Kate Wright Rio Ferdinand Wedding: Behind The Scenes
Kate Wright Rio Ferdinand wedding was one of the most anticipated of the year, if not decade- we wanted to know location, DRESS, guests, everything!
Since getting engaged whilst holidaying in Abu Dhabi back in November 2018, fans have been anticipating the wedding of the year perhaps as much as the actual, invited guests.
Kicking off the celebrations back in summer, with Kate’s hen do in Mykonos and Rio’s stag in Vegas, the pair made sure their big ‘day’ actually lasted three. I suppose if you’re flying your guests out to another country, you might as well make sure you milk it for all it’s worth.
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The Location
On Friday 27th September, the happy couple said their vows at 5* luxury D Maris Bay hotel in Turkey. Given that neither of the pair have actually visited Marmaris before, the location might have come as a surprise to some. Undoubtedly a stunning place to wed, does there have to even be a specific reason?
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It might have been the picture-perfect setting, but the wedding party was said to have ruffled feathers amongst fellow holidaymakers.
Complaining that the party were noisy, blaring loud dance music and shutting down the pool, they seemed to cause havoc amongst the resort.
Branding the wedding guests as ‘chavs’, complaints were made as fellow holidaymakers weren’t warned that half the hotel, would be taken up over the weekend celebrations, with one hitting out at the hotel:
“I hope visitors avoid you like the plague. Why the f**k would you take this booking?”
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Angry guests claimed to not be angry with the happy couple, but rather the bad management at the hotel:
“I’m very happy for the former football player and his new bride. But to the management of D Maris Bay, I say good luck with your short-termism.
“How could I recommend a resort that closes one of its beaches for an entire day, then closes its pool the next day for a private after-party that spoilers the entire bay?
To say the £4k a night price-tag, their arguments are more than valid!
Despite ruffling a few feathers, the couple both admit they loved the place and staff that much that they will be returning and making it their ‘special place’. Not a bad special place to have…
The Guests
The former England and United footballer and his reality star wife of course exchanged vows in front in front of a star-studded guest-list.
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A few (ex) TOWIE cast members were in attendance, including Kate Wright‘s long-term bff Lydia Bright, her Mum Debs and Kate’s family friend, Mike Hassini.
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Guests remained schtum on their social medias over the week following until pictures were released on the following Tuesday, officially by OK.
Kate Wright Rio Ferdinand Wedding: The Pre-Wedding Brunch
Kicking off the three-day extravaganza, was a pre-wedding brunch- and by all accounts, it was a lively start to the celebrations.
Kate’s first post from the wedding, apart from the magazine cover one, was a snap of her and Rio from the brunch. Captioning the decadent snap ‘Day 1 of the wedding celebrations … BRUNCH’, along with a string of candids from the day, we’re sad to not have got an invite.
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Ferdinand and Kate Wright’s pre-wedding brunch was held at Nurs-Et in Masmaris- an eatery ran by internet sensation Nusret Gökçe, also known as Salt Bae.
The internet sensation also has a Duabi based chain of Nusr-Et, a hotspot for celebs during their visits. Kate and Rio have enjoyed a number of date nights at the restaurant, being regulars to the holiday destination.
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Snaps from the wedding see the groom trying out Bae’s signature sprinkling move.
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The Dress
Kate, 28, became Mrs Ferdinand in a Berta Bridal fishtail gown, heavily embellished and perfectly flattering her hourglass figure. Berta is renowned for their glam, yet classic designs, also worn by reality star Billie Faiers in her Maldivian ceremony.
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Kate’s dress was the perfect mermaid silhouette, encrusted in diamonds with details of lace throughout, it did her gym-honed body the perfect justice.
The Workout
Kate, renowned for her early morning partner workouts with her now husband, actually worked out on the morning of her wedding.
The pre-nuptial workout made perfect sense for Wright, given she shares her workout to her Insta followers each morning.The workout, led by her former rugby union player personal trainer, Mel Deane, got people talking:
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‘Lots of people asking did I train the morning of the wedding …. of course I bloody DID. It’s not just about the body it’s about the mind … going into the best day of my life feeling focused and happy.’
When she puts it like that… we can’t argue. Fair play.
The Aisle
Standing at the end of the mirrored aisle was nobody other than the Mayor of Marmaris, Mehmet Oktay, waiting to officiate the wedding of the former Manchester United star and his other half.
Since the pair met, following tragic circumstances of Rio’s ex- wife Rebecca Ellison’s death, Kate has adopted the role of Step-Mum to Rio’s three children- Lorenz, 13, Tate, 11 and Tia, eight.
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Kate and Rio announced their engagement to the world with a touching photo of the kids looking on to the pair, so of course, they would be made a massive part of the wedding day.
“We decided the children would have major roles at the wedding, it was so important to us. Kate was adamant she wanted the kids involved and that is a true reflection of how she is – she wants them involved in every part of our lives.”
Assigning Rio’s daughter as her maid of honour, and having the boys walk her down the aisle, Kate included the kids in every step of the way. Speaking of the special moment, Rio admitted:
“I cried as soon as the day started. Seeing Tia walk up the aisle before Kate set me off. It was just so emotional.
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“There was just no going back on the emotion, that’s why I had to keep my shades on! Seeing Tate and Lorenz walk Kate down the aisle was particularly poignant and we wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way. They were so proud and they couldn’t wait to do that, they felt important.”
Kate Wright Rio Ferdinand Wedding: The After Party
“It was quite a party. You could hear the music and the cheering throughout the hotel. The whole pool area had been sealed off, even for us.
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“There was a lot of champagne and other drink flowing. It was a very boisterous affair and looked like great fun. You could feel the love in the air for the couple and that’s very beautiful.”
We can’t imagine there was much of a limit to the wedding budget- especially not when it came to after the party.
The Entertainment
In attendance at the big finale, was actually a surprise guest drafted in by the ex-footballer. As a huge fan of American artist Ashanti, Kate’s weekend was perfectly rounded off by live renditions of her favourite tracks.
Videos shared on social media capture the special moments had by all, especially Kate, dancing the night away to her fave songs and with her new husband.
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Living their best lives, to say the absolute least; starting as they mean to go on in married life…
