Made in Chelsea star Francesca Newman Young has tied the knot! (Image: Emmylou Kelly)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy Notice When the doors opened for Francesca Newman-Young to walk down the aisle at Chelsea Old Town Hall, there was an audible intake of breath from the guests as they caught their first sight of the stunning bride. “I’d been super nervous all day, I just found the idea of walking down the aisle so overwhelming,” says the former Made In Chelsea star. “But when I stepped into the room I felt totally at ease. I felt emotional, but just so elated. I was beaming the whole way down.” Her groom, management consultant Pete Clarke, says he started crying the moment he saw her. “As it was a registry office wedding, I didn’t know what to expect – I’d assumed she’d be wearing something less formal,” he says.
Francesca said ‘I Do’ to fiancé Pete Clarke
(Image: Emmylou Kelly)
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“Fran looked incredible. She stole the show.” Pete, 36, admits he had to turn to face the front of the room to try to contain his emotions. “But then I heard my mum crying behind me!” he says. “The day was lovely, incredibly romantic – all the emotions in one go.” Fran wore a floor-length satin wedding dress, featuring a Bardot neckline, from Love Story London. “I’d thought I’d go for a tailored suit, but then I tried on the dress called Jett and it was perfect,” she says. Fran, 37, also wore towering Jimmy Choo heels, and a veil with a bow. The couple’s dog Oslo, who they describe as “best man”, wore a matching bow. “I think this was the biggest party Oslo has been to,” says Fran. “He was partied-out afterwards.” The bride also wore “something old”, a pair of her mum’s earrings, while her “something new” was her dress, her “something borrowed” was her aunt Edwina’s necklace, “and I wore blue lingerie”.
Their adorable pooch was part of their big day!
(Image: Emmylou Kelly)
‘Fran looked incredible. She stole the show’, the gushing groom said
(Image: Emmylou Kelly)
The couple tied the knot in front of 40 family members and close friends. Her older sister Emma, who is an opera singer, gave a reading of You Deserve A Lover by Frida Kahlo. “It’s about respecting your partner and their freedom and being there,” says Fran. The bride’s younger sister Olivia, who is a make-up artist, also attended the special day. Olivia is on tour with Girls Aloud, as she is Nadine Coyle ’s make-up artist. “I had to poach her to do my wedding make-up, obviously, because she’s the best!” says Fran. Fran and Pete, who have been dating for almost nine years, are planning a second four-day wedding celebration in Mallorca later this summer, but having their big day in Chelsea meant a lot to the couple. They both live nearby and Fran works as a content creator for businesses on the King’s Road. “I’m there every day, working with businesses who feel like family to me. It just made total sense.” The Grade II-listed Chelsea Old Town Hall, which Fran describes as “such a beautiful building” sits on the King’s Road and has hosted weddings for famous faces including Judy Garland, Hugh Grant and Marc Bolan. The couple didn’t exchange rings. “We are saving that one for Mallorca,” says Fran.
The couple said ‘I do’ in Chelsea and took some stunning snaps after the ceremony
(Image: Emmylou Kelly)
“I want something a little bit extraordinary – no pressure, Pete!” After the 4pm registry office ceremony, the wedding party went to a nearby pub, The Surprise. “It’s our favourite pub in the area, a local haunt. It’s gorgeous with a really lovely atmosphere and the food is incredible,” says Fran. “We had the upstairs room, the Hamilton Room. Kirsty from Fall into Flowers, who I work with a lot, had decorated the space. And the room was scented with Jo Malone candles. It was all heavenly,” The wedding food included oysters, a starter of beef carpaccio, and mains such as pan-fried Cornish sea bass and lamb cooked two ways. “It was the first time a lot of our family members had met each other,” said Fran. “So it was a coming together of two worlds. And the day really summed us up as a couple – a bright, colourful party with us eating lots of delicious food and drinking amazing wine.” Pete gave a speech. “Having two weddings means two speeches,” he says. “So I have a kind of master speech and this one was shorter. I’m still trying to get used to saying ‘my wife’.” The couple were introduced via a mutual friend when Fran was still appearing in Made In Chelsea. She was on the E4 reality show from 2013 to 2015 and made a brief reappearance a few years later.
The wedding party went to a nearby pub after the ceremony, which is a favourite of the newlyweds
(Image: Emmylou Kelly)
“I gatecrashed a dinner party at Pete’s,” she recalls of their first meeting. “Pete had very sadly just lost his father. We were both coming out of hard times, when we met each other and we were best friends for six months. I don’t think I was ready at first. Then I asked him out at a secret garden party on top of the Colosseum. Pete says: “I had chased her around Chelsea and the Kings Road and persisted!” Asked why they make a good match, Fran says: “I think it’s our appetite for life, we love being with people. “If you look at our friends they’re an eclectic mix. We’re both people who want to say yes to things and want to experience every part of life.” Fran reveals that Pete was “almost” on Made In Chelsea, as he was a friends of some of the cast. “Ollie Proudlock once suggested he go on MIC, but I’m very glad he didn’t. He is very successful in what he does. I’m incredibly proud of him. How does she feel when she looks back on her time on the reality show? “It was a really wild experience, the biggest highs and lows in my life,” she says. “It was a crazy time and I made some great friendships – but the show also disrupted some friendships. Psychologically it’s not something anyone can be prepared for. And it took me a while to get over some of the experiences.
Francesca said Made In Chelsea ‘was a really wild experience’ after tying the knot
(Image: Emmylou Kelly)
“The thing that frustrated me was I had a job in the music industry when I started, and they said they wanted a career woman. Then it got reduced back down to who was sleeping with who. I understand that, but it would have been more interesting than just talking about boys. If you look at programmes like Selling Sunset now, it shows you can do both. It was subtly suggested that I quit the music industry to become part of something big, but then I left the show. “That said, it also gave me great experiences and a platform. I would never take that back. I genuinely enjoyed the filming process. Instagram only just existed when we started doing the show, but the experience led to me being a social media specialist. I wouldn’t be where I am without the show. “I’m really grateful I did it – and to the people around me who got me through it, especially Pete. Pete proposed in 2022, when the couple were on holiday in Jamaica. “We’d actually gone out there for a month,” says Fran. “We were travelling around, visiting different coves.” Pete proposed on Treasure Beach. “We were staying in a really special villa, with a bonfire on a private beach, and grilled lobster,” says Fran.
The happy couple!
(Image: Emmylou Kelly)
“It was magical.” Pete adds, “I proposed and, thank God, she said yes. It was ‘Jamaican me your wife!’” Pete had been planning to propose for “about a year”. “I’d originally been thinking about doing it in Ibiza, but timings didn’t work out. But we’ve been together for nine years so I thought I’d better get on with it.” Pete gave Fran what she describes as a “placeholder ring”. “He knew I was in love with yellow diamonds but also knew that I wanted to design it myself.” Her engagement ring is from London jeweller Astteria, which specialises in coloured diamonds. “I wanted something unique,” says Fran. “A lot of elements are going to come through in our wedding abroad – the music and the colours. I’m trying to match my bridesmaids to my ring. Luckily the company behind the dresses is going to be bringing out a design in that colour, so my bridesmaids will be in that shade, which I’m really excited about.” Fran will have seven bridesmaids at her August wedding, while Pete will have two best men and five ushers. Her second wedding dress will be a bespoke design by Savannah Miller.
The newlyweds will have a second wedding in August
(Image: Emmylou Kelly)
The couple had initially planned for this first wedding to be a “casual affair”, but it turned into quite a party. After drinks and dinner at The Surprise, they headed to Raffles Chelsea, where they had reserved the club’s Jungle Room, thanks to their friend Hamish Ross, who is the club’s operations director. “We’re really good friends,” says Pete. “Hamish is going to be one of my ushers in Mallorca. We’ve been around Chelsea and the King’s Road for a long time.” The wedding party drank cocktails and had a Perrier- Jouet champagne tower and their friend Dominic Instone was DJ for the night. “It was so much fun,” says Fran. “All our family came as well. My mum and aunt used to live in Chelsea and so I said, ‘When was the last time you can say you went clubbing?’” Fran changed into an embroidered, tassel dress from Monsoon at the party. “It was great to dance in,” she says. “My wedding dress is still in the cloakroom there!” They carried on partying until 4am. “The day was amazing,” says Fran. “Such an intimate celebration for friends and family. So vibrant and full of love.” The newlyweds are going on a mini-moon Greek island cruise and are looking forward to saying “I do” again at their second wedding this summer.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnFran Newman YoungMade In ChelseaCelebrity weddings
