Jennifer Gates, the daughter of Bill and Melinda, officially got married to Nayel Nassar well over a year after initially announcing their engagement.
Nayel is a professional, Olympic-level equestrian who competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. According to Fox Business, his career started relatively early. He started riding at age 5 and graduated to jumping when he was only 10. The two reportedly met while studying at Stanford University.
In college, Jennifer studied human biology, while Nayel studied economics. Jennifer graduated in 2018, and Nayel graduated in 2013 — so they're around five years apart in age.
Melinda reportedly had a lot to do with helping prepare for the big day.
"Jennifer is very close with her mom," a source told People. "Melinda is a huge part of the wedding preparations." Jennifer, born in 1996, is the oldest of Bill and Melinda's three children. She's the sister of Phoebe Gates and Rory Gates.
Jennifer and Nayel reportedly bonded over their love of horses. The two seem to share a general love for animals, as Nayel is also frequently seen loving on Jennifer's dog, Earl. Earl is so popular that he has his own Instagram, but it's unclear if he played any part in Jennifer's wedding.
Jennifer and Melinda celebrated the upcoming wedding together back in September, when Melinda threw her an elaborate wedding shower. The shower happened outdoors, and Jennifer was surrounded by many of the individuals who've been supporting her since she was young.
"Thank you for this incredibly special celebration, @melindafrenchgates," she wrote on Instagram, alongside a slideshow of photos. "So deeply grateful for all the amazing women in my life who advise, support, and uplift me."
Jennifer was reportedly surprised by the engagement and was quick to shower her groom-to-be with praise and affection on social media. "Nayel Nassar, you are one of a kind," she wrote. "Absolutely swept me off my feet this past weekend, surprising me in the most meaningful location over one of our many shared passions."
"I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives learning, growing, laughing and loving together," she continued. "Yes a million times over." It's good that Jennifer didn't let the news and impact of her parents' divorce cloud her idea of marriage. Bill and Melinda finalized their split earlier this year.
Bill and Melinda chose to split after 27 years of marriage. While the split was devastating for the public, the two seemed to be professionals when handling the news. It also hasn't driven a wedge between Jennifer and her parents, as they still seem to have a strong relationship with each other.
In fact, both couldn't have been happier once Jennifer publicly announced her engagement. "I am completely thrilled! Congratulations, @jenniferkgates and @nayelnassar!" Bill wrote on the post. Melinda followed up with, "so thrilled for you and @nayelnassar!"
The couple have yet to reveal any wedding pictures, but surely, it was a beautiful occasion. According to the New York Post, the couple actually had two celebrations. Their legal wedding was a Muslim ceremony that happened on a Friday. The second celebration reportedly happened the following Saturday, October 16.
The publication also states that Jennifer chose a Vera Wang dress for the big day. She also reportedly had nine attendants by her side. Three hundred guests were expected to show, and Coldplay was rumored to have been their wedding band. So it's fair to say that this was quite the extravagant event.
Based on body language in photos alone, it's obvious that Nayel and Jennifer are absolutely in love, like in this shot by Ashley Neohof Photography. Hopefully, they'll continue to share their story on social media. While not many of us would have been able to afford such a showy event, Jennifer has definitely given a lot of future brides some pretty elaborate wedding goals.
