Jenna Welch Bush wed Henry Chase Hager on Saturday, May 10th, making her the first daughter of a sitting United States president to marry in 16 years.
The pair exchanged vows just before sundown in a lakeside ceremony at the secluded 1,600-acre Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas. The altar was a specially crafted 4 foot limestone cross and altar that will undoubtedly stand through the decades as a permanent landmark.
In the president’s weekly radio broadcast on Saturday morning he said:
This is a joyous occasion for our family, as we celebrate the happy life ahead of (Jenna) and her husband, Henry,” the president said in his weekly radio broadcast Saturday morning. “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 president escorted the bride to the altar while 200 invited guests, including family and only the closest of friends, witnessed the ceremony. Henry Hager’s brother, John, was his Best Man.
Jenna, 26, wore an Oscar de la Renta gown. Barbara Bush served as her twin sister’s maid of honor. She wore a dress of moonstone blue shimmer with a silver sash. First Lady Laura Bush‘s deep turquoise “mother-of-the-bride” gown was also designed by Oscar de la Renta, who is reportedly a friend of the family.
The bridal party included 14 bridesmaids who wore custom made gowns in hues of blue, green, yellow and lavender to mirror the Texas landscape and wildflowers. The men dressed in suits rather than black tie, another indication that the bride wanted a comfortable, not stuffy affair.
The party following the ceremony included dancing to the sounds of wedding singer Tyrone Smith, aka Super T. The wedding festivities actually kicked off a day earlier with a rehearsal dinner and after party on Friday evening, which was also Henry Hager’s 30th birthday. Undoubtedly, this important milestone was also part of the evenings celebration.
The last sitting president’s child to marry was Dorothy Bush Koch, Jenna’s aunt, who wed in 1992 in a Camp David ceremony. Jenna and Henry opted for an intimate family wedding instead of a much heralded White House extravaganza that would have put them on the world stage.
We’ve got some additional photos below that have been released by the White House.