Mel B wedding - one Spice Girl confirms attendance as three absent
When Mel B walks down the aisle at St Paul's Cathedral, friends believe it really will be third time lucky for the Spice Girl.
The 50-year-old, who has been married twice before, is tying the knot on Saturday with hairstylist Rory McPhee, 37, who pals say is as 'un-showbiz as they come'.
'It's why everyone thinks that they get on so well… and why he is so good for Melanie,' says one confidante.
'He doesn't come from that fake, entertainment world. He is down to earth, family orientated and just a normal bloke.'
Their connection runs deep, all the way to childhood. Mel's cousin Christian Cooke and Rory were friends at school, and he has 'always been on the outer edges of her life'.
The pal said: 'It's why this is almost certainly going to be a happy ever after. It's as if the universe was just waiting for them to properly connect and fall in love.'
Other friends of the singer have described Rory, who works at his family run Leeds hair salon, as 'not your typical alpha male' that Mel has been attracted to in the past.
They added: 'He is humble, kind, cooks roast dinners for her… It's as far removed from her usual type that you can imagine.'
Mel's previous marriage to Stephen Belafonte broke down and she accused him of emotional and physical abuse, which he has always denied. Her first husband was Jimmy Gulzar.
Last year she said of Rory: 'When I went back to England, he would come over and give me hair treatments... and as he was nurturing my curls back, I guess he was nurturing my trust and belief in a relationship.'
Rory popped the question in October 2022 at the Cliveden Hotel in Berkshire, after decking the room in flowers and going down on one knee.
Mel said: 'I was in my walking clothes, hair up in a bun,. And he did a whole spiel to me about me being his best friend.'
Being awarded an MBE in 2022 for her services to charitable causes and vulnerable women meant the star was able to tie the knot at St Paul's.
Mel, who eloped to Las Vegas to marry Stephen, says it will be a very different affair to her previous nuptials.
She has said previously: 'This will be a very formal, English wedding where I want to feel regal and very proper. All the ladies will wear hats or fascinators.'
The guest list has been a hot topic, not least about whether her Spice Girl bandmates would be on it.
Insiders say Emma Bunton will be there with husband Jade Jones, but Mel C, Victoria Beckham and Geri Horner will not.
Insiders say: 'Victoria loves Mel but sadly she will be out of the country, and wishes she could be there. Mel C too would have been there but she is on tour in Sweden. They have a great deal of affection for Melanie.'
Victoria was keen to show that Mel was in her thoughts as she posted a picture of herself and Mel looking glamorous at a recent event as she sent Rory and Mel best wishes.
The reason for Geri's absence is not known for sure, but she is said to have a more strained relationship with Mel than the others.
Insiders say she was left mortified after Mel claimed on Piers Morgan 's Life Stories in 2019 that she was intimate with Geri while they were in the Spice Girls.
Despite reports she was set to wear a wedding dress designed by Victoria, she has picked out two other gowns instead. One by British designer Josephine Scott for today and another by US bridal specialist Justin Alexander for a second wedding ceremony abroad in the next few weeks. Mel said: 'It's a perfect blend of my love for Britain and America.'
For the first ceremony, Mel will walk down to the aisle to an organ.
Says the insider: 'Mel wanted it to be all very traditional and very much in keeping with the classic surroundings.'
The couple will say their vows in the crypt underneath the cathedral.
'It's a dream that she is able to do so, and that her MBE opened the door for her,' says a pal.
As for the second ceremony, there are some suggestions it could be in Morocco.
Says our insider: 'This will be a smaller, more relaxed affair with a less starry guest-list and be more family orientated.'
Today, however, the guest-list is distinctly A-list with pop svengalis Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller expected to make an appearance.
Mel's' children Phoenix, 26, Angel, 18, and Madison, 13, will all be there, and are smitten with Rory.
A source says: 'There is a lot of love for him. He has slotted really easily into family life.'
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