Fans got an inside look at Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell's romantic wedding at the Australia Zoo last month thanks to their Animal Planet TV wedding special that aired on Saturday.
Crickey! It's the Irwins: Bindi's Wedding featured behind-the-scenes moments with 21-year-old Bindi and 23-year-old Chandler and the Irwin family leading up to the wedding day, including Bindi explaining how her big day was almost ruined by the sudden appearance of paparazzi. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the couple already had to change their wedding plans. The private ceremony only had Bindi's mom, Terri, her brother, Robert -- who walked her down the aisle -- and her late father Steve’s best friend, Wes Mannion, in attendance.
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"I've wanted to get married since I was a little girl. I've always dreamed of this amazing day," Bindi said. "However, as our wedding day started getting closer, the whole world got turned upside down and we were left trying to do the best in a really challenging situation."
"It is tough because on your wedding day you want people who you love and who love you to be there to help you celebrate," she continued. "We're only going to have a really small ceremony now. Thankfully, everyone has been so loving and so supportive and understanding, and Chandler's family kept saying to us, 'Just continue on with the wedding. We want you guys to be married and happy.' And that meant the world to us, but it is, it's still difficult. It's against all odds that we're actually getting married, so I'm really grateful for that. And that's what we're holding on to now."
Bindi later explained that before her dad passed away in 2006, one of the biggest things on his list was creating the Africa Savannah at the Australia Zoo, which was where she planned to marry Chandler.
"So what's really special is that we're getting married in the place that was his biggest dream," she shared. "His goal was to open up this extraordinary area with African animals all roaming together, and our ceremony will take place with that right behind us."
However, on the day of, paparazzi and a helicopter ruined their outdoor wedding due to scaring the animals and making it windy, causing their decorations to not stand still.
"We're minutes away from the ceremony, and out of nowhere, this helicopter just descends on us," Chandler described, as Bindi noted, "Somehow the media has gotten the news that we are getting married. Now, the problem is that they're scaring all of our animals. Because this chopper is flying so low directly over the top of us, all of our animals are freaking out. So, we're scrapping all of our plans, and we're rushing to make another plan."
"Thanks to our friends in the paparazzi business, our entire outdoor wedding venue is ruined," she continued. "Now we can't get married outside with all of our animals, for their health and safety, like we had planned for so many months. It's difficult, because of course my whole plan was to get married with dad's beautiful African Savannah behind us. But you know what? Paparazzi wasn't going to stop us now. ... World crisis, paparazzi, change of date, but it's happening. We are getting married, people."
Bindi also reflected on missing her late father during such an important moment in her life. She was only 8 years old when The Crocodile Hunter star died after he was stabbed in the heart by a stingray while filming a documentary.
"I wish so much that dad and Chandler could have met, but in a way, I feel like dad is still with us," Bindi said. "I had the closest relationship with my dad. He was always my best friend and we did everything together."
"Since we lost dad, it's always been something that kind of is in the back of your head, those important milestones that you have to live through without the person that you love so much is incredibly challenging," she continued. "But what's the one thing dad would have wanted? He would've wanted me to be happy and for this to be the most joyful time in my entire life. And so that's how I'm really trying to approach this. And I think that his spirit lives on in everything that we do. And I think he'd be really excited."
Bindi's big day turned out to be every bit as memorable and special despite all the circumstances.
"I was overwhelmed with this rush of emotion," she said about walking down the aisle. "Chandler was waiting at the end of the aisle for me."
Chandler said of the moment, "The most beautiful sight in the world was looking back down that aisle, and seeing the most beautiful girl in the world in her white dress."
Meanwhile, Bindi's 16-year-old brother, Robert, was clearly emotional over his sister's big day.
"I just love her so much. And I'm so happy for her today," he said. "Oh, I'm going to need a second. Sorry. I think part of the reason why it's such an incredibly emotional time for all of us."
"It all starts hitting home. ... It does," Terri added. "That your dad's not here ... and should be, and all the things are just kind of snowballing into one. But I know your dad is here, and I know he's watching over you and very proud."
Last month, Terri expressed a bit of sadness at her late husband not being at their daughter's wedding.
"I wish he could have been there to see the most special day in his daughter's life," she tweeted. "We miss him so much." Watch the video below for more:
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