Jenna Bush Hager Reveals She First Popped The Question To Her Husband
By Afouda Bamidele on August 9, 2023 at 11:00 PM EDT
Jenna Bush Hager is out here entertaining g fans with surprising new facts about her marriage to her husband, Henry Chase Hager.
It's been 15 years since Jenna married the love of her life, but if it were up to her, the pair would have been married much sooner than when they did in 2008. On Monday's "Today with Hoda & Jenna" episode, the talk show host revealed that she proposed to Henry several years before their actual engagement.
Jenna Bush Hager Details Her Failed Drunken Proposal To Husband Henry Hager
The 41-year-old co-host's hubby proposed to her in 2007, but as she recently mentioned on her show, he wasn't the first one in their relationship to bravely ask the other party hand in marriage.
Jenna, who celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary in May, explained to E! News presenter Justin Sylvester — who was filling in for co-host HodaKotb— how she popped the question five years before he did.
She noted that she first proposed to her man three months into their relationship after "several cocktails" during a night out. However forthcoming she may have been, Henry did not give her the answer she was hoping for as he turned down her offer of marriage.
Per Jenna, it all turned out well in the end as her beau made a "real proposal" and asked Jenna to marry him years later. He sought blessings from her father, former president George W. Bush during a trip to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.
Jenna shared how her husband Henry turned to some divine inspiration to steel his nerves when he prepared to ask her father, former President George W. Bush, if he could marry his daughter. https://t.co/v2mNXIhXsD pic.twitter.com/MiY6ebqZjY
— TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) August 7, 2023
The mom—of—three explained that her husband was so nervous to ask her dad for his blessing that he read the Bible beforehand. "[It was] not easy. He actually read the Bible," she told Justin. "He had like a seven-point plan of why he wanted to marry me and how he was going to take care of me," she added.
When the couple celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary in May, the former teacher posted a lovely tribute to her Instagram page. She shared pictures from her wedding ceremony and other snaps of them showing affection to each other. One from the bunch showed them sitting on a train while Jenna rested her head on Henry's shoulders.
Another showed the sweet couple on a boat amid the ocean. The last pic saw the two when they were younger, smiling and cutting a large cake. The "Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope" author encompassed the post with the sweetest caption that read:
"15 years with HH's hand in mine. I love him. A lot. ❤️❤️"
The post has since garnered thousands of likes and comments from famous faces, including Octavia Spencer and Chelsea Handler, who both wished them a "Happy Anniversary."
One follower noted, "Knew it was meant to me when you said, "I might've smoother Henry 😍 😍 🙌 🙌😂 😂 Happy Anniversary @jennabhager!" Another wrote: "Happy A day you two. Still look the same, even more beautiful."
Jenna Bush & Henry Chase Hager's Wonderful Love Story
Jenna and Henry met for the first time over a decade ago while Henry worked on her father's 2004 re-election campaign. At the time, she was a teacher at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School in D.C.
Jenna opened up to Kotb about their first date, which didn't exactly go as planned. "My worst first date involved the Secret Service; let's just leave it at that, " Jenna said. "It was with Henry, and his car ran out of gas and went [backward] and hit the Secret Service."
The pair quickly became inseparable, attending Inaugural parties, including the White House Dinner, and other public events. According to the "Read All About It!" author, when May 2006 rolled around, she thought Henry would propose.
She narrated how the two went out to dinner one night at Asia Nora in Washington D.C. and misread his intention when he had servers come around with a bottle of champagne with a note on it. "I thought you were proposing!" she yelled.
Although it wasn't a proposal, Henry did pop the question in August 2007. On May 10, 2008, the same day as Henry's 30th birthday, the sweethearts walked down the aisle in a romantic Texas at the Bush's secluded ranch.
So much has happened throughout their relationship, but Jenna and Henry seem to be just as in love now as they were back then — their three children.