Richard Gere sang to his new wife in Spanish during their first wedding dance.
The ‘Pretty Woman’ actor tied the knot with his spouse Alejandra Silva in a secret ceremony last month and, in order to make sure her special day had a splash of her heritage woven in, he agreed to do a traditional Spanish Flamenco routine with her and then unexpectedly broke out into song midway through to surprise her and their guests.
Speaking to Spain’s HOLA! magazine, Alejandra said: "When we took the dance floor to dance to this Flamenco group and just after a couple steps – because I have to tell you, he is a really good flamenco dancer – Richard took the microphone and he started singing. Everybody was so surprised, including myself."
And the actual wedding ceremony was just as special, as their children Albert, five, whom Alejandra has with her ex-husband Govind Friedland, and Homer, 18, whom Richard has with his second wife Carey Lowell – were the ring bearers.
Spanish publicist-and-activist Alejandra explained: "The ceremony was beautiful. We exchanged vows and rings -our children were the rings bearers and it was very emotional. I have to admit I cried a lot. When he saw me, Richard said I was the most spectacular woman he had ever seen. And I couldn’t stop smiling. I just replied, ‘I love you.’ "
The couple met four years ago through a mutual friend in Positano, Italy, and they knew almost instantly that they were meant to be together forever.
She said: "Love stories with a difficult beginning make you grow closer because of all the rough patches and difficult moments. I am sure that at some point I must have had doubts. In the beginning he was more confident than I was. But it wasn’t long until both felt we were meant to be together. We haven’t rushed anything. We have made this decision after four years together – but I still feel butterflies in my stomach."
The pair now live together in New York City – but it took them six months to decide.
She explained: "It was a debate that went on for six months but in the New York won. I am sure it will be for the best! Actually the countryside is the best gift you can give to your child and yourself. We are on it, little by little. The schools here are wonderful and next year [my child] is gonna start nearby, which is amazing."
And, although they have a 33-year age gap, Alejandra thinks they were destined to be together because they both have a shared love for Buddhism.
She added: "Life was supposed to be like this … He has promised me at least 20 good years. And I have to confess, he has a lot more energy than I do, he is so active it is difficult to keep up. It’s not even human! I think I give him some sense of stability. The fact that I am not an actress or a model helps – I was never interested in those things. What brought us closer was our wish to help people in need, our commitment to Buddhism and the Tibetan people."
Richard Gere sang to new wife during wedding dance
