West News Wire: At the White House on Saturday, Naomi Biden, the 28-year-old great-granddaughter of President Joe Biden, wed Peter Neal, her 25-year-old law student companion of four years. Only 19 White House ceremonies had taken place in the nation’s history, and this was the first one in which the bride was the president’s granddaughter.
The president’s son Hunter and his first wife Kathleen Buhle are the parents of Biden. The Neal family hails from Wyoming’s Jackson Hole. The two were acquainted to one another by a mutual acquaintance in New York City, and Neal proposed to the pair last year.
They both work in the Washington, DC, area and live in the presidential mansion. Peter works at Georgetown University Law Center, while Naomi is a lawyer in the city. The Biden family paid for all wedding activities, according to the White House.
The event was closed to the public, and journalists in particular were barred from the festivities. The White House Correspondents’ Association released a statement saying it was “deeply disappointed” its request to cover the wedding had been declined.
“White House weddings have been covered by the press throughout history and the first family’s wish for privacy must be balanced against the public’s interest in an event occurring at the People’s House with the president as a participant,” the organization’s board said in a statement.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre explained that the no-media policy was merely respecting the wishes of the marrying couple, telling reporters on Friday that “it’s a family event and Naomi and Peter have asked that their wedding be closed to the media.”
The family planned to release photos and a statement for the public later on Saturday.
President Biden turns 80 years old on Sunday, and family members in Washington for the wedding are expected to celebrate with him at a special brunch event. It is not clear whether the press will be welcome there.
