Melanie Brown’s wedding with celebrity hairdresser Rory McPhee on 5 July marked her third trip down the aisle, following her marriages with Jimmy Gulzar from 1998 to 2000 and Stephen Belafonte from 2007 to 2017.
The former Spice Girl, commonly known as Mel B, said ‘I do’ with her first husband at St John the Baptist Church in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, before celebrating in the marquee at her former manor house.
Mel B kept it even more low-key for her second wedding, jetting to Las Vegas where she exchanged vows with Stephen at the Special Memory Wedding Chapel in a $59 ceremony. The couple later had a vow renewal at the Jaz Makadi Golf Hotel in Madinat Makadi, Egypt with a larger guest list.
So why did Scary Spice only choose one of the most iconic London landmarks steeped in history for her third wedding?
Iconic wedding venue
© GettyMel B was pictured arriving at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Saturday in a Josephine Scott wedding dress, before making her way into the OBE Chapel, also known as St. Faith’s Chapel, located in the crypt for the ceremony.
As the location for King Charles’ wedding with his first wife Princess Diana, St. Paul’s Cathedral is considered one of the most impressive and exclusive wedding venues in the capital.
Very few are permitted to tie the knot there, but Mel B made the list thanks to her MBE in 2022 for her services to charitable causes and vulnerable women. She became a Women’s Aid patron in 2018 after speaking out about her own experience with domestic abuse.
© Getty ImagesWhile Mel B is a mother to three grown-up daughters, Phoenix, Angel and Madison, her MBE also grants her permission to baptise her children in the church, accessed via the side of St. Paul’s.
Despite being a household name after shooting to fame in 1996 as one-fifth of the girl band Spice Girls, Mel B was not expecting to generate much interest in her wedding.
© GettyA source told HELLO!: “She was genuinely surprised that crowds had gathered outside St. Paul’s Cathedral to catch a glimpse of her stunning dress as she arrived.
“Everything aside from the crypt remained open to the public. The chapel was decorated with flowers which were cleared immediately afterwards, allowing visitors to continue as normal shortly after the newlyweds and their famous guests had left for the reception.”
© GettyThe pair, who got engaged in October 2022, were joined by a medley of famous faces, including Mel B’s former bandmate, Emma Bunton, as well as Katherine Ryan, Daisy Lowe, and model Cara Delevingne. Other bandmates Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, and Mel C were not in attendance.
VB did, however, design a satin blue dress for Mel’s daughter Phoenix while Geri also sent a gift from afar.
Lavish wedding reception
After witnessing the ceremony, Mel B and Rory joined their loved ones – who had travelled across London in a bus listening to none other than Spice Girl anthem, ‘Wannabe’ – at the five-star hotel, Shangri-La The Shard.
Mel B swapped her first wedding dress, which featured an illusion neckline and pearl detailing in a nod to “her fearless spirit and softness”, for a backless pearl-encrusted second wedding dress, layered underneath a cardigan personalised with the stitching ‘Just Married.’
© GC ImagesShe removed her trailing veil to reveal her stunning natural curls for the evening, while Rory remained in his traditional Scottish kilt.
As for entertainment, the pair partied the night away with the help of London-based French-Moroccan singer and songwriter, Najwa Ezzaher Perso.
Another source described the atmosphere as “lovely and warm, very happy”, with Mel catching up with friends and family outside of the limelight.
“There were people from her hair and make-up teams, random people she met over the years, some of the dancers from the recent Spice Girls tours,” they said.