&34;We wanted to make it official.&34; Vanna White marries longtime partner John Donaldson in 'surprise' wedding after 14 years together &34;We wanted to make it official.&34; By Shania Russell :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/ShaniaRussellauthorphoto5934b684845d480caa4485648c39ef2b.jpg) Shania Russell Shania Russell is a news writer at , with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine. EW's editorial guidelines January 21, 2026 5:55 p.m.

"We wanted to make it official."

Vanna White marries longtime partner John Donaldson in 'surprise' wedding after 14 years together

"We wanted to make it official."

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

EW's editorial guidelines

January 21, 2026 5:55 p.m. ET

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Vanna White and John Donaldson in Brentwood, Calif., in 2019. Credit:

JB Lacroix/Getty

Vanna White is officially off the market after marrying longtime partner John Donaldson in a private ceremony.

"Surprise! We got married!," White, 68, announced in a Jan. 21 Instagram post, sharing a sweet photo of Donaldson carrying her bridal-style under an archway.

The caption continued, "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."

The news was met with plenty of love from friends and fans alike, including Maggie Sajak, the daughter of former longtime *Wheel of Fortune* host Pat Sajak, who commented with a teary-eyed and heart emoji.

"Congratulations," wrote the official *Wheel of Fortune *account.

The post also featured a carousel of older photos, from throughout White and Donaldson's years-long relationship. The couple first crossed paths in 2012, when a friend brought Donaldson, a real estate developer, to one of White's barbecues.

"I remember looking at him and thinking, 'He's really cute,'" White told *PEOPLE* in 2019, recounting the moment she first laid eyes on Donaldson. "We ended up talking for a long time that night."

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Their choice to have a private wedding is no surprise, as White and Donaldson have made an effort to keep their relationship out of the public eye.

Asked about wedding plans by E! News* *last month, White insisted that the couple were still very much in their honeymoon phase.

Vanna White and John Donaldson attend the 26th annual Race to Erase MS.

Neilson Barnard/Getty

"We're very happy," she explained. "We've been together for a long time, and we are just happy the way it is. Maybe people want to see us get married. When you've been with someone for so long, you kind of feel like you're already married. You don't have to have that piece of paper."

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Both White and Donaldson have been married before. White previously wed restaurateur George Santo Pietro in 1990 and together welcomed two children: Nicholas "Nikko" Santo Pietro, 31, and Giovanna "Gigi" Santo Pietro, 28. They officially split in 2002.

News of White's marriage comes as she prepares to celebrate her 45th anniversary of co-hosting *Wheel of Fortune*. In 2023, the game show star revealed that she had extended her contract for another two years following Sajak's retirement. Ryan Seacrest has since stepped into the role.

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Source: Celebrity

Published: January 22, 2026 at 06:57AM on Source: ANDY MAG

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