an actor for the judge and never filed the necessary paperwork for a license.

MTV was granted permission to film “what purported to be a wedding outside of court hours” at the Beverly Hills courthouse, court spokesman Allan Parachini said Tuesday. He did not know who the participants were in the wedding, but Parachini said court officials wanted the filming to be treated as a news event.

The preview for next week’s season finale features a wood-paneled courtroom with the California state seal perched on the wall behind a judge. Civil ceremonies are sometimes performed at the Beverly Hills courthouse, but not in the manner portrayed in the brief preview. If a judge does preside, it is typically in chambers during a break, Parachini said.

Pratt, 25, and Montag, 22, acknowledged that their Nov. 19 marriage ceremony near Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, was entirely symbolic, despite appearing on the Nov. 26 cover of Us Weekly with the headline “Heidi & Spencer Elope!” Monday’s episode of “The Hills” depicted the pair spontaneously agreeing to exchange vows after downing several shots of tequila.

“In my mind, it’s as legal as the ring on my finger,” Pratt told Us Weekly.

A check of marriage records last week did not reveal any filings by Pratt or Montag in Los Angeles County, although the couple could get married in any county in California as well as opt for a confidential license. Officials at two courthouses in neighboring Orange County said they have not received requests from MTV to film in their facilities.

The couple and MTV did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday.

[From AP via Huffington Post]

These two may be vapid and superficial, but if they’re taking pains to make sure their wedding isn’t real they’re not that stupid. Their co-star Lo Bosworth recently explained Heidi’s decision to get faux-married, saying “she was drunk!” She was sentient enough not to fully get married, although like everything else these two do that was probably Spencer’s idea.

Heidi and Spencer recently upgraded their cheap plastic wedding rings to more traditional versions. They’ve got to keep up appearances, and these two appear just about everywhere.

Here they are shopping on Robertson Boulevard on 12/13/08. You have to feel sorry for that Santa.

Credit: WENN.