bindi irwin chandler

Bindi Irwin's secret wedding was filled with heartfelt family tributes

The couple are celebrating their second wedding anniversary and daughter's first birthday

Deputy Lifestyle Editor
March 25, 2022

Bindi Irwin and her husband Chandler Powell are celebrating their second wedding anniversary after they said 'I do' at Australia Zoo on 25 March 2020.

RELATED: Bindi Irwin pays heartbreaking tribute to late dad Steve Irwin on his birthday

Although their secret ceremony was very last-minute thanks to new wedding restrictions being introduced in Australia amid the coronavirus pandemic, the couple still managed to include lots of sweet tributes to their family members – including Bindi's late father Steve Irwin.

WATCH: Bindi Irwin & Chandler Powell discuss wedding hopes in Hello/Goodbye

The first was through Bindi's gorgeous bridal dress, which was from Brisbane-based bridal boutique Paddington Weddings and inspired by the one her mother wore when she tied the knot with Steve, who sadly passed away in 2006 after being stung by a stingray. 

"I wanted something very similar because I've admired my mum's dress since I was tiny," the wildlife expert said in an interview with People. "When I was about 12 years old, I put on mum's wedding dress and it was really, really special… It's over 50 years old because it's been in the family for that long."

SEE: Royals and celebrities who tied the knot in 2020

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Bindi and Chandler on their wedding day in 2020

Bindi told HELLO! that she would have liked to have worn her mother's exact dress, but felt it was more important that it was last worn on her parents' special day in 1992. "I want to leave it how it is because that's the dress she married dad in," she said. "I really wanted my dress to mimic hers and have that royal feel where it's just graceful. So it's got beautiful long sleeves."

On the subject of sleeves, the 23-year-old conservationist opted for a sweet sunflower lace as an ode to her dad. "When we would go on projects and drives together, we'd often drive through these huge sunflower fields in the middle of nowhere and we always stopped to take them in," she told People. "It was just perfect, I said, 'Oh my goodness, that's the dress', and we all started crying." 

Bindi paid tribute to her late father Steve Irwin

The couple's choice of venue was also very thoughtful – she revealed ahead of her wedding that she wanted "some special way" to include him in the ceremony and reception. And what better way than hosting the celebrations at Australia Zoo?

"What's so special for us is getting married in Australia zoo, it's dad's favourite place on the planet, he built the place with his bare hands so it will be really nice I think to celebrate the day surrounded by love and light," she told us.

The couple's daughter was born on their first wedding anniversary

Chandler's family were also included in the subtle tributes thanks to the tree-inspired wedding cake. Inside, it featured four vanilla-flavoured sponge tiers with strawberries, which were a homage to where Chandler grew up in Florida.

Bindi and Chandler have since welcomed daughter Grace, who was born on their first wedding anniversary. Sharing a throwback snap of the couple kissing on their wedding day, she wrote: "Tomorrow we celebrate two years of marriage and our daughter’s first birthday. Here’s to love beyond my wildest dreams.  @chandlerpowell."

READ: The truth behind celebrity wedding photos: Happiest (and unhappiest) brides and grooms revealed

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