Naomi Biden, the granddaughter of US President Joe Biden, will marry her fiance Peter Neal on the South Lawn of the White House. While no official date has been announced so far, media reports citing officials suggest the event may be scheduled for November this year.
The White House, a temporary residence for the US President, has hosted 18 weddings so far. The question that remains is: Who is going to fund the event?
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, addressed the wedding in her daily news brief on Thursday. The White House official clarified that American taxpayers’ money would not be used to organise the wedding, which was described as a “private affair.”
“I can ensure to you that taxpayer dollars will not go to that”, the White House press secretary said, as per CNN. She added, “That is a personal affair that is happening. That is not White House business, so I cannot speak to that from here.” US President Joe Biden has not spoken about the wedding so far.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also did not clarify if reporters and press officials would be allowed inside to cover the event, according to reports from CNN.
The wedding, which will be the 19th of its kind, will be hosted on the White House South Lawn, which is often used by the first family as a landing site for Marine One helicopter.
Other events like the White House Easter Egg Rolls, Congressional picnics and Halloween parties are also organised on the South Lawn. However, these are funded with federal resources.
The last White House wedding was in October 2013, when former official White House photographer Pete Souza married Patti Lease in the Rose Garden. This event too was funded privately.