People: Race to the altar ends right here

For Hayden Kristianson, married life is about to become a reality.

The Chewelah native, who appeared with boyfriend Aaron Crumbaugh on “The Amazing Race,” will wed him today in Spokane with a few former castmates on hand.

Kristianson, 28, the daughter of retired Superior Court Judge Larry Kristianson, was a star high school athlete and earned a track scholarship to the University of New Mexico.

Following a knee injury, she transferred to the University of San Diego, where she signed a modeling contract that eventually took her to Los Angeles – and Crumbaugh, 28, whom she met at a Mexican restaurant in October 2003.

“It was kind of love at first sight,” she says. “We hit it off immediately, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.”

Thanks to her friend Kelly Goldsmith, who appeared on “Survivor: Africa” and was doing casting for “The Amazing Race,” the couple landed a gig as a team on the sixth season of the CBS reality show, which aired in 2004-05.

It was a bit of a stretch for Kristianson, who wasn’t a fan of reality TV and “not the biggest daredevil in the world – I’m not very good with heights, and I don’t like to fly.”

But now, she says, “I’m really glad we did it.”

After they were eliminated in the season finale in Xi’an, China, Crumbaugh surprised her on-air by popping the question – which, she notes, ranked No. 5 on In Touch magazine’s list of most romantic proposals.

Fellow competitor Kristy Jensen is a bridesmaid in today’s ceremony, while the second-place finishers, Kris Perkins and Jon Buehler, will be among the guests.

Then it’s back to Chicago, where Crumbaugh works as a chef and Kristianson is an account executive with a Belgian-based consulting firm.

Will we ever see them on TV again?

Crumbaugh says he’d be interested in a cooking show, “and I would definitely do ‘Survivor.’ But that’s about it.”

Kristianson, who grew disillusioned when discussions about having them host a cable talk show dragged on fruitlessly, isn’t so sure.

“We decided, let’s be in control of our own destiny,” she says. “But if the right opportunity presents itself, you never know.”

Here comes the bridle groom

Film-crazy India was all abuzz Friday as two of its biggest stars, former Miss World Aishwarya Rai and romantic hero Abhishek Bachchan, celebrated their wedding.

Hundreds of fans cheered as Bachchan, son of an Indian cinema legend, left his home astride a white stallion.

Not so thrilled was a young woman who slit her wrists outside the home earlier in the day, claiming he had promised to marry her instead.

Mayhem-December romance

Shock rocker Marilyn Manson, separated from burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese, is seeing 19-year-old actress Evan Rachel Wood.

“I was married to someone who wanted me to change. Become more adult,” says Manson, 38, adding: “I’ve found my double, my twin, with my new girlfriend.”

The birthday bunch

Actor Charles Grodin is 72. Singer Iggy Pop is 60. Actor Tony Danza is 56. Actress Andie MacDowell is 49. Actor-director John Cameron Mitchell (“Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) is 44. Actress-comedian Nicole Sullivan (“King of Queens”) is 37. Actor James McAvoy (“The Last King of Scotland”) is 28.