Mel C’s wedding guests partied until the early hours at Spice Girls icon’s ‘perfect’ English wedding over the weekend. The singer, 52, looked a picture of wedded bliss on Saturday as she said ‘I do’ to her Aussie model Chris Dingwall in the grounds of The Country House Cumbria.Her Spice Girls bandmates Mel B, Geri Halliwell-Horner and Emma Bunton were all in attendance at the luxurious wedding.Victoria Beckham did not make the occasion as she was at the World Cup in the US with husband, David.However, Victoria ensured she was still involved in her pal’s big day, as she designed Mel’s stunning wedding gown.A source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It was a gift from Victoria; they are really close. Victoria would have loved to have been there if she could.’ Mel C and her new husband Chris Dingwall’s wedding guests partied until the early hours at Spice Girls icon’s ‘perfect’ English wedding over the weekend The singer, 52, looked a picture of wedded bliss on Saturday as she said ‘I do’ to her Aussie model Chris Dingwall in the grounds of The Country House CumbriaDespite Mel B and Geri having not seen eye-to-eye since 2022, they reportedly put on a cordial display, according to The Sun.But it was Scary Spice that had guests in ‘tears’ with her ‘beautiful’ speech to her former bandmate.A source told the publication: ‘Mel B gave a speech which got a lot of laughs, as well as some tears – it was really beautiful. ‘Geri was there, but there was no awkwardness between her and Mel B.’It was a day for celebrating Mel and Chris’s love for each other and that was all anyone wanted to do.’Insiders also revealed that the reception at the venue, in Castle Carrock on the edge of the Pennines, went on until the early hours of Sunday.They added that Mel and Chris invited everyone to join them for dinner at the Duke of Cumberland pub on Friday night, where they hired it out for guests to enjoy a meal together.The following day, guests were driven to the venue for the ceremony, where the bride and groom lucked out with the most ‘perfect weather’.Guests said that it was a ‘perfect’ ceremony, where Mel’s daughter Scarlett, 17, from her relationship with property developer Thomas Starr, acted as a bridesmaid.However, there was a slight hiccup when a herd of cows from a nearby farm ran towards the Victorian venue while the singer and Chris were saying their vows. Guests looked alarmed when they saw the animals.Sources say that the couple wanted an ‘intimate’ wedding, and while they were joined by her fellow Spice Girls, it was expected to be a small affair. Her Spice Girls bandmates Mel B , Geri Halliwell-Horner and Emma Bunton were all in attendance at the luxurious wedding (pictured in 1997) Victoria Beckham did not make the occasion as she was at the World Cup in the US with her husband, David Despite Posh’s absence, guests say that it was a ‘perfect’ ceremony, where Mel’s daughter Scarlett, 17, from her relationship with property developer Thomas Starr, acted as a bridesmaid There was a slight hiccup during their vows when a herd of cows from a nearby farm ran towards the Victorian venueA source added: ‘Mel and Chris wanted an understated wedding, she didn’t want a big flashy day but something smaller and very classy. ‘Mel swore she would never get married, having a big do wasn’t really for her.’It is the perfect venue for them, totally out of the way but in the most beautiful place and everyone had the most fantastic time.’Victoria couldn’t be there but she loves Mel, and she will have made sure that she sent a beautiful present.’Nestled in the picturesque Cumbrian countryside, the Country House Cumbria claims to be the ‘perfect setting for an elopement, small, sophisticated wedding’, which Mel is said to have been keen to have.It is co-owned by West End actor Ben Forster, who starred alongside her in the the stage production of the rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 2013, and his property developer partner Paul Longman.Mel told British Vogue the wedding was ‘low-key, relaxed, romantic and chic’. She added: ‘I’m so excited for the world to know he’s my husband.’According to Vogue, Mel and Chris legally married in an intimate ceremony in his hometown of Sydney before celebrating with family and friends at The Country House Cumbria in England’s Lake District.The previously unknown detail emerged as the fashion bible published a look inside the couple’s wedding, revealing that the UK celebration was a symbolic, rather than a legal ceremony.One particularly sentimental detail was also unveiled, with Mel incorporating a special Australian touch into her sleek ivory gown, which featured a dramatic open back and minimalist silhouette.The Spice Girls star had the words ‘Sydney’ and ‘7.6.2026’ embroidered in blue into the inside of her custom-made Victoria Beckham wedding gown as her ‘something blue’, commemorating the date and place where she and Dingwall officially became husband and wife.Victoria, who designed the elegant backless gown, admitted she only found out about the Australian wedding plans just days before Mel boarded her flight.’I was actually having dinner with Melanie and asked her what she was up to,’ the fashion designer told Vogue.’She very casually told me she was leaving for Australia in two days and getting married!’Mel met Chris, thought to be in his 40s, in 2023 on the exclusive dating app, Raya.She admitted she originally thought she was finished with romance following her split from previous long-term partners, including Thomas Starr. Nestled in the picturesque Cumbrian countryside, The Country House Cumbria claims to be the ‘perfect setting for an elopement, small, sophisticated wedding’ Earlier in the day, Mel’s bandmate Geri Halliwell-Horner was seen arriving at the wedding venue with her husband Christian But during a night out at the pub, her friends convinced her to download the app, turning the search for a partner into a game they jokingly dubbed ‘boy Bingo’.Mel matched with Chris while she was in London and he was living in Sydney.Despite the distance, she had an upcoming Australian DJ tour planned and decided to take a chance on the model.Mel recently opened up about her future with Chris – and whether wedding bells could be in their plans. She told The Times in January: ‘It’s something I didn’t think would be part of my story, but I’m so happy with Chris. Maybe it is something that will be in my life.’In May, she explained how elements of her new album Sweat were inspired by her future husband-to-be.She said: ‘Not long into making the record, I met somebody new, I fell in love, and so I ended up having this wonderful arc of emotions throughout the album – of heartbreak and then that excitement of a new relationship.’ She added to The Telegraph: ‘He’s very laid-back. He’s loads of fun… we work out together. We have very similar personalities and lifestyles.’Mel had previously sworn off marriage, but in a recent interview she admitted her deep loneliness during her Spice Girls years contributed to her battle with depression.The singer wrote about her clinical depression diagnosis in her 2022 memoir, Who I Am: My Story, revealing how she hit rock bottom when the Spice Girls split in 2000 and her issues with binge drinking and binge eating intensified.Mel has explained how her depression ‘was very environmental’ and stemmed in part from feeling ‘lonely’.At the height of the Spice Girls’ fame in the late 1990s, most of Mel’s bandmates were in settled relationships. Victoria had married and welcomed her first child with David Beckham by 1999, Mel B married first husband Jimmy Gulzar in 1998 and had her first child a year later, while Emma began a romance with her now-husband Jade Jones in 1999.Meanwhile, Geri was enjoying a string of high-profile romances, leading Mel to admit she felt left behind.Speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast, she said being single ‘has been quite a big theme of my adult life, really. It was a long time before I was in a long-term relationship’.She insisted she never dated a fan, explaining that the perception of sex and fame going hand-in-hand was wide off the mark. ‘It’s completely different. I mean, don’t get me wrong, other people had a better success rate than I did,’ the popstar explained.’You know, like historically with boy bands or rock bands, it’s like, “Oh, you know, pick a member of the crowd… bring her back.” Our gigs weren’t like that.’They were full of young girls and gays, which are the best audience. You just don’t get any action. But it was quite lonely for me at times.’I think there was many times in the band when we were working together where I was the only one without a partner… I would have liked to have dated. I had a dry spell. That’s what we call it.’ Talking about her years with the Spice Girls, Mel C said: ‘I think there was many times in the band when we were working together where I was the only one without a partner… I would have liked to have dated’ Mel went public with Australian model and writer Chris in 2024 after months of speculation about their romance She added that her depression came from ‘the experiences that I’d had, and just getting to that point where I couldn’t continue living the way I was living’.’That was a really long road back to health, and I never really stopped. It was a different time as well, because I probably would have benefited to go off and have some time to heal, but I was touring and promoting my solo stuff,’ she said.Mel did have some high-profile romances in the 1990s, including a brief, month-long fling with Robbie Williams in 1997 at the height of their pop fame. In her memoir, Mel writes about how she was left heartbroken by Robbie after he ‘behaved badly’, claiming that the Take That star led her on and then ‘abruptly’ dropped her, which left her heartbroken.’It was a million years ago and lasted two seconds. Oh God, that sounds really bad. Oh, well,’ she told Theroux.Mel went on to have a four-month romance in 2000 with another boyband star – J Brown from 5ive, with the Mel C admitting she is still friends with her ‘lovely’ ex. ‘I’ve not spoken to him for a while actually, but he’s an ex I’ve remained friends with. I don’t remain friends with many exes, but he’s a lovely boy,’ she said.’I saw Robbie recently. I mean, God, we were kids. Do you know what I mean? It’s like we’re talking like, 20-odd years ago. Nearly 30 years ago. It’s a long time.’