Kate Ferdinand received an amazing surprise on the night of her wedding – and it was all arranged by her new husband, Rio Ferdinand. Taking to Instagram this week, Kate revealed that the celebrations ended on a high when the bride and groom and their guests were treated to a live performance from R&B star Ashanti. Former TOWIE star Kate posted a video showing her and Rio dancing together while listening to a rendition of Into You – Ashanti's 2003 track with American rapper Fabolous. Alongside the clip, Kate, 28, wrote: "When u think the day couldn't get any better and your husband surprises you with @ashanti… wow."
There were a number of highlights on Kate and Rio's special day – but one in particular stood out to the bride. Earlier in the week, she shared a beautiful photograph showing her walking down the aisle, accompanied on either side by Rio's two sons, Tate, 11, and 13-year-old Lorenz. "There were so many special moments at our wedding… but this is one I will never forget #proud #myboys," she wrote.
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Rio has three children – Tate, Lorenz and eight-year-old daughter Tia - from his marriage to Rebecca Ellison, who tragically passed away in 2015 at the age of 34 after battling breast cancer. The couple had been together a number of years before they married in 2009, and Rio subsequently released a memoir about his wife’s illness and his bereavement titled Thinking Out Loud.
Just last month, Rio, 40, shared a very rare photo of his three children and publicly praised them for "inspiring" him. The image sees Lorenz, Tate and Tia hugging on a beach, and former footballer Rio captioned the post: "Maaaaaan, did I ever think I'd see these three as happy and as full of life again... probably not at certain times. A lot has been thrown in their young paths but the resilience and character they have shown has been amazing. Living under one roof with four people that inspire me daily is a blessing."
During an appearance on This Morning in 2017, Rio spoke about finding happiness again following the death of his wife. "I'm really happy now, the kids are really happy, it's the happiest they've been," he said. "I'm in a relationship and it's going well. My kids deserve to be happy, they've had tragedy for the last few years of their lives." Of his relationship with Kate, he added: "They have to be part of that conversation. There has not been one stage of going into this relationship where they've not been involved. Even in terms of introducing – how they want it to be done. As long as they feel they're involved and in the conversation, I think there's a chance they can reach happiness."