There was no procession, champagne or band -- only piles of snow and a breathtaking panorama for bride Moni Mulepati, 24, and groom Pem Dorjee, 23, as they exchanged their vows at the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) summit on Monday.

"We were there only for 10 minutes, just enough for us to get married and our friends to take pictures of us," Mulepati told The Associated Press on Friday.

The couple was part of the Rotary Centennial Everest Expedition and scaled the peak with 45 other climbers.

Temperatures at the summit were bitingly cold and the weather treacherous, so they had to make the ceremony quick. They briefly took off oxygen masks and donned plastic garlands while the groom put traditional red powder on the bride's forehead, symbolizing marriage.

The couple had not told friends and relatives of their plans, and were to hold a more formal wedding later in Katmandu.

Family members spoke of their surprise.

"We only knew they were going to climb Everest and nothing about the wedding plans. But it is fine with us," said Mohan Mulepati, the bride's father.

The wedding was unconventional not just for its locale: She is from the Newar community and he is a Sherpa -- an unusual pairing in a country where most marriages are arranged by parents and people tend to stick to their castes.

"With our interracial marriage, we also wanted to give the message that caste and race has no barriers when it comes to marriage," said Dorjee, the groom.

On their return from the mountain, the couple spent their first night at the bride's house in Katmandu.

"We both want to continue climbing mountains," she said .