Amy Childs married Billy Delbosq in a three-day wedding in Marbella, Spain, after postponing the event last year when her mum Julie suffered a serious heart attack. The couple exchanged vows in front of 150 guests, including TOWIE co-stars Sophie Kasaei, Jordan Brook, Saffron Lempriere and Amy's cousin Harry Derbidge.
Wedding Delayed After Family Crisis
Amy and Billy had to put their nuptials on hold after Amy's mum Julie suffered a serious heart attack last April. Things were so touch-and-go that Amy wasn't sure if her mum would ever make it to the wedding.
“She might not have been here and I might have had to do it without her, so it's emotional to think about that,” Amy says. “But thankfully she was there and we had the most amazing time.”
Ceremony and Celebrations
Their ceremony was planned for 4pm on Saturday 26 September, at the San Roque Golf Club near Marbella. Amy had man-of-honour Harry by her side, steaming her dress and calming her nerves while she got ready. Billy had a couple of beers with his four best men – his brother Chaye and close friends Gary Bird, Nick Lodge and Matty Dodd.
“We took over the golf club and it looked incredible as people walked through the different areas. There were flowers everywhere,” Amy says. “The venue and decorations were breathtaking.”
Amy was supported by her bridesmaids, including her nine-year-old daughter Polly, Polly's two friends, her two nieces, and three-year-old daughter Milly, whom she shares with Billy. Milly's twin brother, also named Billy, was a page boy, along with Amy's nephew. “It was the Polly show,” Amy said. “She owned it and she was loving it.”
Emotional Vows and Reception
As Billy, wearing a white dinner jacket with black bow tie, awaited his bride at the end of the aisle – adorned with white and blush roses and a huge floral archway – Harry made his entrance to Lady Gaga's Telephone. “It was iconic,” she says. “He had his flies down the whole time and he didn't even notice.”
Amy made her way down the aisle in one of her four wedding dresses, all made by boutique Ava Rose Hamilton. She wore a lace gown with a long veil. “I only got my dress three weeks before the wedding,” she says. “I was really panicking. I didn't know what I wanted. Six months ago, I had this picture in my head, but I woke up one morning and thought, 'That is not the dress.' I changed my mind at the last minute. Ava Rose really pulled out the stops for me.”
Upon seeing his bride, who was arm-in-arm with her dad Billy, as TOWIE co-star Jordan Brook performed a rendition of Always And Forever, groom Billy couldn't hold back the tears. “I knew the moment that Amy walked down the aisle I was going to cry, because I could feel it,” he says. “When she chose her wedding dress she wanted to show me a picture. I said, 'You can't do that, I want that reaction on the day.' It was perfect.”
The couple's ceremony was officiated by Amy's friend and celebrant Stacey, while Polly and Harry both read poems. Polly's poem got everyone choked up. “Polly had a poem that said, 'Bill's not been there from the start, but you'll always be in my heart.' There was not a dry eye in the room,” Amy says.
The ceremony was followed by a champagne reception before Amy slipped into her second dress. Guests sat down for a wedding breakfast at 8pm, dining on a tomato and filo pastry starter, a traditional chicken dinner with potatoes and vegetables, and personalised lemon meringue desserts alongside cheeses served with red wine.
Speeches followed, including an epic 53-minute speech from Billy, as well as toasts from his dad, Amy's dad, and his four best men. When his brother Chaye took to the mic, the groom became emotional. “He had a stroke at the age of 24 and that affected the right-hand side of his body and his speech, so for him to get up in front of 150 people… I was so proud of him,” Billy says.
Amy and Billy cut their five-tier wedding cake before taking to the dance floor for their first dance – a choreographed routine to Amy's mum and dad's wedding song, Always by Atlantic Starr, released in 1987. “My dad cried quite a few times throughout the day, because it was so emotional,” she says. “Having both sets of parents there meant so much to me and Billy. Seeing Mum so happy after all she's been through was incredible.”
“I can't believe we absolutely nailed it, step-by-step,” Billy says. “And then all of a sudden we skanked out to Dizzee Rascal's Holiday,” Amy adds. “Everyone was throwing shapes – it was great.”
Guests enjoyed performances from DJ Tony Nicholls, singer Moni Tivony and TOWIE pal Jordan. Late-night snacks of stonebaked pizzas were served, while partygoers guzzled cocktails, prosecco and tequila shots. The newlyweds stumbled into bed at 3.45am.
Reflections and Future Plans
“Me and Bill have spent a fortune, but it's been beautiful,” Amy says. “This weekend has been the most amazing, special weekend I will ever have,” Billy adds.
The couple are glad the organising is over, especially with it all being filmed for their ITVBe reality show. “We're glad the organising is over as it took so much out of us,” Amy says. “But the memories are incredible and everyone had an amazing time and everyone got on, which was what we wanted.”
“The seating plan was our biggest headache,” Billy admits. “There was so much pressure. Amy had four things she wanted for the wedding: the dress; that the bridesmaids and kids were all sorted; a tan; and that there was prosecco there. That was as much input as she had.”
Amy, whose eight-year-old son Ritchie wasn't able to be at the wedding, feels lucky to have found her Mr Right. “I've definitely met my match, we're a good team,” she says. “Not only has Bill got the twins, he's taken on my children, Ritchie and Polly – that means a hell of a lot to me. Yes, we have our ups and downs, but like any couple does.”
Billy adds, “So much has happened over the last five years. We've created an amazing life and it's all I've ever wanted. I've always wanted to be a dad and I've been lucky to have twins, and there's no better person to do that with than Amy. Our lifestyle is chaotic and sometimes absolutely mental, but through all the highs and lows we make it work. We're a team. We love each other so much, we've both met our person.”
Despite legally marrying in a small ceremony at the Old Marylebone Town Hall in April, Amy is finding it hard to shed her maiden name. “I still class myself as Amy Childs and Bill tells me off,” she says. “I am Amy Delbosq, I'm not Amy Childs any more. I've still got this Amy Childs in me – will the red hair come back one day?”
Amy, who previously admitted to using “skinny jabs” but said they made her sick, says she's putting on weight with the help of a nutritionist. “It's been constant backlash every single day,” she says. “When I was bigger, I got flak, and a lot of brides lose weight for their weddings. But I'm feeling great and am stronger than I've been in a long time. Yes, I've lost weight, but I've been under a lot of stress. I've been planning a wedding and I've got four children. But I've got a nutritionist on board and I'm putting weight on.”
The couple will jet off on a belated honeymoon to Dubai next year. On more children, Amy laughs, “If I had any more I think me and Bill would be divorced. The other day, I did look at a baby and think, 'Would I ever have another one?' But I don't think I would.”
