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Conor McGregor shared his first dance with his wife Dee Devlin to the Mariah Carey song Dreamlover, the Daily Mail can reveal, after the couple secretly married at The Vatican on Friday.
The nuptials had been kept a closely guarded secret, but it emerged last week that the couple tied the knot after they were pictured driving through Rome in their wedding car.
Now, photos from the wild reception showed the moment Conor and Dee shared their first dance, with the song performed by the wedding’s band Sweet Love, who are signed to the sportsman’s own label Greenback Records.
The couple let loose at a lavish party which continued well into the early hours, with Dee dressed in a stunning white lace backless gown for the nuptials.
Dee, who has four children with his long-term partner Conor, has stood by him after a civil court case where a jury found he sexually assaulted Nikita Hand.
In July, Conor was accused of cheating on Dee when he was pictured kissing a mystery brunette in Florida, as well as sending nude pictures to rapper Azealia Banks.
Despite these set-backs, Dee and Conor appeared blissfully happy in snaps from their lavish reception, which took place at a picturesque castle venue in the Italian capital.
The newlyweds could be seen applauding the up-and-coming girl band, which consists of singers Maya, Jasmine, Venice and Honey, before posing for a group snap with them on the dancefloor.
According to the girls, thousands and thousands of red and white roses filled every room from floor to ceiling, with white roses lining the aisles and countless candles creating an atmosphere straight out of a romantic movie.
Sweet Love performed Mariah Carey’s Dreamlover for the couple’s emotional first dance before later returning in new outfits to deliver a high-energy six-song party set as celebrations continued into the night.
Conor and Dee also dedicated a bespoke Sweet Love cocktail to the girl band, which the group said added an extra personal and memorable touch to the celebrations.
Speaking about the experience, the girls, who also performed their own song Maybe I’m Crazy, described it as one of the most magical moments of their careers.
Jasmine said: ‘It was absolutely out of this world, literally a scene from a movie. Conor and Dee are so in love, you can see they’ve found their forever, especially when they shared their first dance which we were highly honoured to sing. It was an incredible night.’
Maya added: ‘It was so stunning. Candles everywhere, a million flowers in all the rooms, it was like walking into a romantic movie. Watching their first dance, you could tell they saw no one else in the room.’
Honey said: ‘The wedding was beautiful. You could feel the love and warmth in the room. Everyone was so lovely and the atmosphere was welcoming and fresh. We also loved the Sweet Love drink.’
Venice added, ‘It was such a beautiful wedding, you could feel the love in the air. We are so honoured to have sung and it was so special to witness two people so deeply in love sharing such an incredible moment together.’
Details of the event had originally been kept under wraps, although shortly after the wedding, the couple were spotted being driven through Rome in a white 1930s Rolls Royce Phantom III adorned with flowers and ribbons.
The newlyweds were all smiles as they were whisked through the streets, with Conor sporting a black tux, waistcoat and bow tie.
Celebrations lasted well into the night, as the couple let their hair down during the lavish party, featuring a live band and a roll your own cigar station, at an unknown location on Friday evening.
A video posted on social media shows Conor posing for photos with his wife before breaking out some dance moves to Lionel Richie’s 1983 hit All Night Long.
He could be seen throwing his arms in the air, cigar in hand, as he and Ms Devlin hit the dancefloor with several other female guests sporting stylish sequined dresses.
Sources close to the MMA fighter only confirmed to the Daily Mail that the wedding was taking place on Friday.
Previously, insiders said their preferred venue, the Sistine Chapel, was not an option as Vatican rules prohibit weddings there.
Speaking about the wedding, a source close to McGregor said: ‘Conor and Dee want to get married before Christmas and are planning a wedding at the Vatican in Rome.
‘They are both staunch Catholics and it is their dream to wed there.
‘They ideally would like to marry in the Sistine Chapel but it is not allowed so they may have to settle for the Cappella del Caro which can accommodate 100 people beside St Peter’s Basilica.
‘It is all hush hush at the moment but December 12 is the date mentioned so we will have to wait and see.’
McGregor has credited Dee for keeping him grounded. He previously said: ‘Dee is a lifesaver for me. I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for her. I’m doing all of this for her.’
He added: ‘Every day, since I started out in this game, she’s supported me. She’d drive me to the gym, and she’d listen to all my dreams.’
Dee has remained publicly supportive of McGregor following last year’s High Court civil case in Dublin, in which a jury found that he had sexually assaulted Nikita Hand at a hotel in 2018.
Conor denied the allegation and claimed the encounter was consensual, but the court rejected his account.
In July, Ireland’s Supreme Court dismissed Conor’s appeal, finding he had received a fair trial.
His lawyers had argued that his answers to the police during questioning should not have been put before the jury.
He was ordered to pay Nikita €248,000 (£218,000) in damages, along with high legal costs.
The civil action was taken after Irish prosecutors decided in 2019 not to bring criminal charges against McGregor following a Garda investigation.
Nikita later pursued the case through the civil courts, with proceedings beginning in 2021.
After last year’s civil case, Ms Devlin wrote: ‘Conor and I dealt with these issues privately many years ago, as should be done in a relationship, and we have come out stronger than ever.
‘We have four beautiful children now whose smiling faces and happy hearts are a testament to who he is and who we are!’
Last year, McGregor announced his intention to run for the presidency in Ireland.
However, he failed to secure enough support to appear on the ballot. He ended his bid in September.
At the time, he said the decision was made following ‘careful reflection, and after consulting with my family’.
