Bindi Irwin explains why she's won't change her last name after wedding
In late March, Bindi Irwin tied the knot with Chandler Powell, her longtime love, in an intimate ceremony with no guests due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Two months later, the 21-year-old, whose famous father, Steve Irwin, died in 2006, hasn't changed her last name, and in a recent interview, she explained why.
"I’ve kept Bindi Irwin," she told Entertainment Tonight. "I think that for me personally, after dad passed away, it was really important for me to feel close to him, and having his last name means so much to me."
Powell, 23, added to the outlet that his new wife considered a name change but is "an Irwin through and through." In fact, he may even be the one changing his name.
"Chandler has become an Irwin now," Irwin laughed, per ET. "It has become a part of me. Everyone has their own ideas, but the nice thing is that it's 2020 now. Anything works!"
On Saturday, the Australian TV personality revealed on Instagram the backstory behind her wedding, which took place on March 25 at the Australia Zoo gardens.
"This isn’t the fairytale image capturing the ‘perfect’ wedding day feeling. In fact, it’s quite the opposite," she wrote. "We changed our wedding date the night before we got married but we were determined to let love win ... On our wedding day we were finally about to get married, and the paparazzi flew over us in a helicopter scaring our wildlife. We had to leave our stunning wedding venue on the African Savannah for their safety. I said goodbye to the place I had dreamed of getting married for so many years."
She continued: "I was there in my wedding dress, husband-to-be by my side, moving tables and flowers and trying to make our day finally become a reality ... I missed the people who couldn’t be there, my dad, Chandler’s family, our dear friends, my family. Chandler stopped what he was doing and sat next to me. I asked him to list me happy things. He proceeded to remind me that love ALWAYS wins. That’s when this picture was taken."
On the day before her nuptials, Irwin posted a sweet tribute to her dad on Instagram.
"Thank you for being my guiding light. You’re always with me," she captioned a throwback photo of her and "The Crocodile Hunter."
Irwin was 8 years old when her famous father died after being pierced in the chest by a stingray in Australia's Great Barrier Reef at age 44. Bindi has followed in her father's footsteps, hosting "Bindi the Jungle Girl." She will also star in upcoming Animal Planet special "Crikey! It’s the Irwins: Life in Lockdown" with her mom Terri and brother Robert.
