St Paul's Cathedral strict eligibility rules for couples as Mel B ties the knot
Mel B has married for the third time. The Spice Girls star – who was previously married to Jimmy Gulzar between 1998 and 2000 and Stephen Belafonte from 2007 to 2016 – tied the knot with Rory McPhee at St. Paul's Cathedral in London on Saturday.
Mel, 50, wore a traditional white gown, adorned with pearls for the wedding, while her new husband Rory, 37, wore a traditional Scottish tartan kilt. The happy couple posed for pictures on the steps of the historic venue and shared a kiss.
The happy couple tied the knot at St Paul's Cathedral - usually a very exclusive venue when it comes to weddings. Around 30 couples marry inside the iconic building but as St Paul's is not a parish church, there are conditions on who can be married there.
On the official website, St Paul's Catherdral states: "We are able to marry members of: the Order of the British Empire, and their children, the Order of St Michael and St George, and their children, the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor, and their children, and the Cathedral Community (staff and volunteers, including Cathedral School, subject to length of service), and their children."
Mel was given permission to wed in because she was awarded an MBE in 2022 for her services to charitable causes and vulnerable women. Following the ceremony inside St Paul's, a reception at The Shard was booked for after the ceremony.
Emma Bunton was the only Spice Girl in attendance, accompanied by husband Jade Jones and their son Beau, 17. Other celebrities included Mel's sister Danielle Brown, Daisy Lowe, Katherine Ryan and Gaby Roslin.
There was no sign of Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm. However, Victoria shared her well wishes via social media, posting on her Instagram Stories.
She wrote: 'Congratulations @officialmelb and @rorymcphee on your special day! I couldn't be more excited for you both and wish you a lifetime of happiness! Kisses xx.'
She also shared a photo of herself and Mel B at an event together and captioned it, 'Sending you love @officialmelb. @rorymcphee is a very lucky man!'
Meanwhile, Mel's children Phoenix Chi, Madison and Angel Iris all attended the ceremony.
Mel and Rory have known each other for years but didn't start dating until 2018 and they got engaged four years later. Rory is a "family friend" of Mel's cousin, Christian Cooke, with the pair having gone to school together.
Speaking about the proposal, Rory previously told HELLO! Magazine: "I was so nervous, my lips were trembling. I'd spent ages writing down all these things I wanted to say, but when it came to it, I just babbled."
Mel responded: "Oh no, it was lovely, what you said. He told me he loved me, that I was his best friend and that he wanted to be with me for the rest of our lives."
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South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Famous faces including former Spice Girl Emma Bunton attend wedding of Mel B
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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mel C shares sweet tribute to Spice Girls bandmate Mel B on her wedding day despite not attending - but there's still no word from Geri Halliwell
Mel C shared a sweet snap of Mel B and her new husband as they celebrated their wedding day on Saturday. Sporty Spice, 51 was notably absent as her Spice Girl bandmate said 'I do' to her fiancé Rory McPhee at St Paul's Cathedral in London in front of a string of very A-list guests. Whilst it is unknown why she was unable to attend, she still wanted to share her excitement and happiness for the pair and took to her Instagram to share a photograph of the newlyweds. Admitting that she was 'gutted' not to be there, she made reference to the fact they would all see each other and meet up in the not too distant future. Posting some sweet words online, she gushed in the caption: 'So so happy for you both and beyond gutted I couldn't be there. Excited to celebrate with you really soon! Yippee!' It comes after Geri Halliwell has so far failed to acknowledge her Spice Girl's bandmate star-studded nuptials. 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They said: 'Victoria has long standing plans out of the country and she simply can't be there. She adores Mel, they get on really well despite their paths going in opposite directions. It's a real shame. Geri and Mel C were both notably absent as Mel B said 'I do' to her fiance Rory McPhee at St Paul's Cathedral in London in front of a string of very A-list guests, as was Victoria Beckham 'There is no issue between them, they haven't fallen out. It's just one of those things.' As for Geri, she and Mel have a tempestuous relationship and at times have struggled to be in the same room without there being animosity. The two women went to war after Mel B revealed that she had an intimate relationship with Geri when the band was starting out while she was being interviewed for Piers Morgan's Life Stories programme. Geri was said to have been deeply upset by the bombshell revelation in 2019, for which Mel has apparently never apologised. Sources also say that Geri's husband Christian Horner was 'mortified' about Mel's claims. Though the other Spice Girls were absent, Emma was in attendance and looked gorgeous in a stylish pink dress as she stepped out to support Mel B. Emma was accompanied by husband Jade Jones and their son Beau, 17, with both men looking dapper for the big day. After heading out of the cathedral, Baby Spice kindly stopped and signed her autograph for an eager fan. Mel walked down the aisle for the third time in front of her celebrity friends on Saturday afternoon as she finally became Mrs McPhee. She looked every inch the blushing bride in a pearl-adorned white gown as she married Rory during the stunning ceremony. Her gown featured a sheer illusion design adorned with white pearls and a ruched bodice, with the singer adding a flowing veil to her bridal look. Meanwhile, groom Rory, 37, opted for traditional Scottish attire complete with a red and green tartan kilt. Mel arrived in a white Bentley to her wedding and flashed a radiant smile and adjusted her veil as she prepared to head inside. Meanwhile, Mel's children Phoenix Chi, Madison and Angel Iris were all smiles as they arrived to see their mother walk down the aisle. Phoenix, 26, looked lovely in a blue silk dress and coordinating fascinator, and was accompanied by partner AJ Anderson. Sibling Angel, 18, who now identifies as a male, looked smart in a black suit, while sister Madison, 13, caught the eye in a bright pink dress and matching head piece. Newlyweds Mel B and Rory stopped on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral as they shared a kiss as husband and wife Celebrities in attendance include TV presenters Gaby Roslin and Angellica Bell, comedians Katherine Ryan and Alan Carr. Leigh Francis, Cara Delevingne as well as the Spice Girls' former manager Simon Fueller were pictured at the ceremony. Mel was able to get married at St Paul's Cathedral because of her OBE, which she got in 2022 for her services to charitable causes and vulnerable women, especially Woman's Aid. It is the third time that Mel said 'I do' after first marrying Dutch backing dancer Jimmy Gulzar in 1998. And when she wed Stephen Belafonte in 2007, they eloped to Las Vegas before holding a vow renewal in Egypt the following year. Mel and Stephen separated in 2016 when she accused him of emotional and physical abuse, which he has always denied. His lawyers said that during the marriage they spent her £50million fortune. Mel grew close to Rory after the breakdown of her marriage to Stephen. Last year, she said: 'He's a family friend, great hairdresser... 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.'
