Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese became the first sitting Australian leader to marry while in office when he tied the knot with his partner, Jodie Haydon, in a private ceremony on Saturday.
The wedding, long anticipated after Albanese proposed on Valentine’s Day last year, was held at The Lodge in Canberra, attended only by family and close friends, the Prime Minister’s office said. Details of the ceremony had been kept tightly under wraps.
“We are absolutely delighted to share our love and commitment to spending our future lives together, in front of our family and closest friends,” Albanese said in a statement released to the media.
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Haydon has been a visible presence alongside Albanese over the years, including during his 2022 election campaign and earlier this year, when the Labor Party won a decisive majority in May.
For the occasion, Haydon wore a gown by Sydney designer Romance Was Born, while the Prime Minister donned a suit from MJ Bale. Haydon’s five-year-old niece, Ella, served as flower girl, and the couple’s dog, Toto, took on the role of ring bearer. Guests were treated to beer from Sydney’s Willie the Boatman brewery, specially canned for the event.
After the ceremony, the couple walked back down the aisle to Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)”, and shared their first dance to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight.”
The newlyweds will honeymoon in Australia from Monday until Friday next week, with all expenses privately funded by Albanese and Haydon, according to his office.
