Cover operation: granddaughter’s wedding diverted attention from Biden’s 80th birthday

The age of the record-breaking US president has long raised questions about Joe Biden’s ability to continue to run America. And it is no coincidence that in the presidential environment they thought about how not to focus too much public attention on Biden’s 80th birthday.

It is possible that for this purpose the wedding of two young people was arranged with music, dancing and fun – to give a youthful touch to the weekend ending with Biden’s eightieth birthday. And according to CNN, sources familiar with wedding planning say it’s no coincidence that Naomi Biden’s wedding was timed to coincide with the president’s birthday.

“The wedding provides some cover,” says one of the people.

The guest list at the wedding, according to CNN, included members of the Biden clan, as well as friends and relatives of the couple.

Shortly after their wedding, Joe and Jill Biden gathered in Nantucket, Massachusetts for a Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile, Biden is expected to announce whether he will run in the presidential election in 2024 or not. Both the president and the first lady said they would weigh the pros and cons.

But back to the wedding played in the White House. The wedding ceremony took place on the South Lawn, a site not previously used for a wedding at the presidential residence. The guests arrived early Saturday at the White House compound, where they were all tested for Covid-19, sources told CNN. Since it was cold outside, guests were given blankets and shawls to keep warm.

According to two people familiar with the details of the wedding, the bride was escorted down the aisle by the bride’s parents, Hunter Biden and Kathleen Boulet. As Naomi Biden walked down the aisle, the musicians played The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony”. According to the same sources, the bride wore a long-sleeve dress with a veil and a train designed by Ralph Lauren.

According to the source, Joe Biden walked Peter Neal’s two grandmothers – Paulita Neal and Betty Tam – down the aisle to their seats. The president then turned and did a “classic Biden run” down the aisle, according to the source, to meet with the first lady and lead her down the aisle to his designated two seats.

The groom’s father, Dr. William Neal, who was accompanied by vocalists, sang the song during the ceremony, a source said.

According to the source, the bride and groom wrote their vows for the ceremony.

“It was a joy to watch Naomi grow up, find out who she is, and create such an incredible life for herself,” the president and first lady said in a statement released by the White House on Saturday. “Now we are proud that she has chosen Peter as her husband and we are honored to welcome him into our family. We wish them days full of laughter and love that grows deeper every year.”

Among the guests at the wedding were former Senators Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Ted Kaufman of Delaware, as well as Secretary of State Tony Blinken and his wife, Evan Ryan, who served as White House Cabinet Secretary.

After the exchange of vows, a small family dinner dedicated to the wedding took place at the White Ho restaurant. The celebration continued on Saturday evening, with about 325 guests – more than those present at the ceremony – invited to the White House for dancing and dessert.

The president and first lady mingled with the guests, according to two people present who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity and said the guests were asked to turn off their cell phones.

A huge seven-tiered wedding cake was located in the Blue Room, and Naomi Biden and her husband Peter Neal used a small staircase to climb to the top tier. Guests were given pieces of cake as parting gifts, a tradition that Trisha Nixon, Linda Johnson and Lucy Johnson did at their White House receptions.

In a sense, 28-year-old Naomi Biden, an associate at the Washington law firm Arnold & Porter, was able to get married at the White House in large part because of her smarts. It was she who, to a certain extent, pushed her grandfather to participate in the elections. Naomi called the most important personal family meeting that had the greatest impact on Joe Biden’s future. “He thought we were calling a meeting to discuss whether we want him to run, but in fact we were going to say, ‘Run this race! Hurry up!” Naomi Biden said. Since then, it has been Naomi who has been the most public on her social media about Democratic issues and defended her grandfather.

Naomi is also the closest granddaughter – literally – to her grandparents. She and Neil, 25, a recent University of Pennsylvania law graduate who works at the Georgetown University Homeland Security Law Center, moved into the White House last August, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.

The close proximity to the couple’s wedding venue only increased their involvement in the planning. Jill Biden was primarily involved in planning the wedding, according to CNN, working with wedding planner Brian Rafanelli, founder of Rafanelli Events. Rafanelli is no stranger to throwing fantastic parties at the White House; he curated seven state dinners during the presidency of Barack Obama. He also planned and organized Chelsea Clinton’s 2010 wedding.

A wedding performed by Rafanelli is not cheap. Many of his events start at around $300,000 and can run into millions of dollars. “In line with other private events hosted by the First Family, and in keeping with the tradition of previous White House weddings under previous administrations, the Biden family will pay for wedding events that take place at the White House,” the director of communications tells CNN. Jill Biden Elizabeth Alexander.