Steve Irwin's daughter Bindi secretly marries Chandler Powell hours before coronavirus lockdown
Australian television personality and conservationist, Bindi Irwin, has secretly tied the knot with his fiancé Chandler Powell at a zoo, reports say. Bindi was reportedly seen wearing a long, white wedding dress being shielded by enormous white umbrellas in the gardens in Queensland zoo.
The alleged secret wedding happened hours before the coronavirus lockdown in Australia as the country braces up to fight the pandemic, reports The Sun. The new strict rules come after the confirmed positive cases of the virus have crossed over 2,000 with eight deaths.
The aerial footage of the venue of the alleged wedding also showed flower arches and palm trees lining an outdoor area. It also showed photographers and camera crews in place, while a musician can be seen holding a guitar waiting at the end of the aisle. The reported wedding ceremony was attended by dozens of people, including zoo staff cradling koalas.
The 21-year-old daughter of the late Steve Irwin and Powell have known each other for years and have officially announced their engagement in July 2019. At the time, she wrote how her husband-to-be had given her "the most beautiful surprise" by proposing to her in the Australian Zoo. The animal enthusiast and her American beau have also spoken excitedly about their big day as they made their appearance on 'Good Morning America'.
"We're so excited. It's where we met and where we got engaged so it only makes sense that we'd have it at Australia Zoo. See, I think this wedding is going to be unique because it's going to be at the zoo and with tons of animals,” Powell said, while Bindi quips: “I'm not sure how many people have walked down the aisle with a koala, but we may be setting some new trends for weddings from here on out."
She continued: “The easiest part of wedding planning is just knowing that I get to marry this amazing guy. Whatever else happens it doesn't matter." The 23-year-old Wakeboarder did not contain his happiness over this statement and said, “How lucky am I, I get the most beautiful girl in the world. I'm marrying into the most wonderful family."
Bindi’s younger brother Robert has also earlier talked about his sister’s wedding as he said he would substitute for their late father in escorting his elder sister down the aisle on her big day. Steve Irwin was killed in 2006 by a stingray while he was filming in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
He has also commented on his elder sister’s Twitter post about her engagement to Chandler, where she has included a sneak peek of her bridal dress. Replying to that tweet, the 15-year-old has said: “Can't wait to walk you down the aisle.”
Bindi has also said later how his brother’s presence at the wedding is important during a conversation with E! News. "It's so important to include the people that can't be there with you. So on the day, I know that Robert is absolutely gonna walk me down the aisle and I think that's what would make dad happiest,” she told the outlet.