Bindi Irwin and her new husband, Chandler Powell, were forced to change even more details about their wedding than the public previously realized.
The couple, who got engaged on Bindi’s 21st birthday in 2019, originally planned to marry on April 4 in front of 200 guests at the Australia Zoo. But the COVID-19 pandemic changed those plans.
Bindi and Chandler told People they thought about postponing their nuptials until they could celebrate with all of their family and friends. “We thought about postponing, because you want to share this day with everyone, but when it boiled down to it, we both just said, ‘Look, we desperately want to get married, and no matter what the future holds, at least we’ll be husband and wife,” Bindi said.
So Bindi and Chandler decided to get married right away, with the only guests in attendance being her mother, Terri, her brother, Robert, and her late father’s best friend, Wes Mannion. They married on March 25, a few days earlier than they first intended.
The date change and the decision not to have any guests were two major departures from Bindi and Chandler’s original wedding plans. But it turns out they had to alter even more details about their special day than they previously let on.
In a post published to Instagram on May 30, Bindi revealed that she and Chandler also had to change their wedding cake and flowers since they made the choice to tie the knot early.
But an even bigger change came when the couple was forced to move the location of their ceremony. In her Instagram post, Bindi shared that she and Chandler intended to say their vows on the African Savannah in the Australia Zoo. It was the place where Bindi had dreamed of being married “for so many years.”
However, as they were getting ready to host the ceremony, Bindi said paparazzi flew over the Zoo in a helicopter. The animals were spooked by the helicopter, so Bindi and Chandler made a last-minute decision to move their wedding for their comfort and safety.
“On our wedding day we were finally about to get married and the paparazzi flew over us in a helicopter scaring our wildlife,” Bindi wrote. “We had to leave our stunning wedding venue on the African Savannah for their safety. I said goodbye to the place I had dreamed of getting married for so many years.”
Bindi then remembered an old filming barn on Australia Zoo property that her family had used in the past. Wanting to keep their beloved animals safe, Bindi and Chandler made the call to move their wedding inside the barn.
“I watched love win. I was there in my wedding dress, husband-to-be by my side, moving tables and flowers and trying to make our day finally become a reality,” she said.
Even though nothing seemed to go according to plan when it came to their wedding, Bindi is forever grateful for the experience.
“Our wedding day wasn’t what we planned but it was an extraordinary starting point for our marriage to bloom,” she ended her Instagram post.
Despite all of the challenges that were thrown their way, Bindi and Chandler’s wedding was a stunning sight to see. Watch a video from their special day below.
Congratulations to Bindi and Chandler on their marriage! We wish them many years of love and happiness together.