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Martin Kemp in a suit and his wife Shirlie in a white lace top© Gareth Davies

Martin Kemp's bride Shirlie's four wedding dresses for clifftop ceremony, boat party & more

The Spandau Ballet star and the Pepsi & Shirlie star headed to St Lucia for both of their wedding celebrations

Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
November 23, 2023
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Martin and Shirlie Kemp have made it no secret they're still happily married after 35 years, but they have kept their two wedding days largely away from the public eye.

Roman Kemp's parents explained they deliberately chose an intimate ceremony back in 1988, which was at the height of the Spandau Ballet star and Pepsi & Shirlie star's fame. While their vow renewal in 2013 saw them celebrate with a larger guest list, they have still only shared a handful of photos of the wedding and boat party.

So what did Shirlie wear for her two weddings? We've tracked down several of her rarely-seen gowns…

Shirlie Kemp's wedding mini dress

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"Our wedding was on a clifftop in St Lucia. It was just me and Shirlie," Martin told the Daily Record.

"At the time, I was in the Spandau chaos and Shirlie was part of Wham! and Pepsi & Shirlie. The last thing we wanted was a wedding where people were standing next to you taking pictures, so we got away and did it on our own.

"For me, it didn’t matter because if you love someone and you want to get married, it really didn’t matter where I was. I’d have done it in a registry office and got on with it because I was in love with Shirlie."

To match their low-key day, Shirlie opted for an unconventional short wedding dress that fell to above her knees. The ivory mini featured an off-the-shoulder neckline, cropped sleeves, a lattice bodice and a bodycon silhouette that highlighted her figure.

The couple were pictured underneath a pink floral arch with Shirlie rocking an oversized white bow headband in her blonde pixie cut and a pearl bracelet on her wrist, while Martin rocked a mismatched black jacket and white trousers.

Shirlie Kemp's cropped wedding dress

Shirlie Kemp's Sassi Holford wedding dress© Instagram
The Pepsi & Shirlie star wore a Sassi Holford wedding dress in 2013

Following 25 years of marriage, Martin and Shirlie renewed their vows in front of their kids Harley Moon, born in 1989, and Roman Kemp, born in 1993.

WATCH: Martin Kemp reveals embarrassing incident from son Roman's childhood

They returned to St Lucia for a beachside celebration, with Shirlie choosing to go barefoot in a Sassi Holford gown featuring a lace sweetheart neckline, tea-length tulle skirt and a floral sash accentuating her waist. 

Shirlie Kemp in a lace wedding dress with her daughter Harley Moon© Instagram
Shirlie was pictured in her lace wedding dress with her daughter Harley Moon

She wore her blonde hair in an effortless straight style and chose black eyeliner to make her features pop.

Shirlie Kemp's shoulder-baring wedding dress

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Both Shirlie and Martin had changed into different outfits in an unearthed Instagram photo in which she referred to her vow renewal. While Martin wore a black shirt, his wife modelled another bridal white dress from the Pretty Dress Company.

Mirroring parts of her original wedding dress, Shirlie's frock featured off-the-shoulder straps finished with bows and appeared to be the brand's Tilly pencil dress with a boned bodice and figure-skimming midi skirt. 

Proving her penchant for hair accessories, Shirlie added a large floral bow – and although it's not clear when she wore this bridal gown, her headpiece was the same one she wore for her post-wedding boat party.

Shirlie Kemp's boho boat dress

Roman Kemp and Shirlie Kemp on a boat in white outfits© Instagram
The Kemps celebrated their vow renewal with a boat party

"Thought I’d share this old picture (from 2013 )with you as it was when @martinjkemp and I did our vow renewal and then spent the late afternoon aboard @jussail which is James and Pepsi’s amazing sailing boat in St Lucia!" she revealed to Instagram fans.

The snap showed the Wham! backing singer holding a white lifebuoy as she modelled her floral headband, which she teamed with a white maxi dress with thick straps and a scoop neck, and a matching shawl.

View post on Instagram
 

Once again, Martin wore all white in the laid-back boat photo.

Gushing about his happy marriage with his wife to The Times, the actor said he doesn't get approached by other women as Shirlie is "perfect." He said: "Oh, no one comes on to me, everyone knows Shirlie is perfect. And she’ll still think I’m a pin-up when I’m 90, and that’s what matters. And besides, all the men fancy my wife, don’t they?"

MORE: Everything Joan Collins, 90, has said about her previous marriages

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