Jenna Bush Married In Low Key, Private Ceremony in Texas

Jenna Bush, daughter of our current president, George Bush, and granddaughter of another, President George H.W. Bush, was married on Saturday in a low key and private ceremony on her father’s ranch in Texas. The couple choose the ranch over a glitzy, high profile White House wedding. The bride wore a beaded Oscar de la Renta gown and her groom a dark blue suit. They exchanged vows in a lakeside ceremony. The bride’s twin sister Barbara was her maid of honor and she had 14 bridesmaids.

This is a joyous occasion for our family, as we celebrate the happy life ahead of her and her husband, Henry,” Bush said in his Saturday radio address. “It’s also a special time for Laura who this Mother’s Day weekend will watch a young woman we raised together walk down the aisle.”

The couple hosted 200 guests at an outdoor reception that included live music from a 10 piece band. The bride and her father danced to “You Are So Beautiful” and the happy couple danced their first dance as husband and wife to “Lovin’ in My Baby’s Eyes” There were no cameras or helicopters full of paparazzi thanks to an airspace restriction around the ranch. Jenna is the 22nd child of a president to be married while their father is in office. Perhaps the most famous presidential wedding is that of Trisha Nixon, who was married in the White House Rose Garden in 1971. The ceremony was broadcast live around the world.

“All of them are different. This one really reflects the personality of both Jenna and the George W. Bush family,” said Doug Wead, a former aide to President George H.W. Bush and author of a book on presidents’ kin. “If they’d have gone on TV, the wedding would have been shown all over the world and Jenna Bush would have been an international celebrity — and she would have been a target. They’re preparing the transition to private life and they’re not particularly interested in seeing Jenna Bush become a huge celebrity.”

White House officials say President Bush and his wife Laura may release photos of the wedding tomorrow but otherwise intend to keep the event as private as possible.