RHOC's Braunwyn Windham-Burke Marries Girlfriend Jennifer Spinner in 'Last Minute' Tennessee Home Wedding! (Exclusive)

• The Real Housewives of Orange County star Braunwyn Windham-Burke married girlfriend Jennifer Spinner on December 4 at their home in Nashville, Tennessee.
• A notary public legalized the union, which involved five of Windham-Burke’s seven children.
• “Jen is my best friend, and I’m so lucky to be able to wake up and go to bed with the person I’d rather be around more than anyone else,” says Windham-Burke.

Braunwyn Windham-Burke Weds in a Last Minute Home Wedding Ceremony!

The Real Housewives of Orange County alumna, 47, married his girlfriend, Jennifer Spinner, 40, at their home in Nashville on Wednesday, December 4.

“This is just about us and us saying, ‘You know what? We love each other. Let’s do it,'” says Windham-Burke, adding that the couple plans to have more big wedding celebrations in Guatemala, California and New York in 2026. “And then when we have the big wedding, we won’t be so stressed and say, ‘This is just a party with our friends.’ ”

Originally, the couple didn’t plan to tie the knot until October 2026, but they pushed the wedding date back “due to uncertainty and the political and social climate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights in Tennessee.”

Braunwyn Windham-Burke and Jennifer Spinner.

ELISABETH DONALDSON/ @donaldsoncreativehouse

Concerned about whether “gay marriage will come back to the US” under Donald Trump’s presidency, Spinner tells PEOPLE that she and the Bravo star “just wanted to be legally protected and hopefully grandfathered in on any changes that happen.”

Windham-Burke adds, “This just makes it legal and gives us the protection we need as a queer couple living in the South.”

The couple started dating in July 2022, after meeting on Instagram, and had two proposals. To celebrate their first anniversary together in July 2023, Windham-Burke surprised Spinner by proposing to her in New York’s 14th Street Park – a stone’s throw from where they first kissed. The two became engaged again in October 2023 after Spinner proposed to Windham-Burke with the help of her four youngest children.

Braunwyn Windham-Burke (left) and Jennifer Spinner.

ELISABETH DONALDSON/ @donaldsoncreativehouse

They pledged their future together during a ring exchange in North Carolina on New Year’s Eve and in an informal ceremony at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day. Now they have made things legal.

“We’ve just had a lot of backlash here. We’ve had issues with the environment and the climate, and for us this is our own little act of protest,” Windham-Burke tells PEOPLE. “We want to stand in our power.”

Spinner, who serves on the Franklin Pride TN advisory board, adds, “It’s not just a protest…Obviously we’re really privileged in a lot of ways, and we’re not like all the other couples who do this, but we have kids that we’re raising together and we have ex-partners who we’re trying to be parents with, and I think we need the protections and rights that marriage offers, and unfortunately, we’re not on our own schedule because the government kind of decides that schedule for us.”

Braunwyn Windham-Burke (left) and Jennifer Spinner.

ELISABETH DONALDSON/ @donaldsoncreativehouse

Last November, Windham-Burke finalized her divorce from Sean Burke. The former spouses were married for 23 years and were awarded 50/50 custody of their seven children — Bella, 24; Rowan, 22; Jakov, 19 years old; 11-year-old twins Caden and Curren; Koa, 9; and Hazel, 6.

Bella, Caden, Curren, Koa, and Hazel were picked up from school earlier to attend the house ceremony, which included a notary public. At the time, Rowan was in New York and Jacob was in California.

“I am literally this morning [Dec. 3] she texted our friends in Nashville, ‘We’re getting married tomorrow if you’re free,'” says Windham-Burke, who came out as a lesbian in late 2020. “So we’re going to have some of our friends here, but that’s how we live our lives as, ‘Let’s do it’. ”

Her dress was also a last-minute decision, with it being “whatever [she] could get next day delivery.” She was wearing a dress from Amazon and a jacket from Bloomingdale’s.

Meanwhile, Spinner had “the best experience” finding a suit at Sacca’s in New York. But because she grew up on Long Island when “it wasn’t a place for queer” she hardly went into the store.

Braunwyn Windham-Burke (left) and Jennifer Spinner.

ELISABETH DONALDSON/ @donaldsoncreativehouse

“We were walking by and all of a sudden I heard Jen sigh,” says Windham-Burke. “And I went back there and there was this amazing rhinestone tuxedo that fit her perfectly.”

Initially, the couple planned to get married at a local courthouse, but Windham-Burke, who says she has personally seen a lot of things change after “the madness of the election,” revealed that they “don’t do wedding ceremonies anymore because so many of the judges there didn’t want to marry her gay marriage.”

Instead, it was proposed that they get married at The UPS Store. Although it would be “marked” for the couple, they decided to have a public servant come to their house.

Getting married earlier than planned did not make the afternoon communion any less special.

“I know it’s ridiculous that we’re planning this at the last minute, but it’s not a trivial decision,” Spinner says.

For the couple, their marriage is “more about the kids.”

Braunwyn Windham-Burke & Jennifer Spinner Share Why They ‘Should Be’ Down South ‘Right Now’ (Exclusive)

“Every child is always looking for structure and reassurance that the adults in their lives will be there for the long haul,” says Spinner. “This marriage is to show them and to legally document that I am a parent. I am one of four parents, but I am a parent and I take it seriously and I am not going anywhere.”

For Windham-Burke, marriage cements having the person you love by your side for life.

“Jen is my best friend and I’m so happy that I can wake up and go to bed with the person I’d rather be around,” she says. “She’s the one who’s got my back. It’s been a really tough two years and I don’t think I could have made it through her. I think when you take your vows, they say, ‘For better or for worse,’ and we’ve been through tough times. that she appeared every time.”

She continues, “As an adult, you really know what you’re signing up for. Marriage isn’t a fairy tale, it’s not always happily ever after, but it’s that commitment that you’re my person and I’m going to be with you. You’re not just my partner for life, but you are my best friend for life.”

Braunwyn Windham-Burke, Jennifer Spinner and their family.

ELISABETH DONALDSON/ @donaldsoncreativehouse

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After the wedding, the newlyweds enjoyed Long Island babka before going out to dinner with friends and taking the children to Hebrew school.

While their house nuptials weren’t well attended, everyone will be invited to their “phenomenal” wedding in Guatemala, which Spinner describes as “Indiana Jones is meeting Priscilla, Queen of the desert.”

Braunwyn Windham-Burke (left) and Jennifer Spinner.

ELISABETH DONALDSON/ @donaldsoncreativehouse

Their future weddings in California and New York are mostly for the women’s grandmothers, who are too old to travel.

Windham-Burke and Spinner are closing on their new home on Dec. 19 and say they are excited to begin a new chapter in their lives together as husband and wife.

“We are so excited to finally be legally husband and wife!” Windham-Burke exclaims.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education