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Bindi Irwin marries at Australia Zoo to beat wedding restrictions

bindi irwin
Bindi Irwin is getting married. Photo: Instagram/bindi.irwin

Bindi Irwin, the daughter of Steve Irwin, married at Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Wednesday afternoon.

The 21-year-old looked to be tying the knot in a snap wedding before restrictions came into effect in Australia, which only allow five people to be present.

Footage showed the bride getting out of a white car huddling under umbrellas, as photographers and Zoo keepers with animals stood in waiting.

Bindi Irwin announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Chandler Powell in July last year, after he dropped to one knee on her 21st birthday.

The couple got married before tougher wedding restrictions - allowing only the bride, groom, celebrant, and two witnesses to be present - kicked in at midnight Wednesday to Thursday.

The restrictions were announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a press conference on Tuesday night as the nation continues to battle the COVID-19 outbreak.

bindi irwin wedding australia zoo
Footage has revealed Bindi Irwin is getting married. Photo: Channel Seven

Fans disappointed as wedding flouts ‘social distancing’ recommendations

Some fans were happy for the couple, sharing their congratulations. But others called them out for setting a bad example.

“What would be even better would be if they set the example and only had a limited wedding. This isnt about denying people fun this is about keeping people safe. I'm completely disappointed in them,” one person wrote on Twitter.

“Suppose different rules for celebrities,” another said.

“She would've had workers from Australia Zoo and family there. Who cares what she does, move along,” one fan countered.

New restrictions to be brought in from midnight Wednesday

  • Real estate auctions and open house inspections.

  • Outdoor and indoor markets are banned subject to rules from states and territories.

  • Tattoo parlours, waxing, tanning and nail salons.

  • Hairdressers and barbers can continue but must strictly manage social distancing and restrict appointments to 30 minutes.

  • No more than five people at weddings - the couple, celebrant and two witnesses

  • No more than 10 at funerals.

  • Amusement parks and arcades, and indoor and outdoor play centres must close.

  • Auction houses.

  • Community and recreation centres, health clubs, fitness centres and yoga and barre classes.

  • Boot camps and personal training must be limited to 10 people.

  • Galleries, museums, libraries and swimming pools must close.

Bindi chooses brother Robert Irwin to walk her down the aisle

In August Bindi had revealed she wanted her brother Rob to walk her down the aisle.

The bride-to-be broke the news in a heartfelt post on Instagram, sharing two photos - the first a throwback family pic and the other more recent snap of herself, Chandler and Rob right after the couple got engaged.

For the caption, Bindi penned a touching open letter to her late dad, ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin, who passed away in 2006 when she was just eight years old.

How Bindi and Chandler met

Bindi and Chandler met in 2013, after the star took his family on a private tour of Australia Zoo in Queensland.

However, they didn’t start dating until July 2015, after Chandler reached out to Terri and asked if he could take Bindi out and they’ve been inseparable ever since.

The loved-up Australian star told the Australian Women’s Weekly in an interview in 2017 that she believes her dad would have approved of Chandler.

"I'm lucky I have found the one, the person I want to spend all of my time with," she said.

"Mum and Robert and I have talked about that a lot. We think dad would have loved Chandler."

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