Savannah Guthrie Reported on Jenna Bush Hager’s 2008 Wedding: "We Have Footage!"
Long before becoming TODAY co-anchors, Savannah Guthrie traveled to Texas to report on the former first daughter's wedding.
Beloved co-anchors Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie have shared countless moments on TODAY, but long before they were connecting over national stories, a twist of fate brought the women into the same orbit on the former first daughter's wedding day.
While chatting about each other's respective wedding days in a 2019 episode of TODAY, Guthrie revisited Bush Hager's big day to share the full circle moment when she covered the event as a TODAY correspondent early in her career. The co-hosts reflected on the unique way their paths first "crossed" by sharing a vintage video clip of Guthrie dishing details about the 2008 wedding to NBC News. At the time, Guthrie was a reporter at the network, and Hager, the daughter of then-President George W. Bush, was preparing for a thrilling milestone with her soon-to-be husband, Henry Hager.
Covering a first daughter's wedding would be a highlight for any journalist, but who would have guessed it would also lead to a beautiful full-circle moment between two cherished friends?
Long before they became TODAY co-anchors, Savannah Guthrie covered Jenna Bush Hager's wedding
During the 2019 TODAY episode, Hager and Guthrie revisited Bush Hager's wedding weekend with laughter and a little disbelief. After teasing about how Hager wasn't invited to Guthrie's wedding due to having only recently met as coworkers — "If I had known that we would be best friends, then I would have invited you!" Guthrie exclaimed — she was keen to admit that she technically attended Hager's wedding.
"I was kind of at your wedding," Guthrie explained, quickly clarifying: "I covered your wedding."
Guthrie may not have landed on any invite lists for the high-profile event, but she did travel all the way to Texas to cover the first daughter's wedding day for NBC News. "We have footage!" Bush Hager added as an embarrassed Guthrie prepared for the throwback clip.
In the video, a younger (and notably brunette) Guthrie reports on the presidential events from Crawford, Texas. Guthrie stood in a rustic field with a barn behind her as the actual wedding took place "far from the cameras and the White House, a private affair at her father's ranch," as Lester Holt revealed. Guthrie still managed to post up "as close as she can" to cover the festivities.
"Good evening, Lester," Guthrie began. "Well, don't feel bad if you weren't invited. Only about 200 of the Bush's close friends and family are attending the wedding of Jenna Bush and her long-term boyfriend, Henry Hager."
"The ceremony is underway as we speak, a late start to avoid the Texas heat," Guthrie continued in the clip. "The plans call for the ceremony, followed by dinner and dancing under the stars. Details are scarce — not exactly classified — but close."
At that humorous addition, Guthrie and Bush Hager couldn't contain their cackles.
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Savannah Guthrie said covering Jenna's wedding was a "career starter"
"I mean, first of all, that's my natural hair color," Guthrie teased after the video concluded. "Secrets out."
"There's so much we have to say about this," Bush Hager laughed, still chuckling about the "not-so-classified" comment from her big day.
"You know what? That was a real career starter for me," Guthrie told Bush Hager. "I was at NBC for like about six months, and they're like, 'Do you want to cover Jenna Bush's wedding?' I'm like, 'Sure!'"
"You were like, 'No, thank you,'" Bush Hager teased.
"It was a short trip to the White House after that!" Guthrie smiled.
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"You look so cute," Bush Hager gushed. "And my other favorite part is you're like, 'A late start, because we wanted to avoid the Texas heat.' Is that true?"
"I don't know, was it?" Guthrie asked. After all, Bush Hager was the only one between them who was actually there.
"No," Hager humorously shrugged. "I think we just wanted a later start."
To add to the hilarity surrounding Guthrie's coverage of Bush Hager's big day, Guthrie couldn't help but point out her backdrop for the news coverage: a seemingly random field in rural Texas, far from the grandiose of the wedding's actual venue.
"Also, what's funny is that I was not outside," Guthrie pointed out. "That's not your father's ranch behind me. That's like, fake hay bales."
"You found like, a barn, and you were like, 'This will do!'" Bush Hager joked.
While teasing that Guthrie's filming locale wasn't the most truthful to the Bush family's accommodations, Bush Hager told her co-anchor that she was grateful she was able to go to her wedding. Bush Hager lovingly added that when she and Henry renew their vows someday, Guthrie will land a formal invite.
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