Mel B's Glam White Wedding to Contrast with Previous Showgirl Ceremonies

Mel B is set to walk down the aisle for the third time on Saturday as she prepares to marry fiancé Rory McPhee at St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Spice Girl, 50, will tie the knot with her hairdresser love, 37, in what’s said to be a traditional white wedding at the cathedral followed by a lavish £28,000 post nuptial celebration at The Shard.

Mel is reportedly set to ditch her famous leopard print attire and instead will say ‘I Do’ in a conventional white dress, after admitting she wants to feel ‘regal and very proper’ on her big day.

Mel’s traditional wedding plans are a far cry from her first two forays down the aisle, which saw the Wannabe hitmaker opt for a head-turning look at her first ceremony, while her second wedding was a cheaper, low-key affair in Las Vegas.

At her first wedding, to Dutch backing dancer Jimmy Gulzar in September 1998, Mel ditched the flowing white gown for an unconventional Vegas showgirl style feathered headdress with a white and gold dress.

Meanwhile the groom, who proposed following a seven-week romance, echoed her show-stopping look, donning a shiny gold suit and white cowboy hat.

Mel B is set to walk down the aisle for the third time this Saturday as she prepares to marry fiancé Rory McPhee at St Paul’s Cathedral [pictured together]

Mel’s traditional wedding plans are a far cry from her first two forays down the aisle, which saw the Wannabe hitmaker opt for a head-turning look at her first ceremony [pictured with first husband Jimmy Gulzar in 1999]

While her second wedding was a cheaper, low-key affair in Las Vegas [pictured with second husband Stephen Belafonte in 2013]

Mel’s bandmates Mel C, Emma and Victoria were in attendance, though Geri – who left the band earlier that year – wasn’t present. All guests were clad in white.

The 40-minute ceremony took place at St John the Baptist church in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire close to Mel’s former 16th Century Manor House, with hundreds of well-wishers lining the street to get a glimpse of the wedding party.

However they were left disappointed as guests arrived in blacked-out cars, while a long white canvas tunnel stretched from near Mel’s garden [which adjoined the 12th century church] to the church’s entrance, shrouding everything in secrecy.

Mel’s spokesperson at the time Alan Edwards noted ahead of the ceremony: ‘It’s going to be a nice, low-key affair with family and friends’, reported BBC News.

A two-tier 120ft by 40ft marquee was said to have been erected in Mel’s garden for the ceremony, with guests dining on Mel’s favourite dishes Jerk chicken and red snapper.

The singer reportedly didn’t have time for a hen do, with the Spice Girls playing Don Valley outdoor stadium in Sheffield the day before the wedding amid their sell-out European/North American tour.

The singer was three months pregnant with the couple’s daughter Phoenix Chi at the time of the wedding, before giving birth in February 1999.

Mel and Jimmy separated in January 2000, with their divorce finalised in June that year.

The 40-minute ceremony took place at St John the Baptist church in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire [pictured] close to Mel’s former 16th Century Manor House

Mel’s bandmates Mel C, Emma and Victoria were in attendance, though Geri – who left the band earlier that year – wasn’t present [L-R Victoria, Mel C, Geri, Emma and Mel B in 2007]

Mel went on to marry second husband Stephen Belafonte in a secret Las Vegas wedding back in June 2007.

They exchanged vows at the Special Memory Wedding Chapel and were wed by Reverend Marie Stapleton, after just four months of dating.

Marie later said of the low-key wedding: ‘They paid the $59 on his Visa card. They made no big deal of it. I don’t think she has a wedding dress’, reported Digital Spy.

A statement released shortly after the ceremony stated that the pair wanted to ‘make a private commitment to each other’.

Mel’s publicist said at the time: ‘The couple, who are both 32, had wanted to keep the ceremony out of the public eye as they planned a more formal wedding for friends and family later in the year.

‘Melanie and Stephen felt that they were at a good point in their lives and wanted to make a private commitment to each other. They have been good friends for many years.’

The Las Vegas wedding was followed by a vow renewal in Egypt the following year.

In 2008, the then couple recommitted to each other at the Jaz Makadi Golf Hotel in Madinat Makadi, Hurghada in an affair much bigger than the last.

Mel went on to marry second husband Stephen Belafonte in a secret Las Vegas wedding back in June 2007 [pictured together in July 2007]

They exchanged vows at the Special Memory Wedding Chapel [pictured], Vegas and were wed by Reverend Marie Stapleton, after just four months of dating

Guests at the ceremony were said to have included fellow Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Melanie C as well as Denise Van Outen, Fearne Cotton and the late Sarah Harding [Denise and Sarah pictured in 2013]

Guests at the ceremony were said to have included fellow Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Melanie C as well as Denise Van Outen, Fearne Cotton and the late Sarah Harding.

The couple bagged a £200k celebrity magazine deal with OK! at the time and as part of the terms, reportedly had to invite a number of famous faces whether they were pals or not.

A source told The Mirror before the bash: ‘Mel and Stephen wanted a lavish do to celebrate their relationship. They agreed to allow the event to be covered by a magazine but are obliged to fulfil certain requirements. One of these is a certain quota of well-known faces – family and close friends simply won’t do.

‘Most of her friends now are American and Mel keeps herself away from the showbiz scene in London. And she has felt slightly pressured into inviting celebs she’s not actually met. But whatever happens Stephen or Mel will have a fantastic day.’

The former couple threw a lavish wedding blessing party as they let their hair down on a Red Sea cruise.

After Mel and Stephen separated in 2016 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 new husband-to-be Rory after the breakdown of her marriage to Stephen.

And while Mel’s former weddings broke from tradition, her upcoming celebration is set to be an English white wedding affair – with not a spot of leopard print in sight.

Sources told The Mail’s Alison Boshoff that she will wear British designer Josephine Scott for the service on Saturday, July 5, in the crypt at the church where Prince Charles married Diana Spencer in 1981.

It can be revealed that there will be a further celebration with friends and family – and another wedding ceremony – at a hotel in Morocco later in July. Mel will wear a flashier gown, from US wedding designer Justin Alexander, for that one.

While Mel’s former weddings broke from tradition, her upcoming celebration is set to be an English white wedding affair – with not a spot of leopard print in sight [pictured in 2023]

Mel will later be joined by her guests for a meal, drinks and dancing at the Shangri-La venue [pictured] inside the Shard which boasts 95 floors and promises panoramic views over the capital

The Shard stands at 309.6 metres tall and has 95 floors, making it the tallest building in the UK and the fourth tallest in Europe and has in the past held many showbiz parties

The A list line up is looking somewhat depleted after MailOnline revealed that neither Victoria Beckham or Geri Halliwell will attend the do, while either Emma Bunton or Melanie Chisholm will also be absent though it is not known yet which one (Spice Girls pictured in 1996)

The star told Women’s Wear Daily in May: ‘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.

‘Then, I’m having a second ceremony abroad, which will be more informal, sexy and beautiful.’

Off the back of her prior nuptials, this time round, a friend revealed: ‘It’s a very traditional dress and the service will be totally traditional. She will come down the aisle to organ music.’

Mel will then throw a huge ‘party in the sky’ after hiring the Shard in London for the wedding reception.

MailOnline can reveal that the Spice Girl will be joined by her guests for a meal, drinks and dancing at the Shangri-La venue inside the building which boasts 95 floors and promises panoramic views over the capital.

There her friends and family will dance into the small hours as the ‘party of the century’ has been promised by the bride and groom.

Mel, 50, will also stay at the hotel on Friday night with her bridesmaids and close family.

One source involved in the wedding said: ‘It is going to be huge, the Shard is the most fantastic venue with unforgettable views so it will make for the most memorable event.

‘It is conveniently close to St Paul’s too, it’s third time lucky for Mel so she is going to go all out and celebrate.

Mel celebrated her upcoming wedding with a sun-soaked hen do in Tunisia, featuring leopard-print bikinis, a choreographed dance routine, and a ‘Zen party’

Mel flaunted her incredible figure as she and 35 pals slipped into Scary Spice’s leopard print bikinis amid her sun-soaked hen party

‘The Shard says that brides and grooms can ‘celebrate their special day in the clouds with enchanting London views, your special day will be as breathtaking as your love story’ and that is exactly what Mel wants.’

The celebrations won’t come cheap. Shangri-La charges around £280 per person, meaning that it will cost the singer £28,000 just for their food and small number of drinks.

There will then be other costs including DJs, venue hire and extra beverages.

The Shard stands at 309.6 metres tall and has 95 floors, making it the tallest building in the UK and the fourth tallest in Europe and has in the past held many showbiz parties, including Sony Music’s post BRITs bash.

It is understood that Mel will bus her guests from St Paul’s Cathedral to the Shard, which is at the southern foot of London Bridge on old Routemasters – similar to the one that was used in their movie Spice World, which was a modified vintage one.

However, the A list line up is looking somewhat depleted after MailOnline revealed that neither Victoria Beckham or Geri Halliwell will attend the do, while either Emma Bunton or Melanie Chisholm will also be absent though it is not known yet which one.

Sources say that Posh, 51, will be abroad, while Geri’s no show is said to be down to hers and Mel’s tempestuous relationship.

The two women went to war after Mel revealed during an interview on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories that she had an intimate relationship with Geri when the band was starting out.

The Spice Girl, 50, will tie the knot with her hairdresser love, 37, in what’s said to be a traditional white wedding at the cathedral followed by a lavish £28k post nuptial celebration at The Shard

Mel celebrated her upcoming wedding with a sun-soaked hen do in Tunisia, featuring leopard-print bikinis, a choreographed dance routine, and a ‘Zen party’.

Her daughter Phoenix and 35 friends joined in the festivities, which included a lavish menu and dancing by the ocean.

The hen do also included a leopard print themed night, as well as a belly dancing class.

Mel confirmed she was tying the knot with Rory back in November 2022 after three years of dating after he got down on one knee with a £100k diamond ring.

The singer has credited Rory for making her feel ‘more confident than ever’.

Speaking in an interview in October 2023, Mel said her new partner calls her ‘beautiful every day’.