Bindi Irwin and new husband Chandler Powell have shared the first official piccie of their wedding, which took place just hours before Australia’s new crackdown on large wedding ceremonies came into effect.
Irwin, daughter of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, took to Instagram overnight to comment on the rushed ceremony at the Sunshine Coast’s Australia Zoo.
“We’ve planned this beautiful day for nearly a year and had to change everything, as we didn’t have guests at our wedding,” she wrote, referring to new rules limiting weddings to just five people in an attempt to slow the community spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
“This was a very difficult decision but important to keep everyone safe.
“We wish all of our friends and family could have been there with us, however it’s lovely that we will be able to share photos and videos.”
The celebrity conservationist and TV personality said she was walked down the aisle by her brother, Robert Irwin, adding that she and Powell lit a candle in the memory of her father.
“We shared tears and smiles and love. Thankfully, since we all live at Australia Zoo as a family, we could be there for each other,” she said.
“After almost a year of planning, we changed everything so that we could enjoy a safe and small private ceremony at our home, Australia Zoo,” Powell said in his own statement.
“Even though all of your wedding plans had to change at the last minute to keep everyone safe and healthy, it truly was an emotional and beautifully spontaneous day,” Robert Irwin added.
“I know that Dad was with us, and we are all so delighted for your future as husband and wife.”
Earlier, the couple made headlines when Channel 7 broadcast aerial footage of the wedding’s set-up, including camera operators and a number of other on-site personnel.
Bindi Irwin has rushed down the aisle to beat the new restrictions on weddings. The daughter of Steve Irwin was married this afternoon in a ceremony at her family’s Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast. https://t.co/5zYfOfohG3 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/x98lNMW9eK
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) March 25, 2020
While their wedding would usually make headlines due to the sheer psychic burden Australia places on the Irwin family, the decision to fast-forward their nuptials was met with some scrutiny, as it appeared the couple wanted to dodge the tough new guidelines.
Still, no guests is no guests. Rough. Here’s hoping COVID-19 had the decency not to meddle with the family, or anyone else present at the ceremony. God knows the virus has already impacted actual royalty…
