Naomi Biden Hired a Celebrity Wedding Planner for Her White House Nuptials

Months after announcing that Naomi Biden and Peter Neal will tie the knot at the White House in November of 2022, we're finally learning a bit more about the couple's big day, including who will be responsible for bringing the event to life. President Joe Biden’s oldest granddaughter and her fiancé have hired Bryan Rafanelli of Rafanelli Events to plan their ceremony and reception, which will be held on the White House’s South Lawn, Politico reports.

Rafanelli, a seasoned wedding pro with over 30 years of experience, is no stranger to planning events for presidential families. He designed Chelsea Clinton’s wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in Rhinebeck, New York, in 2010 and organized several White House events during former President Barack Obama’s administration, including state dinners. He even helped execute the rainbow lighting outside of the White House to celebrate the legalization of gay marriage in 2015.

It's been over 50 years since the White House saw a full ceremony and reception: The last person to tie the knot at the Washington, D.C., residence was Tricia Cox, former President Richard Nixon’s daughter, in 1971.

Though it was originally announced that Biden and Neal would host only a reception at the White House, the bride-to-be shared an update about the ceremony location in July. “Much to the relief of secret service and the dog’s endorsement, we’ll be getting married on the South Lawn,” she announced on Twitter.

Just like their wedding plans, the couple has kept their relationship private. Biden and Neal first met through mutual friends in 2018, according to the White House. In September 2021, University of Pennsylvania Law School graduate popped the question and Biden, a Columbia Law School graduate, happily accepted.