Bindi Irwin weds Chandler Powell at Australia Zoo, without guests 

Animal Planet star Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late "Crocodile Hunter" star Steve Irwin, married her longtime beau Chandler Powell Wednesday in her native Australia, in a ceremony without guests due to concern amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We held a small ceremony and I married my best friend," Australia Zoo conservationist Irwin, 21, wrote on social media. "There are no words to describe the amount of love and light in my heart right now. We've planned this beautiful day for nearly a year and had to change everything, as we didn't have guests at our wedding. This was a very difficult decision but important to keep everyone safe."

Her brother, photographer and fellow conservationist Robert Irwin, 16, shot the small ceremony and walked his sister down the aisle, she wrote. "We wish all of our friends and family could have been there with us, however it's lovely that we will be able to share photos and videos. Right now we're encouraging the world to hold onto hope and love, which will carry us forward during this profound time in history. Today we celebrated life and revelled in every beautiful moment we shared together in our Australia Zoo gardens."

They lit a candle, she said, in memory of Steve Irwin, who died at age 44 on Sept. 4, 2006, when he was fatally wounded by a stingray's barb during an underwater documentary shoot. "We shared tears and smiles and love," Bindi Irwin wrote. "Thankfully, since we all live at Australia Zoo as a family, we could be there for each other. To everyone reading this — stay safe, social distance and remember LOVE WINS!"

The bride's mother, Australia Zoo owner and fellow TV personality Terri Irwin, 55, tweeted, "I am so very happy for you both. Your love shines bright in a world that needs a lot of hope and love right now. I know that Steve would be incredibly proud."

Powell, a former professional wakeboarder and now a zoo colleague, proposed to Bindi Irwin — who as a teen in 2015 won season 21 of "Dancing with the Stars" — on July 24, 2019, her 21st birthday. He tweeted Wednesday, "Today … marks the most amazing day of my life. … I love you more than anything, @BindiIrwin."