Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz’s biggest wedding controversies revisited – 3 years on

It was one of the most anticipated weddings of 2022 and, undoubtedly, one of the most talked-about. Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz’s big day arrived later than planned, having been pushed back due to the pandemic. When the nuptials did finally happen, the scale was staggering. David and Victoria Beckham’s eldest son pledged eternal love to the daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz and his wife Claudia on 9 April that year. The young couple exchanged vows in a beachfront ceremony at the Peltz family’s palatial estate in Palm Beach, Florida – a sprawling mansion boasting no fewer than 27 bedrooms.

For their wedding day, Nicola and Brooklyn were joined by a guest list of nearly 500 friends and family members. It was an ultra-exclusive roll call that included Gigi Hadid, Nicole Richie, the Spice Girls, chef Gordon Ramsay, Serena Williams, Eva Longoria and Marc Anthony. 

Brooklyn was the picture of a proud groom, wearing a Dior morning suit designed by Kim Jones. In a touching romantic gesture, Nicola had a bespoke label sewn into the jacket – a particularly thoughtful gift given that, as she later told Vogue, “Brooklyn loves labels.” The handsome groom also wore a brilliant-cut diamond chain on his lapel, a gift from his new in-laws. 

Nicola walked down the aisle on her father’s arm to the sounds of “Songbird”, and the couple married under a chuppah adorned with cascading white orchids. The ceremony followed Jewish traditions reflecting the bride’s faith, and the heritage shared by both families.

Once the formalities were over, guests enjoyed an evening filled with music: first a jazz quartet and later a 12-piece band to set the tone for a gala dinner, held in a magnificent marquee decorated with garden roses, peonies, white ranunculus and hydrangeas. The party truly kicked off when the newlyweds took to the floor for their first dance to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.

A controversial wedding dress

The dress was the wedding’s best-kept secret and, simultaneously, the catalyst for the rumours that have dogged the Beckhams ever since: the alleged rift between Victoria and her daughter-in-law. The source of the tension? The fact that the designer and former Spice Girl was originally meant to design the gown, as Nicola herself confirmed in 2022. “I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be so fun. One of my best friends and my mom.’ We connected to start designing the dress, and then a few days went by and I didn’t hear anything. Victoria called my mom and said her atelier couldn’t make it,” Nicola told Grazia USA.

Ultimately, the bride opted for a breathtaking Valentino haute couture gown: a minimalist design featuring wide straps, a square neckline, and a sweeping train. Chosen with the help of her stylist, Leslie Fremar, the dress was the result of a year’s worth of consultations with Pierpaolo Piccioli’s team (Piccioli, now at Balenciaga, was creative director of Valentino, at the time.) While the design was initially intended to be far more intricate and heavy with embroidery, the direction changed entirely after the first fittings; the simplicity of the toilé suited Nicola so perfectly that they decided to strip it back.

The beautiful bride paired the look with a delicate, hand-embroidered floral veil and long, semi-sheer French lace gloves. To finish the ensemble, she chose Versace platform shoes, eschewing the traditional stilettos or sandals. Yet, despite being involved in every step of the process, the bride still received a surprise: her “something blue” was a loving message from her mother, secretly embroidered into the hem of the gown by the Valentino team.

For her beauty look, Kate Lee and Adir Abergel drew inspiration from 90s-era Claudia Schiffer. The bride chose make-up that emphasised her eyes and used blush to define her features, while her hair was styled in a classic half-up, half-down look with loose tendrils framing her face.