Australian prime minister’s wedding as it happened: Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon marry

Thank you for joining us for our coverage of Australia’s first prime ministerial wedding.

From speciality beers to designer gowns, from Stevie Wonder to Frank Sinatra, it’s certainly been a day to remember.

Here are the key moments of the day:

• Albanese and Haydon married in an intimate and secretive ceremony at The Lodge in Canberra, surrounded by close friends, family, and a few select ministers.
• The couple wrote their own vows, and Albanese’s dog, Toto, wore a white gown in her role as ringbearer.
• Haydon wore an embroidered full-sleeve wedding dress by Sydney label Romance Was Born. Albanese wore a suit from MJ Bale.

• The couple covered the cost of the ceremony, and will head off on a five-day honeymoon to an undisclosed Australian location next week.

Our fashion editor Damien Woolnough has spoken to the designers who made Haydon’s dress, Romance is Born’s Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales, who this year celebrated their label’s 20th anniversary at Australian Fashion Week.

“It was an honour to dress Jodie and we think she is amazing,” Plunkett says. “The dress is so beautiful, it fuses our love of Australian natives and a contemporary silhouette.”

The clue that this avant-garde duo could be tapped for the first prime ministerial bride in Australian history was in July, when Haydon attended the launch of the designers’ portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

Read more here.

The closely held guest list did not extend to all 123 members of the Labor caucus, but many were quick to post their congratulations.

Bennelong MP Jerome Laxale was representative of the vibe in the @albomp Instagram feed: “What a way to cap off an incredible year. Congrats Boss. Congrats Jodie.”

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon commented: “So very happy for you both – heartfelt congratulations.”

Former minister Stephen Jones, who retired at the last election, said: “Congratulations to you. Lots of love from the other side of the world.”

Columnist and senior journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Jacqueline Maley, has written about today’s wedding and the “unique wedding day dilemma” Jodie Haydon faces.

Here’s some of what Maley had to say:

There is no precedent for a prime ministerial wedding.

There is even less of a precedent for a prime ministerial wedding which occurs during a cost-of-living crisis, a few days after some very ordinary consumer price index figures are released.

But we cannot let economists intrude on romance, any more than we can deny the happiness of the prime ministerial couple, or rob ourselves of the fun of a Christmas wedding (which the PM and his bride paid for privately).

Because who doesn’t love a wedding?

Only a crank.

You can read her full column here.

Is Toto, Albanese’s beloved dog and today’s ringbearer, wearing a dress? Yes, she is.

In this photo, where Jodie Haydon’s five-year-old niece, Ella, has Toto on a leash, both of them are in frocks to match the bride.

The bond between Albanese and his 10-year-old cavoodle is strong – Toto has regularly greeted world leaders at The Lodge and Kirribilli, and the prime minister has often spoken of the comfort provided by Toto over the years.