The rare ceremony will be the 19th documented wedding at the White House, and the first since 2013.
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Naomi Biden, right, and her fiancé, Peter Neal, will have their wedding at the White House.
WASHINGTON — President Biden’s eldest granddaughter, Naomi Biden, plans to get married on the South Lawn of the White House this fall in the first wedding ceremony to be held at the White House in nearly a decade.
Ms. Biden announced the plan on Twitter on Thursday, months after indicating that the president and the first lady, Jill Biden, would host Ms. Biden and her fiancé, Peter Neal, at the White House for their reception.
“Much to the relief of secret service and with the dogs’ endorsement…we’ll be getting married on the South Lawn,” Ms. Biden wrote. “Couldn’t be more excited.”
Sooo not sure how best to update but was supposed to do so weeks ago…but we have finally figured out where the ceremony will be…and much to the relief of secret service and with the dogs’ endorsement…we’ll be getting married on the South Lawn! Couldn’t be more excited ? pic.twitter.com/CHfvmJ9ZHL
— Naomi Biden (@NaomiBiden) July 28, 2022
Ms. Biden’s announcement included a photo of the space, showing the view from the White House, which overlooks the National Mall, the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. The large space on the South Lawn is often used for ceremonial events, including the White House Easter Egg Roll, as well as to host large gatherings, such as when Mr. Biden invited around 1,000 emergency and essential workers and service members for an Independence Day dinner at the White House last year.
Ms. Biden is the daughter of the president’s son, Hunter Biden, and Kathleen Buhle. She works as a lawyer in Washington. Mr. Neal is the son of Dr. Mary C. Neal and Dr. William C. Neal of Jackson Hole, Wyo., and graduated from law school at the University of Pennsylvania in May.
The pair were introduced by friends while living in New York City in 2018, and have been engaged for nearly 11 months. Mr. Neal proposed in Jackson Hole on Sept. 4, 2021.
A spokeswoman for the first lady said the wedding was expected to be held on Nov. 19.
White House officials said the Biden family would cover all costs associated with the wedding since it is a private event.
“I can assure to you that taxpayer dollars would not go to that,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said at a briefing on Thursday. “Look, that is a personal affair that’s happening — that is not White House business.”
According to the White House Historical Association, Ms. Biden’s wedding will be the 19th documented ceremony to be held on the White House grounds. The most recent wedding was held in 2013 when Pete Souza, the chief White House photographer for President Barack Obama, married Patti Lease in the Rose Garden.
But numerous other relatives of the president’s family have also been wed at the White House, including Anthony Rodham, the brother of Hillary Clinton, in 1994, and Tricia Nixon, the daughter of President Richard M. Nixon and Patricia Nixon, in 1971.
A reception for President George W. Bush’s daughter Jenna Bush was also held at the White House a month after her wedding in 2008.
Source: nytimes.com
