The ‘Wheel of Fortune’ star and Donaldson, who first met at a barbecue in 2012, said “I do” after more than a decade together

Vanna White and John Donaldson

Vanna White and John Donaldson.Credit : Courtesy of Vanna White and John Donaldson

Vanna White and John Donaldson have tied the knot!

The Wheel of Fortune icon, 68, and her longtime love announced their marriage on Instagram on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

“Surprise! We got married!” White captioned a photo from their big day.

Vanna White and John Donaldson

Vanna White and John Donaldson.Courtesy of Vanna White and John Donaldson

She 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.”

White was first introduced to Donaldson in 2012 when a friend brought the real estate developer to one of her barbecues. White told PEOPLE in 2019 that she was instantly smitten.

“I remember looking at him and thinking, ‘He’s really cute,’ ” she recalled. “We ended up talking for a long time that night.”

Vanna White and John Donaldson

Vanna White and John Donaldson.Courtesy of Vanna White and John Donaldson

“It just works,” she added of their breezy relationship at the time. “He lets me be me, I let him be him … There is no drama in our relationship.”

In October 2023, the TV star opened up about why she and Donaldson hadn’t said “I do” after so many years together.

“I mean, we’ve been together 12 years, and I feel like we are married,” she told PEOPLE. “Do we have to get married? No, because we feel comfortable in our relationship. You know what I mean? I know that he’s the one. He knows I’m the one.”

Vanna White and John Donaldson

Vanna White and John Donaldson.Courtesy of Vanna White and John Donaldson

At the time, White said she and Donaldson, who owns his own construction and development company in California, hadn’t even discussed the topic of marriage.

“We don’t really talk about it, but you never know,” she told PEOPLE. “I mean, I guess we could, but in my eyes and his eyes, we are married.”

White also shared that the couple works well together because he is “the male version” of her. “We really are very similar,” she noted.

Vanna White and John Donaldson

Vanna White and John Donaldson.Courtesy of Vanna White and John Donaldson

White and Donaldson have both been previously married. White was married to restaurateur George Santo Pietro from 1990 to 2002. The former couple shares two children, Nicholas “Nikko” Santo Pietro, 31, and Giovanna “Gigi” Santo Pietro, 28.