First photos from Don Jr and Bettina Anderson’s Bahamas wedding party revealed: Couple’s agonizing venue choice and bride’s touching tribute to ‘best friend’ groom

Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson shared touching photos as the newlyweds celebrated their wedding in the Caribbean.

Following their Palm Beach ceremony, the loved-up couple headed to the Bahamas for a limited, sunny event with their closest friends and family members, including Ivanka Trump.

It was first whispered that the wedding would take place on the luxurious private island of Little Pipe Cay, where they spent an idyllic holiday last year, after tensions in the Middle East forced the couple to dramatically scale back their White House wedding plans.

But the Daily Mail has learned that Anderson has such fond memories of the time she spent with her best friend Hope Smith on Norman’s Cay in the Exumas that it was of great importance to the venue.

Hope and Bettina, fashionistas and former playmates of the year, are seen having fun on the private island’s white sandy beach with views of a magnificent mansion in a YouTube video of the trip.

Located on the Bahamas’ isolated island chain Exuma, Norman’s Cay is an exclusive, lush paradise loved by 39-year-old Bettina, who has previously spent time there with her close friend.

While Don Jr.’s presidential father did not attend the ceremony in the Bahamas, the couple hopes to hold a third wedding celebration at the White House in the future that could include Donald Trump and Melania Trump. sources told People.

On Saturday, the new bride took to her Instagram Stories to share a glimpse of her wedding rings along with a gushing message for Don Jr.

The newest member of the Trump clan thought Norman’s Cay would be the perfect location for a wedding, with seclusion and privacy being key requirements.

So who can argue?

It has a private airstrip with its own clearance for the private jet crowd and is described as a ‘members-only retreat’ for visitors who enjoy villa sites and private yacht facilities.

Personalized butler services are another feature, along with pristine and uncrowded beaches.

The only way to get there is by a chartered plane or boat. Once there, accommodation costs at least $1,400 per person per night, ensuring maximum privacy.

Although one of the distinguishing factors might not be to the couple’s taste, especially considering the groom’s father’s war against drug cartels.

The small island once served as the headquarters of drug warlord Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel, and its ringleader Carlos Lehder used it as a smuggling base between 1978 and 1982.

But that didn’t seem to matter as Don Jr, 48, and his new bride celebrated with siblings Eric, 42, and Ivanka, 44, who shared a tantalizing photo of their trip there on social media.

Tiffany Trump, 32, posted a photo on her Instagram Stories of herself standing outside surrounded by lush greenery in a striking, body-hugging brown and white patterned dress that she apparently wore for her wedding celebrations.

Sister-in-law Ivanka Trump shared a photo from the sky as she arrived in the Caribbean for her wedding celebration

The couple’s marriage certificate, obtained by the Daily Mail, shows that the president’s eldest son and the glamorous socialite officially became husband and wife in a secret ceremony Thursday at the West Palm Beach home of Anderson’s sister, Kristina McPherson.

On Saturday, the new bride took to her Instagram Stories to share a glimpse of her wedding rings along with a gushing message for Don Jr.

She posted a black-and-white photo of her hands, with her understated silver rings on full display.

‘Forever yours, forever your mind,’ he wrote with a white heart.

He followed this up with a message that read: ‘It’s all about marrying your best friend.’

Bettina confirms she will take Trump’s last name, according to couple’s friend Christine Schott New York Times.

The couple’s wedding festivities were kept highly secret; but Tiffany Trump may have given fans a first look at the event when she showed off her gorgeous outfit on Saturday.

The 32-year-old mother of one took to her Instagram Stories to share a photo of herself standing outside in a figure-hugging brown-and-white patterned dress.

The dress had a low-cut neckline and a thigh-high slit, putting her long legs and toned physique on full display.

She styled her long blonde hair in loose, beach-like waves and accessorized with strappy heels and a nude clutch.

In the photo, Tiffany posed on a path surrounded by lush greenery, smiling towards the camera.

Although it was not confirmed where Tiffany was going in the official appearance, she was most likely attending a festivity related to Don Jr.’s wedding.

The Daily Mail has exclusively obtained the couple’s marriage certificate, which shows they were officially married in West Palm Beach on May 21.

The private ceremony is believed to have taken place at the West Palm Beach home of Anderson’s sister, Kristina McPherson.

On Friday, President Trump confirmed that he would not be joining his island wedding party over the holiday weekend, describing the new bride as his son’s ‘soon-to-be wife.’

It is unclear whether the President was aware that his son was officially married or whether the couple was just playing around to protect their privacy. The White House has been reached for comment.

“While I would love to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon-to-be wife, Bettina, government circumstances and my love for the United States do not allow me to do so,” he wrote.

‘I think it is important for me to stay in the White House in Washington DC during this important period. Congratulations Don and Bettina!’

The private nuptials took place after the couple initially postponed their wedding date until the fall; He feared that a wedding party that broke out during the conflict in Iran would give critics an easy shot at Don Jr.’s father.

However, before the end of the war was in sight, the couple did not choose to wait; instead, she held a smaller wedding in Palm Beach, followed by an island celebration for close family and friends over Memorial Day weekend.

A source had previously said at the time: ‘They are waiting for the right moment because of what’s going on in the world.’

But they clearly believe this is a thing of the past.

In bridal party photos posted by Ivanka last month, Bettina is seen smiling with her new family, including her sisters-in-law Tiffany, Ivanka Trump and Lara Trump, as well as her new niece Ivanka and Jared Kushner’s 14-year-old daughter Arabella.

President Donald Trump hinted Thursday that he will have to skip his son’s wedding this Memorial Day weekend due to a complicated schedule

Just before the Caribbean ceremony, an insider revealed: ‘Bettina and Don Jr. They are very keen to maintain the confidentiality of this matter. They got engaged at Camp David in a really controlled way. And they want to maintain that level of control at the wedding, too.

‘I think it’s just something they want to get over, sort out. ‘So they can move on with their lives and move on to the next chapters of everything they want to achieve.’

The couple became engaged at the presidential retreat at Camp David in December 2025; It comes exactly a year after explosive photos appeared in the Daily Mail of them leaving a Palm Beach restaurant holding hands before going public.

This was indisputable proof of our earlier exclusive statement that these were indeed a newly minted item, even though Don Jr. was still officially engaged to fiancée Kimberley Guilfoyle.

The newlywed couple had kept their relationship largely secret for months; because Don Jr. was officially living in a $17.5 million beach mansion with Guilfoyle, the 57-year-old ex-wife of California governor Gavin Newsom.

But the Daily Mail spotted her and Anderson canoodling during an intimate brunch date at The Honor Bar in Palm Beach’s swanky Royal Poinciana Plaza in August 2024.

In what was clearly not a business meeting, the socialite ‘it girl’ was seen reaching out more than three times to plant a sexy kiss on her new boyfriend’s lips.

‘She seemed completely smitten with Don Jr., and he looked like he was smitten with her,’ a witness told us at the time.

They were definitely on a date. They weren’t exactly making love, but the kisses were romantic and it seemed like they were intimate with each other.’

Fast forward four months, and our exclusive photos showed Don Jr. showing off his new relationship as the couple walked hand-in-hand through downtown’s exclusive Palm Beach restaurant, Buccan, as part of Don Jr.’s 38th birthday celebrations.