Also Today in Beatles History
January 21

1966
George Harrison marries Pattie Boyd

After a romance lasting just shy of two years, George Harrison married Patricia Anne Boyd at Epsom register office, Surrey.

"I bought a Mary Quant pinky-red shot-silk dress, which came to just above the knee, and I wore it with creamy stockings and pointy red shoes. On top, because it was January and cold, I wore a red fox-fur coat, also by Mary Quant, that George gave me. She made George a beautiful black Mongolian lamb coat.

The ceremony took place early in the morning at Epsom register office, in Surrey, not the most glamorous place, and the room was very hot and stuffy. Brian Epstein was there and Paul McCartney, who was George's best man. Otherwise it was family – my mother, with her cousin Penny Evans, who had been around a lot while I was growing up. Colin, Jenny, Paula, David and Boo, George's parents and brothers. Uncle John, my mother's twin brother, gave me away." second wedding dresses
Pattie Boyd
Wonderful Tonight

John Lennon and Ringo Starr were on holiday and couldn't attend the wedding.

"It was not the wedding I had dreamt of – I would have loved to be married in church, but Brian didn't want a big fuss. They all trusted him so implicitly that when he said it should be a quiet register office wedding George agreed. He also said it had to be secret – if the press found out, it would be chaotic...

There was no shortage of pictures of us leaving the register office. We came out into the street to find dozens of press photographers lined up outside. So much for keeping the whole thing secret."
Pattie Boyd
Wonderful Tonight

The happy couple left the register office in a Rolls-Royce Princess, for a reception at Kinfauns, their bungalow in Esher. The following day they held a press conference, and flew to Barbados for their honeymoon on 8 February 1966.