Anthony Albanese marries Jodie Haydon in private ceremony at The Lodge

Saturday, 29 November 2025 17:43

A wedding to make history as the first Australian prime minister to wed whilst in office.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has married long-time partner Jodie Haydon in an intimate ceremony at The Lodge this afternoon.

The couple shared a brief statement after the private event, which makes history as the first time an Australian prime minister has wed whilst in office and the first to marry at the PM's official residence.

"We are absolutely delighted to share our love and commitment to spending our future lives together, in front of our family and closest friends," the couple said.

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon after getting married today in Canberra.

The couple wrote their own vows and walked down the aisle to Ben Folds' song The Luckiest.

Haydon was walked down the aisle by her parents, wearing a dress by Sydney designer Romance Was Born.

Albanese wore a suit by MJ Bale, and his much-loved dog Toto was the ring bearer.

The couple left the ceremony to Stevie Wonder's Sign, Sealed, Delivered.

They will share their first dance to the Frank Sinatra classic The Way You Look Tonight, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The newlyweds will take a short honeymoon within Australia from Monday until Friday.

'I couldn't imagine life without her'

Albanese and Haydon met in 2019 at a business dinner and bonded over their love of the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Haydon, who grew up on the NSW Central Coast, accompanied the prime minister throughout his 2022 and 2025 election campaigns.

Albanese proposed to Haydon on Valentine's Day last year, making him the first Australian prime minister to get engaged while in office.

The pair kept plans for their nuptials tightly under wraps, largely for security reasons due to rising concerns around political violence across Australia.

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon after getting married

In August, the PM revealed the ceremony would be a small affair, with no international figures on the guest list.

"It's not a political event. It's an event between myself and Jodie," Albanese told Brisbane radio station B105.

Albanese has spoken in the past about the moment he decided Haydon was the woman he wanted to marry.

"This," he told the reporter while gesturing towards The Lodge, "will end one day, and the thing about our relationship is that we enjoy spending time together. Just us. So, when it became clear to me that Jodie was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and that I couldn't imagine a life without her, I made the decision."

Before popping the question on Valentine's Day last year, Albanese said he first spoke to Nathan, his son.

"I respect him and have a good relationship with him, and with his mother. So I asked him to think about it, and then he came back to me and Nathan was supportive. He wants me to be happy, and Nathan and Jodie have a really nice relationship as well."