Rebecca Adlington's fans were left poring over her wedding photos after she announced she had secretly married Andrew Parsons on 28 August 2021.
Amid soaking in the details of her sparkly wedding dress and tumbling princess hair, fans did not spot the Olympic swimmer's last-minute mishap with her beauty look. On her third wedding anniversary, we look back at her relatable confession…
Weeks after she said 'I do' with the facilities manager at the 12-acre Scarlet Hall in Cheshire, Rebecca took to Instagram to share close-up photos of her bridal beauty look, which was temporarily ruined by her mother.
"I don’t often feel beautiful but I felt so beautiful on my wedding day thanks to these lovely lot!! Even with my mum kissing me and putting lipstick on me," she wrote, crediting Steffi Aldcroft for her makeup.
Steffi had created a flawless complexion with a long-lasting matt base, arched brows and defined eyes using dark eyeliner and lashings of mascara. After catching sight of her stunning hair and makeup, Rebecca's mother planted a kiss on her cheek, leaving a set of small pink lips that needed to be removed before the ceremony.
The bride clearly saw the funny side, with one photo showing her laughing and pointing to the lipstick.
Another video showed hair stylist Joshua William adding the finishing touches to Rebecca's beautiful bridal hair. Her long blonde locks had been curled with twisted tendrils pulled loosely into a high ponytail adorned with silver stars and pearls. See more HELLO! exclusive weddings...
She wore a gorgeous bespoke by Turkish designer Zeynep Katral, featuring sheer embellished sleeves, a V-neck and an A-line skirt, which she admitted was designed in "five seconds flat."
"Zeynep had made dresses for me before, so she knew what I liked and what works for me," she told HELLO!. "We had a little chat and in five seconds flat she’d sketched a dress that I knew was absolutely perfect."
© David Fisher/ShutterstockThe speedy turnaround was handy considering the couple, who met via the dating app Bumble, only had four months to plan their big day after finding their venue unexpectedly while looking for summer holidays.
Despite the short time frame, their photos looked picture-perfect. Andrew was dapper in a dark blue suit with a white shirt and baby blue tie as he posed for photos following the emotional ceremony.
© InstagramRebecca's kids played important roles in the wedding, with her daughter Summer – whom she shares with her ex Harry Needs – acting as a flower girl and ring bearer, while their five-month-old son Albie was carried down the aisle by his best man.
Speaking of the moment he saw his family, Andrew told HELLO!: "I saw Summer coming down the aisle with Jo and then Albie being carried by Tom [Haffield] and that really got me. So when Becky started walking toward me with her dad, I just lost it. She had the most beautiful smile on her face. She looked incredible."
