Rafael Nadal has broken his silence over marrying his childhood sweetheart Maria Francisca Perello inside Spain's most expensive property, in a no-expense-spared lavish ceremony.
The 33-year-old tennis ace, known as Rafa, tied the knot on Saturday with Mery, 31, in front of famous guests, friends and family at the Majorcan fortress La Fortaleza.
Rafa, who popped the question in May 2018 after 13 years together, wed Maria – known as Xisca – inside the British-owned venue before treating their guests to a tantalising menu put together by Michelin-star chef Macarena de Castro.
He has since posted a snap of the view over the Pollensa Bay, complete with fairy lights and a romantic sunset from the venue.
He captioned the Instagram picture with a winking emoji.
Xisca's wedding dress has also been shown for the first time – but only in sketch form, as the bride has been just as tight-lipped as her husband about the details.
It was designed by Rosa Clará and featured a long, sweeping skirt, a fitted long-sleeved bodice and a sparking belt around the waist.
Rose shared a sweet tribute to the bride on Instagram alongside a black and white video of herself sketching the design of the floor-length gown.
"An overwhelming wedding day for all of us! We feel incredibly proud for taking part in such an important day – Mery Perelló and Rafa Nadal's wedding," she wrote.
"We would like to congratulate the gorgeous and unique couple, we wish you the best forever! Rosa Clará is the designer of Mery Perelló's wedding dress, an exquisitely clean-lined haute couture design.
"The bodice, with jewel neckline and long sleeves, was made of beautiful Art Deco-inspired French lace with delicate patterning, flower motifs and microbeading on the meticulously hand-embroidered fabric.
"The ballgown-style skirt, made of silk crepe, featured a weightless detachable train, created in Rosa Clara's Atelier. The whole process was full of emotions between all of us. We just want to thank the whole family for trusting in us, you're extraordinary," she added.
Among the A-listers arriving at the fortress on Saturday were former king Juan Carlos I of Spain, who was brought in by private car, and retired tennis players Carlos Moya and David Ferrer, along with his wife Marta Tornel.
Spanish player Feliciano Lopez was also there, along with former Argentinean champ Juan Monaco.
Xisca, who works as an insurance worker and project director for the Rafa Nadal Foundation, had kept the details of her wedding dress totally secret before their big day.
The newlyweds also went to extreme lengths to protect their wedding from prying eyes, even putting up an enormous marquee over the fortress and closing the air space above it to prevent choppers from flying over.
Guests were seen gathering beforehand at a checkpoint to be picked up by a shuttle bus employed solely to take them into the virtually impregnable fortress.
Rafa's uncle, Miguel Angel Nadal, was spotted wearing a crisp white shirt and navy blue suit trousers with sunglasses as he milled around with other family members before the bus arrived.
The female guests went all-out for the big day, opting for floor-skimming designer dresses and teetering high hells for the glamorous occasion.
The 17th-century fortress is owned by Conservative party donor Lord Lupton, who bought it in 2011 for a cool £30million – a bargain considering it went on the market at £75million.
It was the wedding venue for footballer Gareth Bale and his wife Emma Rhys-Jones' lavish nuptials in July this year, and was also the setting for the 2016 BBC spy thriller The Night Manager, starring Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman and Tom Hiddleston.
Blushing bride Xisca was seen the day before her wedding running some last-minute errands in Majorca.
The bride-to-be was seen chatting on the phone as she made her way to a beauty salon, no doubt for a little bridal pampering.
She wore an elegant pleated skirt with a simple white t-shirt, packing her essentials into a red handbag and finishing off her look with flat sandals and a pair of sunglasses.
Xisca and Rafa kept their engagement a secret for eight months before coming clean in January this year.
Speaking to Spanish magazine Hola!, Rafa confirmed that he proposed to his long-term partner during a romantic holiday to Rome.
Xisca regularly travels the world to watch his tennis matches and cheer him on from the audience, and was with him in Melbourne for the Australian Open 2019.
"I had chance to visit Sydney, I haven't been there before. So I was knowing a little bit of the city and we enjoyed it. After ten years finally, my girlfriend gets a wildcard to come here," he said in January.
Rafa has previously opened up about the pair's plan to have kids, telling Hello! magazine: "Obviously, I have the intention of forming a family. I love children and I would like my children to do what they like."
Mery prefers to keep out of the spotlight, instead working in the relative anonymity of the insurance industry.
She also works for her fiance's Rafa Nadal Foundation charity as a project director, but shuns the spotlight to give Rafa the chance to focus on his work.
"He needs his space when he is competing and just the idea of me hanging around and waiting on his needs all day tires me out," she told the Telegraph in 2011.
"It would asphyxiate me. And then he would have to be worrying about me. If I followed him everywhere I think there's a risk we might stop getting along."
Congratulations to Rafa and Xisca!
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