Francesca Allen kicks off her wedding weekend with a VERY lavish welcome drinks overlooking the French Riviera as she stuns in a sheer floral gown

Francesca Allen's wedding celebrations kicked off in serious style as she hosted a glamorous welcome drinks overlooking the French Riviera on Friday night.

The former Love Island star, 30, had kept the details of her second ceremony under wraps, after marrying Ed Crossan at Marylebone Town Hall last month.

However, it has now been revealed that the lavish celebration is being hosted in Monaco, as friends shared pictures and videos from the lavish bash.

Francesca looked incredible in a sheer floor-length dress adorned with delicate white flowers, which she wore over a nude bodysuit.

The bride wore her hair in a half up, half down style and complemented her elegant look with delicate jewellery.

Francesca offered her friend Maria Wild, who shared the moment on her Instagram Story, a tour around the party before the rest of the guests arrived.

Highlights from the party included a champagne tower, a bar stocked with Aperol Spritz and a BBQ dinner for the party-goers to soak up the cocktails.

Due to the destination being famed for its casinos, the couple had also hired a poker table and dealer to entertain guests during the evening.

There was also a dance floor where Ed took his bride-to-be for a spin in one sweet video, as their pals cheered along from the sidelines.

Last month, the reality star tied the knot with waste disposal mogul Ed Crossan, 36, in an intimate ceremony at Marylebone Town Hall.

The reality star looked incredible as she emerged from the venue alongside her suited husband after six years of dating and a five-year engagement.

Francesca looked stunning in a floor-length gown with a pillar shape and a bow at the chest while pairing the look with a wide-brimmed hat.

Ed looked stylish in a light blue suit with a calla lily button hole, as the couple departed the historic building before heading off in a £100k vintage Mercedes with their pet dog Stormi in tow – after she cradled the pooch in her pictures.

They were joined by a slew of family and friends, including Francesca's sister Claudia, whose partner Tony is Sam Faiers' partner Paul Knightley's brother.

Francesca beamed to the camera as they stood for their stunning shots on the stairs before heading off in a vintage Mercedes with red leather interiors.

Their car of choice was a Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W121), which is a classic two-seat convertible produced from 1955-1963, while Francesca and Ed's was a 1959 edition. The cars cost up to £100k.

Following their ceremony, Francesca took to Instagram to share a selfie showing her cuddling up to her new husband, who was enjoying a delicious-looking paloma cocktail, complete with a rim of salt and Tajin and a wedge of grapefruit.

She added the caption: 'Mr and Mrs Crossan.'

Soon after the big day, Francesca posted a stunning montage video of the morning leading up to and the ceremony itself, to the tune of 1977s The Emotions hit Best Of My Love, alongside the caption: 'Just married'.

Prior to the wedding, Francesca stayed in the swanky Landmark Hotel where she frolicked in the morning, with a video showing her in silk bridal pyjamas looking from a balcony before leaving a lift and then running up the sweeping marble staircase.

A caption across the top read 'It's Coronation Day' while For the First Time in Forever from Disney's 2013 film Frozen played over the top – in a nod to lead character Elsa's coronation day in the fictional land of Arendelle.

Ed, who previously dated TOWIE's Amber Turner, is a family friend of the reality star. 

They knew each other for years through their families before things turned romantic.

He was named vice chairman of his father's company Powerday, in January 2019 and is featured on the company's website.

Francesca and Ed officially confirmed their romance in November 2021 after sharing holiday pictures from Dubai.

When one of her followers asked how long she and Ed had been dating, Francesca replied on social media: 'This is a strange one. When someone's your friend, you don't necessarily date. There's been times where I'm like, 'Was that a date?'

'In the past I used to get really freaked out and be like 'Oh my god, was that a date? Was this a date? I'm so scared, this is my friend.'

She continued: 'We would just FaceTime every day. We never got intimate, it was always just my friends with his friends and we would have the best times out together. That's so weird… did I get friend zoned?'

'It's very complicateddddd haha there just came one point where we both just said shall we try this out and now look at usssss haha!' 

Just seven weeks after going Instagram official, Francesca revealed they had gotten engaged. 

Francesca said yes to Ed's proposal at Marylebone's swanky members club Home House and shared images of the moment with her Instagram followers. 

She gushed that it was the 'best Christmas present a girl could ask for'.

The reality star then revealed that she had been dating Ed for 18 months before he popped the question but kept their relationship on the low.