Victoria and David Beckham wedding anniversary: Best parts of the 1999 nuptials 20 years on
Happy 21st wedding anniversary to David and Victoria Beckham. The Spice Girl-turned-fashion designer and the former footballer have officially been bending it together for two decades.
Their style might be a little more understated now, but back in 1999 they sealed the deal with a lavish wedding, complete with thrones and an iconic purple outfit change that was peak ‘90s (when Charli XCX sang “I just wanna go back to 1999” this must have been what she was talking about.)
Even David has since admitted on Radio 4 that their wedding was just a little bit over the top.
"We did throw a lot at [the first wedding] because it was the thing to do around that time," he said, "We have renewed our vows since then, and it was a lot more private, there were about six people there in our house."
Four kids and a cool billion-dollar fortune later, David and Victoria Beckham are still going strong - but not just because they're Brand Beckham.
"Do we stay together because it is a brand? Of course not. We stay together because we love each other and because we have four amazing children," Becks added.
To celebrate their anniversary, let's go back to 1999 and remember their wedding extravaganza, complete with purple ensembles, Game of Thrones-worthy crowns and rustic, Robin Hood glamour.
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The impressive price tag
The wedding reportedly cost a whopping $800,000. Today, it would cost $1.2 million. The couple ended up selling the photos from the big day exclusively to OK! Magazine, so it's entirely possible that they made at least some of the money (if not all of it) back.
The Robin Hood theme
Lots of ladies dream that one day their wedding will be a Disney fairytale. According to wedding planner Peregrine Armstrong-Jones, the Beckhams chose a Robin Hood theme for their big day, complete with dark, leafy green decor.
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The castle venue
The popstar and her new husband celebrated at the historic Luttrellstown Castle just outside Dublin. If you're interested in visiting today, there's a very good golf course.
The wedding gown
Victoria opted for the ultimate wedding gown designer, choosing a strapless champagne floor-length satin Vera Wang frock that cost an estimated $100,000.
Victoria says she still has the wedding dress in her closet since she's saving it for her daughter, Harper.
The flower-free twigs and apple bouquet
The bouquet was equally memorable. Victoria opted against flowers and went for berries, twigs and brambles, making a Pinterest chic move before Pinterest was ever a thing.
David's crisp white suit
Becks did not disappoint with his flashy ensemble, looking like the most handsome member of a 1990s boy band. He opted for a crisp white suit and matching cravat. But the piece de resistance was his hairdo, which featured brand new highlights.
The A-list wedding party
Manchester United teammate Gary Neville was Beckham's best man. They're still best friends today. “He would come into training every day like a little schoolboy," Neville famously said in his wedding speech about Beckham's early days dating Posh, "You’d go a long way to find two people more in love."
Unfortunately, the Spice Girls were not all bridesmaids - or any for that matter. Instead, her sister Louise, Louise’s 13-month-old daughter and David’s niece made up her bridal party. Louise didn't have to wear a hideous bridesmaid dress she would never take out of her closet again. Instead, she wore a Chloe dress, as Victoria's friend Stella McCartney was heading up the label at the time.
The matching white satin ensembles
Back in ‘99, nothing said elegance quite like white satin outfits. Just look at Limited Too satin pajamas for definitive proof. Victoria paired her satin moment with a straight face, cementing her place as the Spice Girl with the best poker face.
The performance
Elton John was set to perform but due to a heart operation was unable to play. He later played at one of their children's christenings, instead.
The family affair
The wedding was a family affair. The couple's 4-month-old son, Brooklyn Beckham, was in attendance. If they ever have another wedding party, he could now be the official photographer.
A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on Jul 4, 2014 at 4:31am PDT
The purple outfit change
Because the satin outfits weren’t quite regal enough, halfway through the ceremony Posh and Becks opted for a quick outfit change - much like an episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen - swapping their satin for bright purple matching looks designed by Antonio Berardi.
It seems like Victoria might have liked this ensemble more than the white gown, as she grinned while wearing her regal dress.
They wore those outfits to cut the cake - the three-tiered creation complete with apples and greenery that matched her earlier bridal bouquet certainly looked delicious.
Becks looks back at his outfit change with regret: "That was pretty bold. Victoria’s [reception outfit by Antonio Berardi] was pretty nice. Mine, I’m like what was I thinking? I look like the guys out of Dumb & Dumber when they went to that party and wore those ridiculous outfits. I even had a top hat in purple. Unbelievable. What was I thinking?” he said in an interview with Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.
The crowns
In a Game of Thrones twist, there were even crowns involved. The gold and diamond 'East of Paris' tiara Victoria wore was exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum as part of its '100 Tiaras, Past And Present' show. It was also on sale at Bonhams in 2013 and valued between £18,000 to £25,000.
The elaborate, ever-changing engagement ring(s)
David proposed to Victoria with a marquise cut engagement ring.
While it seemed like a serious bit of bling at the time, Becks has reportedly upgraded Posh’s jewelry collection over the years, giving her a grand total of 14 different engagement rings.
The celebrity guest list
The over-the-top wedding surprisingly had an intimate guest list, but there was still room for the rest of the Spice Girls. There were only 29 guests present when they exchanged their vows in a small chapel near the castle. But to celebrate the Spice Girls, an orchestra played their hit ‘Goodbye.’
