After more than a decade of life together, Wheel of Fortune icon Vanna White quietly married her longtime partner, John Donaldson — and fans are overjoyed for the couple.
White, 68, revealed the news on Instagram with a joyful announcement and a photo from their private ceremony. “Surprise! We got married! ❤️,” she wrote, later adding, “John and I have been in love for more than a decade and a little while back, we wanted to make it official in a private ceremony. We’re excited to share this new joyful chapter in our lives with all of you! Love, Vanna and John.”
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The wedding came as a surprise even to many who had followed the couple’s journey. The pair first met in 2012 when a friend introduced Donaldson at one of White’s barbecues. Looking back in a 2019 interview, White recalled being instantly drawn to him, saying, “I remember looking at him and thinking, ‘He’s really cute.’ We ended up talking for a long time that night.”
From there, their relationship grew slowly and steadily — a testament to commitment not often highlighted in celebrity culture. “It just works,” White once said, explaining that the key to their relationship was peace and mutual respect. “He lets me be me, I let him be him… There is no drama in our relationship.”
Interestingly, the couple had previously been unsure whether they would ever formally marry. In 2023, White openly wondered if tying the knot was even necessary after so many years together. “I mean, we’ve been together 12 years, and I feel like we are married. Do we have to get married? No, because we feel comfortable in our relationship,” she told PEOPLE at the time. “I know that he’s the one. He knows I’m the one.”
Yet somewhere along the way, the couple chose to make their commitment official — not with a celebrity-style spectacle, but with a modest private ceremony surrounded by love. In the wedding photos, White wore a beaded white dress while Donaldson sported a simple suit and unbuttoned shirt, giving the moment a relaxed and personal feel.
Fans and friends quickly flooded her social media post with congratulations. Even the official Wheel of Fortune account chimed in, commenting, “Congratulations!! ??.”
White has been open in past interviews about how similar she and Donaldson are, calling him “the male version” of herself. Donaldson, who owns a construction and development business in California, has kept a low profile throughout their relationship, adding to the sense that this marriage was built quietly, intentionally, and at their own pace.
Both White and Donaldson have been married before. White shares two adult children — Nicholas and Giovanna — with ex-husband George Santo Pietro.
In an age when relationships can be rushed, publicized, and complicated, Vanna White’s story is refreshingly simple: love can grow patiently, privately, and beautifully over time. And sometimes, after 13 years, the best next step is simply saying “I do.”