Robert Kraft may be 81 years old but he’s full of life, vitality, and surprises. Perhaps the biggest one he’s pulled off recently is his surprise wedding to Dr. Dana Blumberg. The event was not just a surprise to the general public but also to those invited to the ceremony, as the couple only told guests that they were attending a Kickoff and a Touchdown party and that they should dress festively for the occasion. Kraft came in wearing his iconic blue sports coat but later changed into a stunning Armani dinner jacket paired with his RKK Air Force One sneakers. The bride arrived wearing an Elie Saab jumpsuit but later changed into an ivory Naeem Khan wedding dress.
While Kraft and Blumberg have been a pair for the last three years, no-one was expecting an immediate wedding bash even after it became common knowledge the two were engaged. In fact, it appears even Kraft and Blumberg weren’t expecting a big, expensive wedding. They were planning to elope quietly but their plans hit the rails when Elton John spoke with the two after one of his shows. After expressing his admiration of Blumberg’s engagement ring, he asked the two when they were planning on getting married and immediately offered to play at their wedding free of charge, as his wedding gift to the two of them. This apparently got Kraft and Blumberg thinking, and they decided to take John up on his offer, even though doing so meant they had to adjust to his tight schedule and plan the entire wedding in only three weeks.
The event went off without a hitch. Elton John was the first to announce to the astonished guests that Kraft and Blumberg were now man and wife. He then serenaded the assembled guests with hit numbers such as Circle of Life, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, and Can You Feel the Love Tonight before singing Candle in the Wind with Ed Sheeran. The two newlyweds enjoyed the music along with over two hundred friends, including Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, Meek Mill, John Bon Jovi, Drew Bledsoe, Andre Tippett, Vince Wilfork, Richard Seymour, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, and Kenny Chesney. Robert Kraft’s two sons were also present for the occasion, likely pleased to see their father have a companion in his life once again after their mother, Myra Kraft, died of cancer in 2011.
Speaking of the event, one friend commented that it was clear that the new couple wanted to share their happiness with each other and bring people together to share their joy with them. It is clear the two have no regrets about ditching their private elopement plans in favor of springing a surprise wedding on their friends and having them share their new-found happiness. It is not surprising, considering the fact that sharing joy with others has long been part of Kraft’s and Blumberg’s lives, even before they started their relationship. The Kraft family is one of the best-known philanthropic families in the world and has long supported a range of worthy causes, including education, healthcare, youth sports, and non-profits supporting women and children. Dr. Blumberg works at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia.
Robert Kraft and Dana Blumberg pulled off a shocking surprise in planning a wedding in three weeks and keeping the event secret not just from the press but also from family members and friends who came in expecting a party but then found they were attending a far more momentous occasion. What’s more, it appears their big day went off without a hitch. The music was unforgettable, the guests were pleasantly surprised and had a blast eating, talking, and dancing, and the groom and bride made memories with their friends and loved ones that will last a lifetime.
