The Western White House wedding of First-Daughter Jenna Bush and fiancé Henry Hager
May 10, 2008 will be a very busy day in Crawford. Yes, we vote that day. City and school elections will be held,
but watch out for the limos and Suburbans on your way to the Crawford Volunteer Fire Station. There will also be
a high falootin' "Western White House" wedding in town!
All the hoopla began last August 15th when former Karl Rove aide, Henry Hager asked President George W. Bush for his
daughter Jenna's hand in marriage at Camp David behind the presidential cottage called Aspen.
THE GROOM
Henry Hager, 29, is the son of former Virginia Lt. Gov. John Hager. Henry is due to receive an
MBA at the University of Virginia about a week after he and Jenna are married. It has been reported that he will be employed
by the energy conglomerate, Constellation.
Henry turns 30 on Friday and we understand a party has been planned for that evening.
THE PROPOSAL
We got a glimpse of how Hager nervously asked for permission to propose in and interview the President
and First Lady Laura Bush gave at Camp David with ABC's "World News" anchor Charlie Gibson:
CHARLES GIBSON: And, and does the pressures of the presidency, and being under the klieg lights … does it bring
a couple together or does it put strains on the marriage.
FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: I think it really brings us together.
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: Yeah. I think so too. It depends on the strength of the marriage. A weak marriage'll be torn
apart by the pressures. I would suspect. A strong marriage, gets stronger.
CHARLES GIBSON: And will there be a White House wedding? Not decided yet?
FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: We haven't decided --
CHARLES GIBSON: Gonna work it out this weekend?
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: Ah, well --
FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: [LAUGHS] Maybe, hopefully, maybe we can discuss it.
CHARLES GIBSON: Was it in the --
FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: She just came off the book tour so we haven't …
CHARLES GIBSON: Gotten there?
FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: Made any plans --
CHARLES GIBSON: Was it in this room that he --
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: No, it was behind, Aspen, the presidential cottage. Uh, Henry came, uh, earlier in the day and
said I'd like to see you. And --
CHARLES GIBSON: And you knew.
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: I knew, because I'd asked Jenna earlier that if Henry ever asks you to marry him, would you
say yes. She said absolutely, I love him. And he came in and, and gave a very, uh …
CHARLES GIBSON: I heard you made him sweat --
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: -- adept presentation. [LAUGHS] Well, yeah, a slight bit, not a lot.
CHARLES GIBSON: How long did you make him sweat.
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: Not too long --
CHARLES GIBSON: 'Cause I have personal experience in this. [LAUGHTER]
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: Uh, I, I, I, I --
FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: The way you made him sweat was say yes immediately before Henry had had the chance to -- he
was all prepared. [LAUGHTER] What he wanted to say, and, George just said oh, okay.
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: No, I actually said you got a deal.
CHARLES GIBSON: Oh.
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: Yeah. And, uh, and, he said well, he basically said -- He's probably gonna be furious at me
for talking about it but he said, I've got some more -- if -- and it is my understanding -- I've got some more talking points,
and I-- [LAUGHTER] He was a won -- he's a wonderful kid and … we're looking forward to --
FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: We're happy.
PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: Yeah.
|
| (AP) |
THE MARRIAGE LICENSE
Henry and Jenna were spotted at the McLennan County Clerks office Wednesday applying for their marriage license.
You must have the license 72 hours in advance of nuptuals, so they made it official just in time for Saturday.
THE RING
With the president and twin sister Barbara's (he asked her first) permission, Henry asked
Jenna to marry him in August after an early morning hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Maine. Jenna tried to call her
sister, whom Henry had already told he intended to pop the question that day, to tell her the good news, but
her phone would not work in the mountains.
Henry sealed the deal by giving Jenna an engagement
ring which is a Hager family heirloom. At sister Barbara's suggestion, the round
diamond ring was reworked to include two deep blue sapphires.
THE BRIDAL JEWELRY
Premier jewelers Nak Armstrong and Anthony Camargo of Anthony Nak in Austin have designed huge custom
earrings for Jenna to wear to that
new stone alter that her Daddy had made for her. The earrings are described as chain encased minted iced
quartz earrings with diamond details in 18-carat white gold and platinum. We hear Jenna likes to wear really big earrings
and these fit her style perfectly!
|
| Anthony and Nak of Austin |
Shortly after the Austin company opened for business, they gained national media attention when they were commissioned
by the Bush family to design the Bush twins jewelry for Dubya's 2001 Inaugural Ball.
The president's daughters are not the only American royalty the designer duo have adorned... media queen
Oprah Winfrey is one of their top clients.
THE DRESS
Oscar de la Renta will design the wedding dress. As Jenna Bush describes it in an upcoming article of Vogue magazine,
it is "a 'very structured' organza ... gown, with embroidery and a bit of matte beading, that is 'simple and elegant' with
a bit of a train but somehow 'still casual.' "
No sketches of the gown will be released before the wedding. The groom is a traditionalist and does not want to see the
dress before his bride walks down the aisle.
HAIR
Jenna's regular hair stylist is flying into Crawford from DC to do her hair.
Dallas high-society hairdresser Kurt Anderson will be doing Laura's hair for the wedding. His salon remains voted one
of the best in Dallas. Kurt is known for his classic does.
FLOWERS
The White House florists will be handling all the floral arrangements.
THE WEDDING PARTY
New York Post's most famous gossip colonist Cindy Adams said that Jenna's twin sister, Barbara will be her
only female attendant.
Jenna does have 14 women in her House Party which will be wearing Dallas designer and family friend
Lela Rose dresses. Each crinkle silk chiffon dress in spring Texas wildflower inspired shades of lavender, blue, yellow
or green, will include a silver sash which matches the long "moonstone-colored shimmery gown" with a low-cut back
Maid of Honor dress Rose designed for Jenna's sister, Barbara. There will be seven different colors and seven different designs
some of which are from her ready-to-wear line. Each dress will be knee-length to beat the Texas heat, and include the
designer's signature rosettes.
Designer Lela Rose is a long time Bush friend, whose father, Rusty, was George W. Bush's business partner at
the Texas Rangers Baseball Club in the days before Bush sought political office.
THE CEREMONY
The ceremony will take place outside in the country air at the Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch at 7:30 PM. According
to a local source, two hundred chairs were set up at the wedding site and adjusted to see how they would fit and how
it would look.
About half of the 200 guests are family members and the rest are close friends.
Laura Bush decided not to use a wedding planner.
The tent is now up and we understand that it is both air conditioned and heated. The temperature in Crawford for Saturday
is predicted to be 91 degrees, so that air conditioner should really come in handy! It's carpeted too.
THE RECEPTION
The Stars at Night are Big and Bright, Deep in the Heart of Texas
According to a local source, there will be dinner and dancing under the stars and a large tent on the ranch grounds.
A temporary dance floor will be installed and a live band will provide the two-stepin' music.
Dallas caterer Eddie Deen has been rumored to be the Bush's choice once again
to handle food. Eddie does bar-b-que big. I've personally tasted his culinary offerings... at a couple of August RNC
fund raisers in Crawford, at both Bush and Rick Perry's Gubernatorial Inaugurations and in DC during Bush's 2005 Inauguration.
(I liked his sauce so much that I stock it in my shop.)
When Eddie was asked to confirm his presence in Crawford Saturday, all he could do was to 'grin.'
I hear (not from Eddie) that there will also be a lunch served Saturday for guests at the ranch.
THE HONEYMOON
We hear a month in Europe, jaunting around from city to city.
THE NEW HOME
According to The Baltamore Sun, Henry Hager purchased a two-story, 128-year-old row house in a lively neighborhood south
of downtown Baltamore in a neighborhood nicknamed Charm City, for $440,000 according to tax records.
Neighbors say the circa-1880 red brick row house with a wood-frame storefront window is believed to have been a dry cleaners
and a candy shop in previous incarnations.
It's spacious by row-house standards, at nearly 2,000 square feet, and a peek through the first-floor windows reveals that
it has exposed brick walls, a fireplace and hardwood floors. But the prime piece of this real estate is in back: An attached
garage in a neighborhood where parking is at a premium.
"I would move in yesterday," said neighbor Jen Kearney, who pronounced the house in "fantastic shape." She was tickled
to learn who had bought it, welcoming them and whatever fringe benefits they bring.
'FATHER OF THE BRIDE' (aka The PRESIDENT) COMMENTS ON THE WEDDING
When President Bush spoke
to the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in March, he joked about planning the ceremony. “I had to face some very difficult
spending decisions and I’ve had to conduct sensitive diplomacy. That’s called planning for a wedding,” he
joked.
Bush added that his wife
had him watch the comedy staring Waco native, Steve Martin, ‘Father of the Bride.’
LAURA ON DUBYA'S GIFT TO JENNA (THE ALTER)
Local limestone which matches their ranch house with a cross design. This will stay on the ranch as a permenant reminder
of the wedding.
LAURA BUSH ON HER OWN WEDDING PROPOSAL:
Laura Bush recently co-hosted NBC's Today Show and revealed how President Bush proposed to her:
JENNA TALKS ABOUT HER WEDDING
Jenna Bush talks to Ann Curry about her new childrens book, Read All About It!, written with her mother,
her upcoming wedding and fiancé Henry Hager:
JENNA TALKS ABOUT HENRY'S PROPOSAL AND HER SISTER'S INVOLVEMENT
Jenna and sister Barbara talk to ther mother, Laura and Ann Curry about being twins and talk about the day Henry Hagar
proposed and the upcoming Crawford wedding:
DIDN'T GET YOUR INVITATION EITHER?
I guess they were all lost in the mail!
It is wonderful that Jenna wants a private wedding, so we decided to have our own little party celebrating Jenna
and Henry's wedding at The Coffee Shop in McGregor (just minutes from downtown Crawford). We will have a specially designed
wedding cake which will be cut between 5:30 and 6:00 PM the evening of May 10 and served as a complimentary dessert with your
meal. Who knows... we might even pop a 'Father of the Bride' movie in the DVD player!
A presidential wedding is an extremely rare occurrence and worthy of the people in our country to pause from the
daily happenings of the world and rejoice!
Congratulations Henry & Jenna!
That Jenna Bush is one lucky bride-to-be. Her mother, Laura Bush, commissioned 12 top fashion designers to submit
sketches of original wedding gown designs that Jenna could choose from for her May 10, 2008 wedding. Here's who entered
the running:
1. Vera Wang
2. J. Mendel
3. Arnold Scaasi
4. Carlos Miele
5. Amsale
6. Carmen Marc Valvo
7. Angel Sanchez
8. Badgley Mischka
9.
Nicole Miller
10. Lela Rose
11. Marc Bouwer
12. Oscar
de la Renta
The wedding will take place at the Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Since the wedding is only six weeks away, she
must have chosen her gown and is probably working on alterations. Do you know which gown Jenna chose?
|
