Blue’s Lee Ryan and his wife, Verity Paris, tied the knot two years ago in a civil ceremony in Gibraltar during lockdown. The couple, who hit it off instantly after meeting at an event, were eager to get hitched “ASAP”. However, due to pandemic restrictions, they had to exchange vows without their loved ones present.
Fast forward to last month, on 7 October, and Lee and Verity – a singer who made her appearance on The X Factor in 2009 and has impersonated Ariana Grande in the past – celebrated their union in a touching ceremony held in Seville, with all of Lee’s Blue bandmates there to witness, as Lee told OK!. The emotional star, 41, who shares three children under three with Verity and resides in Spain, says their magical day felt “like a dream” – and there wasn’t a dry eye in sight…
Hi Lee, what a stunning wedding celebration!Why did you hold off until two years after the main event to celebrate?
We got hitched in lockdown but it was a very intimate ceremony without our family there – as we just wanted to be married ASAP. We always knew we would have a proper ceremony further down the line.
How was the day, did everything go according to plan?
No, it rained! But apparently, it’s considered good luck in Spain if it rains on your wedding day… Everything else went smoothly though – we had some fantastic singers and a superb opera singer named Marina Simioni who moved everyone to tears! Both of our parents walked us down the aisle, which was really special for us.
What was your favourite moment from the celebrations?
The service was a beautiful blend of different religions and spiritual elements, accompanied by a variety of music that moved everyone to tears. I made my entrance down the aisle with my newborn son in my arms, both of us dressed in matching tuxedos, to the tune of Time by Hans Zimmer, performed by a string quartet. The sight of my wife walking down the aisle to ‘I’m Kissing You’ by Des’ree, sung by a gospel choir, was simply breathtaking. We decided to ban mobile phones during the service to ensure everyone was fully present in the moment, rather than trying to capture it on film or in photos.
What was it like seeing Verity in her wedding dress?
It felt like I was in a dream, a dream I never thought would come true. It was like a movie.”
Were there some very emotional moments?
I cried when I walked down the aisle, I cried when I saw my wife and I cried when we tied our hands! Verity got emotional when the gospel choir sang. We had a song called The Blessing, it’s a gospel church song.
Did you have a first dance?
Yes, it was John Legend’s Never Break. That’s our song and it means a lot to us.
Was it nice to get the children involved – did they have a special part in the day?
Our children are our lives. There were 13 flower girls in total. All the children who were part of the wedding, their parents were bridesmaids and ushers. Our two girls were flower girls and our little boy was all dressed up too. They were all at the front with us, as you can see in some of the photos.
Having three children under three must make life busy. Were there any moments of chaos during the wedding?
There is chaos every day! But it’s beautiful chaos – I wouldn’t change it for the world. I like having lots going on and people around me. When Verity had her hair and make-up done, she had all three of them sitting on her!
Ant and Simon’s kids were involved too. Did that feel like a full circle moment to have your bandmates and all of your children there?
Yes, it was so special to have the kids there – they were dressed as flower girls as well and they all looked so amazing. They were throwing the flower petals in the aisle. Simon’s new baby was the youngest member of the bridal party.
All of your bandmates were at the wedding – did that feel special?
It was great to have Simon, Duncan and Antony there. I don’t have any actual brothers – but they are my brothers. Through thick and thin, all four of us. We’ve had many ups and downs over the years and it’s only the four of us who really know what it’s like. It’s a bond that’s lasted 24 years now.
Did they do any speeches?
No, they know too much! Simon sang, though. It was an impromptu moment and he got up and sang No Worries. He sounded brilliant, as always. It was a lovely, unplanned moment and we were all dancing and singing along with him.
Why did you choose to have your big day in Seville?
We had our first wedding anniversary there. Verity had travelled there and loved it, and so she took me there. It’s so beautiful there, it doesn’t need a lot of decoration. We were going to get married in Italy, but with the kids it was too much, as we live in Spain. Seville is just such a beautiful place. I don’t live in the UK now anyway, but we’ve visited Seville before and fell in love with it. The architecture is stunning and it was good to be there for a week. It’s very similar in style to Rome.
Will you be having a honeymoon?
Not straight away, but we are planning on three small city breaks to Venice, Paris and Budapest over the next year, so we are splitting up our honeymoon over the next 12 months.
Did you immediately know Verity was the one when you first met?
We first saw each other at a Christmas lights switch on when I was promoting and Verity was a performer, and we met backstage. A few weeks later, we went on our first date and we bonded over our love of food – sushi, on that occasion. The first time I knew she was the one was on our second date. We picked a Christmas tree and danced around my living room to John Legend.
Why do you work so well together?
Because I’m a nutty Gemini and she’s a Libra who balances me out. She also has a lot of patience! We are both creative and we write songs together and share a love of music and performing. Verity understands my life, and that I have to go and work for us to have this life together. But I love coming home. She saved my life. My wife saved my life, I know that for sure.
How has life been since welcoming your youngest. Has it been a juggle?
It’s hard work but it’s a lot of fun. We put music on and dance around the front room all the time. Frozen is the go-to karaoke song of the moment!
Has having kids together changed your relationship with Verity? Has it brought you closer?
You’ve got to work as a team in a relationship. My wife is incredible and amazing and has does so much. I’m away a lot and can be tired, but we make sure we take time to have date nights as it’s important to keep the romance going. Finding time for each other is important. Last Valentine’s day she asked me for a new changing bag, so that’s what I bought her. But it was Gucci! And I did buy her matching shoes…
Tell us about Blue’s upcoming Italy arena tour…
I can’t wait to go to Italy – it’s the food, the culture, the people. I love it. We both do, and I think Verity might come out to Rome to see the show there, which will be great. We’ve always done really well in Italy – but this time is crazy, we sold out an arena tour in a day.
And Blue are also special guests on Olly Murs’ 2025 arena tour…
Yes, and I adore Olly, he’s a gent – a lovely guy. He’s always asking how I hit the notes with Breathe Easy, so we were singing it in the corridor when we last met! He’s genuinely a big Blue fan, and when we met him to do some filming, we had a lot of fun. I’m really looking forward to the tour.
What do you love about touring?
I love being on stage and seeing the fans. Still seeing them sing all the songs back to us after 24 years is a privilege – and one I don’t take for granted. The fans are the reason we get to live this amazing life. They come first – that’s why we do it.
What’s tough about it?
I really miss my wife and kids and being away – a hotel room can be a lonely place. In an ideal world they would be with me all the time, but it’s just not realistic. I tried it earlier this year and the dream was far from reality!
Do you have any other upcoming projects?
We have our 25th anniversary coming up soon. I can’t say much just yet, but we have a lot planned for that. But outside of that, Verity and I have a country/folk duo called Lemonville and we are recording music to be released in the future, Verity has the most incredible voice. Actually, people say she’s better than me, which is highly annoying!
Lee & Verity have dedicated their fee for this story in loving memory of Halle Fletcher. See www.josssearchlight.org.uk.
