SINGER Robbie Williams was best man when his best friend Jonathan Wilkes married Swindon dancer Nikki Wheeler in a top secret ceremony in his sumptuous LA mansion.
The couple, who have been dating for five years, tied the knot on Thursday afternoon at Robbie's £3.5 million Beverley Hills mansion. Nikki's parents Phil, 55, and Pat, 53, left their home in Eldene to attend the private occasion.
Moments after Jonathan planted a Tiffany's diamond ring on the 25-year-old's finger, her grandmother, Connie, who was sitting back home in Swindon, received a text saying: "It was beautiful."
Connie, 74, from Eldene, said: "I am so pleased. They wanted the wedding to be very quiet, but Nikki still wore a traditional white dress. If the media had known, they would have come to see Robbie. But it was Nikki's special day."
And the former Commonweal School pupil, who was one of Robbie's backing dancers for his world tour last year, now wants to have a baby. Connie said: "She desperately wants to start a family. Jonathan is a lovely lad and very old-fashioned, so he wanted them to be married."
But first the newlyweds will enjoy a honeymoon in Las Vegas, followed by a holiday in New York next month.
When the lovebirds arrive back at their London home in Chiswick, Connie has a surprise in store. She said: "I haven't bought their wedding present yet. What can you buy people who have everything? I am going to give them a bird table. When I stayed with Nikki last week and we both commented on the beautiful birds in their back garden."
Despite dancing before 100,000-strong crowds, Nikki still finds time to see friends in Swindon.
In fact she celebrated her hen night in a local Italian restaurant, La Dolce Vita, in Groundwell Road, with 25 mates.
Manager Roberto Roberti said: "The girls all looked very glamorous and had lots of fun. They drank plenty of wine and spirits."
The party, on January 10, continued at The Apartment nightclub, in Havelock Street. Marketing manager Sarah Withers said: "They had an absolute ball and attracted lots of male interest. Everyone was still dancing at 2.30am."
Meanwhile her future husband, a singer and TV presenter, was busy womanising but only on stage. He has just finished playing Danny Zuko in Grease at Manchester's Palace Theatre.
Jonathan, who is currently hosting You've Been Framed, and Robbie have been best mates ever since their schooldays in Stoke-on-Trent.
He went on to share Robbie's £2 million home in Notting Hill and Nikki joined them when she and Jonathan became an item.
vtagg@newswilts.co.uk
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