It may be the most traditional choice of colour for a wedding dress. But as any Spice Girl fan will attest, Melanie Brown is hardly a traditional sort of girl. For the 50 year-old singer and activist, leopard print tends to be the order of the day, night, and every hour in between. So married is Mel B to her beloved leopard print that most fans assumed she’d even wear it on her wedding day.
Those hoping for a racy, jungle-cat affair by Roberto Cavalli or Dolce & Gabbana will have been surprised by the singer’s somewhat sober, understated choice of a strapless white gown with embroidered pearl detail by British bridal designer Josephine Scott.
But then, when your chosen wedding venue is St Paul’s Cathedral, one of the most storied and venerable landmarks in London, it pays to adhere to tradition. This is a church that has held funerals for Winston Churchill, jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria and peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars, not to mention the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. All things considered, even Mel B likely thought twice about rocking up in animal print.
Not just anyone is accorded the privilege of being married in St Paul’s Cathedral, but Brown’s MBE, awarded to her in 2022, qualified her as eligible. It was awarded for her services to charitable causes, in particular her work with Women’s Aid, the charity that helps survivors of domestic abuse, for which she has been a patron since 2018. She has continually used her platform, which includes 1.7 million Instagram followers, to raise awareness and encourage women to seek help. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, she urged the government to allocate more funding towards supporting victims of domestic violence.
Given that the singer’s previous weddings were far more casual affairs, perhaps a traditional white wedding felt like its own form of rebellion. Her first foray down the aisle, in 1998, to marry Dutch backing dancer Jimmy Gulzar, was a low-key affair in Las Vegas, which saw Brown wear a Vegas showgirl-style feathered headdress with a white and gold dress. The groom wore a metallic gold suit and a white cowboy hat.
Her second wedding, to Stephen Belafonte in 2007, also took place in Las Vegas, and was an even smaller affair, with a spokesperson for the singer saying at the time that “I don’t think she has a wedding dress”. The couple later threw a wedding blessing party on a cruise ship in Egypt, paid for by a £200,000 deal with OK! Magazine to cover the event. The couple separated acrimoniously in 2016.
As the best-selling girl group of all time, the Spice Girls have sold over 100 million records worldwide, with record sales, a film and a slew of endorsement deals making multi-millionaires of all five members. While Victoria Beckham and her husband, David, have an estimated fortune of £500 million, it’s thought that Brown’s net worth stands at a more modest £4.7 million.
But you cannot put a price on love, and Brown’s third marriage, to hair stylist Rory McPhee, 37, is one which her friends, family and fans are very much hoping will be the charm. The couple have known each other since childhood, but only started dating in 2018, with McPhee proposing in 2022 with a £100,000 diamond ring.
While two may have become one, alas, the union took place without three of the other Spice Girls who sang the hit 1996 song to witness the event. Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm were all unable to attend, due to various conflicting work schedules. Mel C is currently touring in Sweden, Geri Halliwell is otherwise engaged and Victoria had “longstanding plans to be out of the country”, according to a spokesperson who added “there’s no issue between them–- they haven’t fallen out. It’s just one of those things.”
To reaffirm this, Victoria posted a sweet message on Instagram, alongside a throwback picture captioned: “Congratulations on your special day! I couldn’t be more excited for you both and wish you a lifetime of happiness.”
After the ceremony, guests travelled to the Shard for a lavish £28,000 wedding reception which the singer described as “a party in the sky” due to the venue’s 95 floors and panoramic views over London. Tame and tasteful as her dress may have been today, a further celebration in Morocco will no doubt unleash the wilder side of the woman who will be forever known as Scary Spice.
