On Saturday morning, Biden’s oldest granddaughter Naomi Biden was married to her longtime boyfriend Peter Neal on the White House South Lawn. This is the first wedding held at the house of U.S. presidents in almost a decade. The ceremony ended just before noon on the lawn. CNN reports that guests were offered blankets to keep warm on the chilly morning in D.C.
Joe and Jill Biden shared a picture of Naomi in her wedding dress on Instagram, a long-sleeved white gown with an off-the-shoulder design, featuring an overlay of white lace that went all the way up the bride’s neck. The dress was designed by Ralph Lauren. She was carrying a playful bouquet of loose white flowers with bright green stems and leaves and wore a long white veil.
“Congratulations Naomi and Peter! We love you,” Potus and Flotus wrote in the caption.
The bride’s parents, Hunter Biden and Kathleen Buhle, walked their daughter down the aisle as the band played “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve. Joe Biden escorted Neal’s two grandmothers, Paulita Neal and Betty Thum, to their seats then returned to meet his wife as her escort.
Naomi’s sister Finnegan James Biden served as her maid of honor, with her other sister Roberta Mabel Biden and Katherine Elizabeth Neal as bridesmaids. The couple wrote their own vows for the ceremony. Following the vows, there was a luncheon for the wedding party and guests will return in the evening for dancing and dessert.
In an interview with PBS Newshour, Naomi talked about how important the President has been to her family.
“We’ve grown up together,” she said. “He’s made sure that every single tradition, every holiday, we’re all together… I don’t think there’s been any decision, no matter how big or small, that we haven’t decided as a family.”
On Saturday, Joe and Jill Biden shared a statement, saying, “It has been a joy to watch Naomi grow, discover who she is, and carve out such an incredible life for herself. Now, we are filled with pride to see her choose Peter as her husband and we’re honored to welcome him to our family. We wish them days full of laughter and a love that grows deeper with every passing year.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.