A White House wedding for Naomi Biden

President Joe Biden's granddaughter Naomi weds in South Lawn ceremony

The couple chose to keep the ceremony closed to the press. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Workers complete final preparations for the ceremony. AP

Wedding preparations on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington began on Friday. AFP

Rafanelli Events was given the job of decorating the South Lawn for the event. AFP

Guests began arriving at the security checkpoint hours before the ceremony. AP

Mr Biden and his wife Jill arrive for the wedding of their granddaughter. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Guests began arriving at the security checkpoint hours before the ceremony, including women in open-toed shoes despite the chill. AP

Pennsylvania Avenue was closed to pedestrians before and during the ceremony, as was a sidewalk bordering the Ellipse, the park just south of the White House. AP

Fashion did not suffer despite the winter chill. AP

Some guests were given hand warmers as they waited in line for the ceremony. AP

Guests arrive on the South Lawn to a stunning backdrop of the Washington Monument. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Ms Biden's wedding gown was designed by Ralph Lauren. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Naomi and her fiance, Peter Neal, are married on the South Lawn on Saturday. AP

The nearly hour-long ceremony was attended by 250 family members and friends. AP

President Joe Biden's granddaughter, Naomi Biden, married her fiance, Peter Neal, on the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday. AP

A long veil trailed behind Ms Biden as she approached the aisle to a live rendition of Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

The bride and groom both wore jewellery designed by Tiffany & Co. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Photographer Corbin Gurkin called the event the honour of his career. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Some compared Ms Biden's dress to the one famously worn by actress Grace Kelly when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Mr Neal and Ms Biden were introduced by friends four years ago and almost immediately began dating. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Naomi Biden's wedding at the White House. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

The first lady with Mr Neal after the ceremony. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Ms Biden poses before her wedding at the White House. Photo: John Dolan

The south side of the White House, facing the lawn and Washington Monument, was decorated with wreaths and garlands bearing white flowers. AFP

The happy couple is flanked by the president and the first lady. Photo: Corbin Gurkin

The bride walked down an aisle that led from the Diplomatic Reception Room to the altar of shrubs and white flowers. AP

While it was not the first White House wedding, it was the first to take place on the South Lawn. AP

Ms Biden, 28, Mr Neal, 25, walk to the White House after their wedding. AFP

The couple is married on the South Lawn. AP

Ms Biden's bridesmaids included her sister Roberta, also known as Maisy, and Katherine Neal. Reuters

South Lawn security is tight as guests arrive. AFP

Some guests chose weather-appropriate attire. AFP

Guests are greeted by bomb-sniffing dogs. AFP

The rehearsal dinner took place at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery in Washington. AFP

Ms Biden is a lawyer in Washington and the daughter of Hunter Biden and his first wife, Kathleen Buhle. AP

Jill, Joe and Naomi Biden and Peter Neal walk from Marine One this year. Reuters

Some American media criticised the couple, but they were in no way compelled to make the ceremony public. AFP

The Biden's granddaughter Naomi was named in honour of Mr Biden's daughter, who died with his wife in a car crash. Reuters

The Bidens with their daughter Ashley Biden and granddaughters Finnegan and Naomi at the White House. Reuters

Ms Biden and Mr Neal held a rehearsal dinner at the Renwick Gallery in Washington on Friday night. Photo: Tony Hisgett

It was a White House wedding on Saturday for President Joe Biden’s granddaughter Naomi Biden in a ceremony on the South Lawn, with 250 friends and family members in attendance.

Mr Biden and his wife Jill hosted the occasion on behalf of their eldest grandchild.

“It has been a joy to watch Naomi grow, discover who she is, and carve out such an incredible life for herself,” they said while announcing the marriage to long-time boyfriend Peter Neal.

“Now, we are filled with pride to see her choose Peter as her husband and we are honoured to welcome him to our family.

“We wish them days full of laughter and a love that grows deeper with every passing year.”

It is the first time a sitting president’s grandchild has wed at 1,600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the first wedding to take place on the South Lawn and only the 19th in the 200-plus years of the House’s existence.

The outdoor exchange of vows was also the first wedding ceremony in nine years, the last being that of then-president Barack Obama’s official photographer Pete Souza to Patti Lease, which took place on a sunny day in the Rose Garden.

Saturday’s event began under blue skies and 5ºC temperatures, with guests lining up for security screenings complete with bomb-sniffing dogs.

Inside the gates, the South Lawn ceremony gave those attending a remarkable view of the Washington Monument, which served as backdrop.

In a call back to the 1956 fairytale wedding of actress Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier of Monaco, the bride wore a high-necked Chantilly lace gown designed by Ralph Lauren, featuring a long, diaphanous train.

Her jewellery was designed by Tiffany & Co.

The bridegroom wore a three-piece navy suit and a floral lapel pin – also by Ralph Lauren and Tiffany & Co.

Ms Biden descended the aisle to a live version of Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve, with her sister Roberta , also known as Maisy, and sister-in-law Katherine Neal as bridesmaids, CNN reported.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds, their families and the wedding party had lunch in the White House. A reception with dessert and dancing was planned for later on Saturday.

The young couple, who are often photographed on the White House grounds, live on the third floor of the residence, the same place Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson called home for the eight years of her son-in-law's administration.

Mr Neal walks the couple’s dog Charlie and Mr Biden’s puppy Commander.

Ms Biden is a lawyer in Washington and the daughter of Hunter Biden and his first wife, Kathleen Buhle.

Mr Neal recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania law school and works at Georgetown University Law Centre in Washington.

He proposed near his childhood home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a ring that once belonged to his grandmother.

Explaining that the couple desired privacy, the White House released few other details about the wedding and the Biden family will pay for all activities.

“Naomi and Peter have asked that their wedding be closed to the media and we are respecting their wishes,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday.

Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, said it was important to remember that first families are families first.

“Their privacy should be respected, their wishes should be respected,” Mr McLaurin said.

The White House has been the setting for dozens of relatives' weddings and parties, including that of Hillary Clinton's brother Tony Rodham and Nicole Boxer, and Jenna Bush Hager, who held a White House reception after her Texas wedding just before her father George W Bush left office in 2008.

The last event to which media was allowed was Tricia Nixon’s wedding to Ed Cox in 1971 — except The Washington Post, which then-president Richard Nixon banned from the White House after releasing leaked classified documents about the Vietnam War.

Joe Biden, a lifetime of service