Mel B, whose full name is Melanie Brown, opened up about how special it was to have her three children involved in her second wedding celebration with Rory McPhee in the luxury boutique hotel Salmen in Marrakesh.
The former Spice Girls star shares Phoenix, 26, with dancer Jimmy Gulzar, Angel, 18, with Eddie Murphy, and Madison, 13, with Stephen Belafonte. Each was given an important role, with her eldest daughter walking her down the aisle, her son, who recently came out as transgender, acting as a groomsman to Rory, and her youngest, Madison, as one of her nine bridesmaids.
© Joshua Lawrence and Megan J Gallacher"That meant the world to me. It was the most amazing day and was so full of love. It exceeded all our expectations," she said, before adding that Angel also had a special "surprise" for her.
Angel's surprise
On the morning of her wedding day, which took place one month after her London ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral, the beautiful bride prepared for the "spiritual" ceremony with her bridesmaids. Mel B, her sister Danielle and her niece Mimi were among the bridal party who chose to have their hands and feet painted with henna to signify health and happiness.
They then changed into their New Look red satin bridesmaid dresses, while Angel got ready with Rory and the groomsmen, who included Rory’s father, John, and his brother, Jordan. He wore a smart black suit, crisp white shirt, bow tie, and chunky platforms – a look that Mel said was a surprise until the moment she walked down the aisle.
"I knew that Angel was getting ready with Rory and his groomsmen, so it was really quite beautiful, because I didn’t even know what he was wearing until I walked down the aisle," the doting mother explained.
Phoenix's wedding mishap
© Joshua Lawrence and Megan J GallacherWhile Mel was distracted with her special family moment, she managed to take a wrong turn while walking down the aisle with Phoenix, who wore a gold sequin dress with spaghetti straps.
With Alicia Keys’s song, No One, playing in the background, Mel made her grand entrance in a Justin Alexander bridal gown against the backdrop of the setting sun, casting a glow over the hotel’s landscaped gardens and 80-meter swimming pool.
© GettyMaking light of the situation, she said: "We get things wrong all the time, and in true Brown tradition, we walked down the wrong side of the aisle instead of in the middle.
"Even though Rory and I had overseen every detail of the wedding, I hadn’t seen the aisle until I walked down there, and it looked so beautiful that I burst into tears. Phoenix was saying, 'Are you OK? What do I do?' And I said, 'Phoenix, just hold my hand.' She said: 'Right, OK; you’ve got this, Mum.'"
