Despite Her Millions, Bette Midler Worked with Her Hands for Daughter’s Wedding Held in Her Home with Only 11 People

Sophie Haselberg, Bette Midler’s daughter, never once thought she’d get married. But in 2021, amid a pandemic, she exchanged vows with her husband, Harry J. N. Guinness, in a homespun wedding ceremony with 11 people. It was so personalized that Midler and Sophie’s father got their hands dirty.

Bette Midler wears many hats. While she is a celebrated actress known for her roles in such classic films as “The First Wives Club,” “Parental Guidance,” and “The Addams Family,” she is also a singer with beautiful songs and renditions of “From a Distance,” “Wind Beneath My Wings,” and “The Rose,” for which she won a Grammy.

Besides a successful career spanning over five decades, the actress also boasts a successful family life, with her loving husband of four decades, Martin von Haselberg, and a wonderful daughter, Sophie von Haselberg.

Like many celebrity marriages, Midler and Haselberg’s romance started in a whirlwind. They first met after being introduced by mutual friends at a King Crimson band concert. They did not see each other again for two years.

In 1983, she met him again in a bar around Los Angeles, where she says lots of performance art was happening in the early 80s. She went into one of the clubs to see what was happening and met him there. They exchanged numbers, but he did not call her for another year. But when he called, they did not waste any more time, and two weeks later, they were married.

Despite not knowing each other for a long time, the two eloped and headed to the Starlight Chapel in Las Vegas. There, they exchanged vows with an Elvis impersonator conducting the ceremony. Midler recalled:

“My wedding had two people — my husband and me — and, of course, the Elvis impersonator that married us.”

It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but the two have never had regrets. Decades later, Midler still recalls that they walked down the aisle to Italian composer Nino Rota’s music. And the funny bit? It was Midler who asked Haselberg to marry her.

The “In My Life” singer recalls the first thing that attracted her to her husband, saying he had a beautiful smile and big warm hands. His kindness, however, is what she found unique about him.

Being married later in life — she was 39 when she wed Haselberg — posed a new challenge for Midler. For many years, she had been independent, paid her bills, called the shots, and did things the way she wanted them done.

Now, here she was, newly married and trying to incorporate the life of another into her own. It was a difficult time, and the first two years of their union were marred with bitter fights due to the fact.

However, two years after their spontaneous elopement, they welcomed their first and only child, daughter Sophie, a welcome event that helped them slow down on the fighting and set their priorities right. Midler shared:

“We came to the conclusion that we wanted to raise a child. We never wanted to hurt that kid in any way. [So] we stayed together until it got better, and it did.”

Today, they say the secret to their long-running marriage is prioritizing family. Haselberg has been a perfect example of how making sacrifices for his family has helped their union remain standing many decades later.

Midler’s Husband Sacrificed His Career for His Family
Midler praises her husband for being an excellent partner for the many...