Footballer Riyad Mahrez marries Taylor Ward for a THIRD time in Italy surrounded by celebs and famous wedding singer
FOOTBALLER Riyad Mahrez has married model Taylor Ward for a THIRD time in Italy surrounded by celebrities and a VERY famous wedding singer.
The pair got engaged back in 2021 when the loved-up sportsman got down on one knee while in Mykonos, Greece.
Riyad and Taylor – who is the daughter of Real Housewives of Cheshire star Dawn Ward – wed back in January 2022 in a Muslim ceremony.
They then tied the knot for a second time in a beautiful London wedding in September last year.
Now they’ve jetted to Italy for a third ceremony.
The couple said ‘I Do’ at Villa Balbiano, a luxury villa located on the Lake Como.
The luxurious property boasts an outdoor swimming pool, a private pier and a boathouse.
They had an outdoor ceremony, followed by a party with guests.
Taylor looked stunning in a long sleeve white gown.
Her footballer dad Ashley walked her down the aisle to Callum Scott’s You Are The Reason surrounded by hundreds of white roses.
Singer Leona Lewis, who shot to fame on The X Factor in 2006, performed after the wedding.
Riyad and Taylor first started dating back in 2020 and married in secret a year later.
A source explained at the time: “Riyad and Taylor are now legally married under Islamic law following their ceremony late last year.
“For them as a couple it was important to follow the traditions of his religion.
“The ceremony was short but sweet and has started them on their path to their second wedding which is very much going to be the main event. Taylor and Riyad are so excited and are very much in love.”
They dressed all in white for a Muslim ceremony known as the Nikah — signing a contract making them legally wed under Islamic law.
Riyad and Taylor had a secret ceremony at The Londoner Hotel in the heart of the West End last year.
The footballer proposed in 2021 with a £400,000 ring he had custom made.
A source said at the time: “Taylor was not expecting this at all, and was utterly over the moon.
“She and Riyad make an amazing couple, and they’re so loved-up.
“Riyad chose the ring himself and had it specially made.
“There was a massive, champagne-fuelled celebration party afterwards.”
Riyad was previously in a relationship with Rita Johal.
They share two daughters.
Riyad and Taylor welcomed their first child into the world in 2022.
Riyad Mahrez is a name known across modern English football after making a name for himself as a tricky winger capable of performing magic tricks with the ball.
The now 33-year-old was famously one of the stars of the Leicester team which shocked the world by winning the Premier League in 2016, adding the Player of the Year and African Football of the Year awards in the process.
Mahrez eventually joined Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, where he would go on to win everything at the top of English football.
This included another four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Champions League.
On the international stage Mahrez also led his nation Algeria to their first African Cup of Nations win since they played as hosts in 1990.
Last summer Mahrez opted to call an end to his time in English football and completed a transfer to Saudi Arabia, where the now 33-year-old plays for Al-Ahli.