Crawford, TEXAS (Agencies)
U.S. President George W. Bush's daughter Jenna was married on Saturday evening to Henry Hager, the son of the Virginia Republican Party chairman, in front of more than 200 family members and close friends.
The 26-year-old teacher and author, wearing a white Oscar de la Renta dress, and Hager, 30, wearing a suit, were married around sundown before a limestone altar with a giant cross erected on Bush's 1,600-acre (647-hectare) Texas ranch in Crawford, a town of 700 people.
Hager, who is set to receive his business degree in a few weeks, met Jenna during the president's 2004 reelection and worked as an aide to Bush's since-departed political guru, Karl Rove. His father, John Hager, previously served as Virginia's lieutenant governor.
The wedding was a private affair with no press in attendance, but information dribbled out over the past few weeks, including the green, lavender and blue color theme and live entertainment by Super T.
The president himself proudly announced that he was erecting the cross, which he said would stand as a permanent landmark on the "Prairie Chapel" ranch.
Jenna Bush's twin sister, Barbara, served as the maid of honor, and Hager's brother Jack was the best man, according to the White House. The wedding party also included 14 female attendants and 14 male ushers.
A White House spokeswoman declined to comment on whether Bush would take Hager's name or where the newlyweds would take their honeymoon. The Washington Post reported they would spend it in Europe.
The couple plan to live in Baltimore, where she plans to teach and he will work at Constellation Energy, according to media reports.
The wedding was by no means a foregone happy ending. Back in February 2005, Laura Bush had panned Hager, telling ABC television: "This is not a serious boyfriend -- I hate to have to be the one to say it on television."
"But he's a very nice young man."
While the wedding guest list was limited to family and close friends, the small town of Crawford was cashing in on the event with gift shops doing a brisk business in "Jenna and Henry" souvenir coffee mugs, mouse pads, Christmas ornaments and key chains.
Numerous area restaurants and churches offered their best wishes for the couple on their billboards and a metal angel sculpture in the town was adorned with a wedding veil and flower bouquet. |
