Biden's granddaughter Naomi ties knot in White House wedding

Naomi Biden, right, and fiance Peter Neal attend the Ralph Lauren Fall/Winter 2022 fashion show at the Museum of Modern Art on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, in New York. [AP Photo]

The public is seeing none of the festivities, unlike some past White House weddings. Naomi Biden and Neal decided to keep journalists out, although the ceremony was outdoors on the grounds of what the president and first lady call the "people's house."

Naomi Biden, 28, is a lawyer in Washington. Her mother is Kathleen Buhle, Hunter's first wife.

Neal, 25, of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania law school. He works at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington. His parents are Drs. Mary C. and William "Bill" C. Neal of Jackson Hole.

The couple, who have been living at the White House, was set up by a mutual friend about four years ago in New York City and have been together ever since, the White House said. Neal proposed in September 2021 near his childhood home in Jackson Hole with a ring that repurposed the band of his grandmother's engagement ring, according to the White House.

After the 20-somethings officially became husband and wife, their families and the wedding party went back inside the White House for lunch, which was to be followed in the evening by a dessert-and-dancing reception.

To accommodate public interest, the president and first lady Jill Biden issued a statement confirming the marriage of the first of their six grandchildren and planned to release photos.

President Biden and the first lady were among those who attended the wedding rehearsal dinner Friday at the Renwick Gallery steps from the White House. Neal's parents hosted.

The Biden family will pay for all wedding activities, White House officials have said.

President Joe Biden's granddaughter Naomi Biden and her fiance, Peter Neal, are married on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Saturday, November 19, 2022. [AP Photo]

It was the same for the October 2013 wedding of Pete Souza, President Barack Obama's official photographer, and his longtime partner, Patti Lease. The White House announced the wedding in a statement following the small, private wedding in the Rose Garden.

The White House Correspondents Association, which advocates for press access to the White House and the president, said it was "deeply disappointed" that the White House declined its request for press coverage of Naomi Biden's wedding.

"White House weddings have been covered by the press throughout history and the first family's wish for privacy must be balanced against the public's interest in an event occurring at the People's House with the president as a participant," the WHCA board said in a statement.

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

"Their privacy should be respected, their wishes should be respected," he said.

The wedding is just one half of a big weekend for the Biden family. The president's 80th birthday is Sunday and family members in town will celebrate him at a brunch hosted by the first lady.