David Foster First Met Katharine McPhee in 2006 & Predicted She Would Have a 'Great, Great Future'

David Foster knew there was something very special about Katharine McPhee from the very beginning!

Long before the couple tied the knot in London, Foster, 69, and McPhee, 35, met for the first time on the set of American Idol during the show’s fifth season in 2006, while he was a guest mentor.

Their interaction was particularly serendipitous, as the Grammy-winning songwriter seemed to notice his future wife’s talents immediately — and was even captured on film making it known.

In Idol footage recovered by a fan, Foster worked with McPhee as she prepared to sing Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” which he also helped write.

During the meeting, the producer confidently told cameras, “Katharine’s got a great, great future ahead of her.”

The other guest mentor Andrea Bocelli also sensed something special about the Idol contestant.

At one point, while he was alone with Foster, the opera singer, 60, told him, “You have to say also, she’s nice, beautiful, and young,” — to which Foster nodded in agreement and laughed.

McPhee, meanwhile, appeared to experience some butterflies during their first interaction, admitting that she was “really nervous” going into the rehearsal room with Foster and Bocelli. “It was a lot of pressure for me,” she added.

Foster later joked about his comments on during an appearance on Access Hollywood last summer. “I was bragging!” he said in regards to McPhee’s singing talents at the time.

The Waitress actress, who was persuaded by ex-husband Nick Cokas to compete on the Fox show, eventually finished as the runner-up to Taylor Hicks.

She later collaborated with her now-husband for a few live performances, including his 2008 PBS tribute concert Hit Man: David Foster & Friends.

Foster even played piano at McPhee’s February 2008 nuptials to first husband Cokas. The father of seven was seen sitting at the keys behind the bride in PEOPLE’s exclusive photos from her wedding.

Though they consistently avoided addressing dating rumors, McPhee and Foster were first romantically linked in May 2017 when the two were spotted enjoying a PDA-filled dinner date at Nobu in Malibu.

In May 2018, the couple finally confirmed they were indeed an item when they attended the Met Gala together. PEOPLE confirmed their engagement on July 3.

On Friday, McPhee and Foster tied the knot in London at the Church of Saint Yeghiche in South Kensington, nearly a year after Foster proposed miles away in Anacapri, Italy.

For the big day, the bride wore a wedding gown by Zac Posen and the groom wore a tuxedo by Stefano Ricci. Around 150 guests including designer Posen, as well as close family and friends, were in attendance. All of Foster’s kids were also on hand.

Ahead of their nuptials, the American Idol alum posted a tribute to her new husband with a throwback video of the pair performing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.”

“Exactly 13 years ago today my very first single, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, was released right after Idol,” she wrote. “Today… I’m marrying the man who produced it. Life is full of beautiful coincidences, isn’t it? Thank you for taking me over the rainbow, David.”

It is the second marriage for McPhee and fifth marriage for Foster, who was most recently married to Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid after ex-wives B.J. Cook, Rebecca Dyer and Linda Thompson.