Paul McCartney and his new wife Nancy Shevell leave Marylebone registry office in central London following their wedding on October 9, 2011.
Sunday marks John Lennon’s 71st birthday. It’s now become an important anniversary for Sir Paul McCartney also.
The former Beatle headed to town hall to say “I Do” for a third time. The bride, 51-year-old Jersey girl Nancy Shevell, is an independently wealthy trucking heiress. The couple waved to fans gathered outside Old Marylebone Town Hall as they wed in front of just 30 guests. The pair was showered with flowers and confetti as they left the building, heading to St. John’s Wood to throw a reception at Sir Paul’s home.
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Tents and other wedding preparations have filed into McCartney’s home over the past days. Details of the ceremony have been kept private, but the Daily Mail reports that Sir Paul will take the stage to serenade his new bride with a brand-new song.
It’s the second marriage for Shevell and the third for the 69-year-old McCartney. Sir Paul’s first wife Linda died of breast cancer in 1998. His last marriage to British model Heather Mills ended in a very public divorce in 2008 after six years.
The reception for Shevell couldn’t be more different. Paul’s daughter Stella, the famed fashion designer, couldn’t shroud her strong dislike for Mills. But for this ceremony, she designed Shevell’s wedding dress, a classy, knee-length ivory dress.
As for their honeymoon, speculators believe they’ll head back to the Hamptons in Long Island – the place where they first met in 2007. They were reportedly set up by Barbara Walters, Shevell’s second cousin.
Nick Carbone is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @nickcarbone. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.