Gary Barlow and wife Dawn look almost unrecognisable in loved-up throwback photo

Gary Barlow with his wife Dawn smiling
Gary Barlow with his wife Dawn (Getty Images)

Take That singer Gary Barlow marked his wife Dawn's birthday on Sunday with a touching throwback photo.

Taking to his Instagram Stories, the Patience hitmaker uploaded a romantic holiday photo taken in 1996 during a visit to Venice.

The singer shared a romantic throwback photo
The singer shared a romantic throwback photo (Instagram)

The pair appeared smitten as they beamed for the camera whilst cosying up on what appeared to be a wooden boat. Gary, 53 looked almost unrecognisable in the snapshot rocking a long fringe and a pair of sporty sunglasses.

His wife Dawn, meanwhile, looked so different with her platinum blonde locks styled into a cropped hairdo complete with a blunt fringe.

gary barlow with wife dawn
The couple tied the knot in 2000 (Shutterstock)

Captioning his throwback snapshot, Gary penned: "Happy Birthday Mrs B - I'll see ya soon to celebrate," followed by a trio of red love heart emojis.

The happy couple first crossed paths back in 1995 when Dawn was working as a backup dancer on Take That's Nobody Else tour. Take a look at their love story below...

After five years together, the lovebirds went on to tie the knot in 2000. Together, they are proud parents to three children: a son called Daniel, 22, and daughters Emily, 19, and Daisy, 13.

Their fourth child, Poppy, was tragically delivered stillborn in 2012.

Gary posing alongside his family
Gary posing with Dawn and two of their children (Instagram)

Whilst Gary rarely shares insights into his private life, he occasionally opens up about his wife Dawn and their relationship.

In 2019, Gary opened up about his marriage to Dawn and their decision to stay out of the spotlight from the very start of their romance. "We had to keep it quiet because none of the lads were allowed to officially have girlfriends in those days," he told MailOnline. "Dawn hates attention, so it was a big deal for her to date someone like me."

The couple celebrated their 24-year wedding anniversary earlier this year
The couple celebrated their 24-year wedding anniversary earlier this year (Instagram)

Earlier this year, he joined Australian hosts Hugh Van Cuylenburg and comedian Ryan Shelton on The Imperfects podcast, where he spoke in depth about a range of personal topics, including his journey with disordered eating, and the loss of his daughter Poppy.

When asked what he loves the most about his wife of 24 years, Gary gushed: "She's really special, really special. She's a no-nonsense mum. She brought our kids up, I didn't. I do this job which is bloody all encompassing, I travel all round the world, she gave up her job to bring our kids up."

Gary and Dawn attending a smart ball
Gary and Dawn share three children together (Getty Images)

He continued: "Left her dreams to one side and I got to do mine still. She's done a brilliant job, everyone who meets our kids always says how great they are. She's a wonderful woman, she's pretty tough on me, I've got to be honest. She's the real deal."