Justin Bieber has been considered husband material since he was 13 years old, when a legion of young women stalked his every move, picketing concerts with heart-shaped "Marry me!" posters. Now he's making good on his former tween idol status by marrying one of those OG Bieber Fever patients: Hailey Baldwin, who used her famous last name to snag a backstage fan photo with him 10 years ago and is now living out every stan's fantasy, albeit in South Carolina for some reason.
Following a City Hall ceremony one year ago, Baldwin and Bieber are technically already married — but their formal wedding celebration takes place today at the luxe, scenic Montage Palmetto Bluff resort. It's a bittersweet moment for Justin's dedicated followers, who have stuck with their idol through his bowl cut years, substance abuse issues, and that whole #Jelena mess.
What does it mean to love Justin Bieber now that he's officially off the market, settled down, and taking a break from music?
We contacted five longtime Beliebers to find out.
How long have you been a Belieber?
I discovered Justin Bieber browsing YouTube on a February afternoon. The first song I heard was "Baby," everyone talks about that song and Justin Bieber, on television, in my school, in newspapers and on all sides. I was very surprised because I saw that boy with that voice, the way he danced... his way of being, he was always smiling and that same afternoon I said that I would always like to be like Justin Bieber, today he is my idol and I can not imagine a life in which He does not exist, being a Belieber is not just fanaticism, being a Belieber is a feeling.
Have you kept up with his love life over the years? How does it feel to see him get married?
Sincerely I have never cared about his personal life, I think it is his private life and he can do what he wants, I focus more on his professional career. But Justin Bieber found Hailey Bieber, the love of his life, and I will always be grateful to Hailey for appearing in Justin's life and making him happy.
Home fans don't like Hailey and Justin together. What are your thoughts on that?
99 percent of Beliebers support Jailey, 1 percent do not.
It seems like Justin is settling down now, and definitely moving past his teen idol years. Will you continue to stan as he moves into this new phase of life?
Of course I will continue to be a fan. Justin Bieber grows and the fans do too, we are growing together. The Beliebers have matured. I understand that Justin Bieber is happy with Hailey Bieber and that they are getting married, and all we want for him is happiness. I also have to add that in the background it hurts a little, hahaha.
Anonymous, 17, Venezuela
How long have you been a Belieber?
I became a Belieber in 2013. I already knew who he was but before that year I was too little to be fangirling a boy with millions of fans. It was in 2013 that I started to be active on social media and I fell for Justin, I've been loving and supporting him for over seven years now.
It must be really crazy to see him settling down with someone after such an eventful past few years.
Yeah it's so crazy, I feel so happy and also sad because it's not with me lmao jk. Anyways I'm just so happy because he's marrying a girl so special and beautiful and I love her too. So I'm so happy for the wedding, I feel like he finally found what he was looking for!
Did the fandom change when he got married and settled down a bit?
Yes the fandom did change, some left the fandom and some are still here. There are some who are still fans of him, but it's not like it used to be. I mean some left because they don't like Hailey, and don't wanna see her with him, so they unstanned.
But you think what Justin and Hailey have is for real?
Obviously. You can literally tell.
What do you think of the photos we've seen so far of the wedding party?
That paparazzi should have respected their privacy.
I'm loving Justin's wedding haircut, though...
HIS HAIR LOOKS SO GOOD RIGHT OMG LMAO.
Your Twitter fan account is pretty thirsty for Justin. Is there an ethical dilemma with that considering he's a married man now?
I'm just joking around, obviously I respect that he is a married man now and I respect Hailey too, sometimes I tweet that stuff because he looks so good and I need to talk about it lol.
I respect that. Would you marry Justin in an alternate universe where there's no Hailey?
Oh yes, I def would.
If you were at the wedding tonight and making a speech, what would you say?
I couldn't even talk if I was at the wedding, I'd be crying.
When did you become a fan of Justin Bieber?
Well, the first time I heard talking about Justin was in 2009, when my big sister came from school with a picture of him. I asked her who it was, she told me it's a Canadian singer "Justin Bieber" so I went on the internet and started searching for his music and liked it right away.
Wow! How does it feel to see him get married after so many years of fandom?
It's an amazing feeling, I am so happy for him and definitely getting emotional today. He has been through so much and he deserves the best.
What makes Justin and Hailey so compatible?
I think Hailey is the female version of Justin, she has the same sense of humor and they have so much other things in common. I think that's what make them so compatible. [They also] really take their Christian faith really seriously, they reunited at church. I think church and his surroundings helped him to find peace.
Within the fandom, are people upset or happy that Justin's getting married?
I think that most people are really happy for him and some are still living in the past and it's making them upset to see him getting married.
There are also people who wish he ended up with Selena Gomez — how do you think she's feeling today?
I think she has moved on by now and is focusing on herself which is the best thing to do. I don't really know, I guess she must be happy for him as well.
Is Jailey true love?
Yes! we all knew he would end up with Hailey and I think he knew too because back in 2016, he said "What if Hailey ends up being the girl I'm gonna marry?"
What do you think of these early photos of the wedding, and what do you think the ceremony will be like?
I think the photos that came out are just so beautiful and they look so happy and in love. I think the ceremony will be very emotional, intimate and romantic.
What do you think/hope the future holds for Justin and Hailey?
After marriage, I hope they will grow the family and have kids.
Do you think Justin will return to music?
Yes, Justin has already talked about another album and we've heard some snippets of unreleased music that could appear on the next album.
Related | Hailey Baldwin May Retire From Modeling
When did you become a Belieber?
I became a Belieber five years ago. I found out about him when my friend was listening to his song "As Long as You Love Me" and it just really caught my attention and that's when I discovered Justin! After that I just started googling him and learned more about him.
How does it feel to see him get married?
It's just so amazing! It makes me so happy that he has found someone so perfect for him. Hailey and Justin have always been right for each other. It still feels kinda unreal to me that my idol is getting married to be honest haha. But seeing how happy he is now with her is just truly amazing and I love it.
Do you think Justin will make a good husband?
Of course! He already is a good husband. He treats her like a queen and is absolutely in love with her.
Did you ever fantasize about marrying Justin yourself?
Well I'm a guy and I think of Justin as my big bro so no I haven't fantasized about marrying him haha! But yeah I have thought about meeting him a lot of times. Basically since I became a Belieber lol.
How do you feel looking at the photos from the rehearsal dinner?
They're making me even more excited now! Seeing the OG Bieber team is so amazing — the original team Bieber that has been here from the start! His friends, manager etc. Pretty great to see them all together on his big day.
What do you think the future holds for Justin now that he has settled down?
This is just the beginning. Justin is coming back soon and I think he is probably going to release the album next year and hopefully go on tour! He definitely has more big things planned for his career. Then Justin and Hailey are probably going to have kids after a few years.
Related | Iceland Is Beefing With Justin Bieber
When did your Justin Bieber journey begin?
I don't exactly remember when I became a Belieber but I remember that it was 2010 and his song "Baby" was super popular during that time and literally every music channel played the video around here. So one day this song was playing on TV when I was watching and I really loved the song and somehow became a fan. I've liked him ever since and I have been supporting him to this day.
What's it like seeing him get married?
To be honest, I AM SO HAPPY. He has been struggling a lot in his life to find the right person. And now, he did. He found the perfect person for him. And to add to the fact that Hailey is also a Belieber, it makes me happier. I mean he did say once that he would date a fan. And look now, he is marrying a fan who has been there for him since day one.
It's kind of crazy. I guess it gives you hope.
Hahaha yes it does. I mean why not? I know I can't marry Justin Bieber anymore but there are other people, right? Maybe I'll find my Justin Bieber one day. Which is kinda impossible though because there is only one JB, but maybe someone else?
Did you ever fantasize about marrying/meeting Justin yourself?
Marrying? Maybe. But meeting? YES LIKE ALL THE TIME. It's been nine years and I still haven't got the chance to meet him. Maybe it's because where I live? Haha he never came here. But I still hope probably one day, ONE DAY I'll really meet him and tell him how much he means to me. How his music has helped me with my life. I'm not even exaggerating. I'll be the happiest person on earth if it happens.
Were you ever a Jelena shipper? Or do you prefer Hailey for Justin over Selena Gomez?
I kinda liked them together, like a really long time ago. I don't know what happened between them, it's their personal business and I don't know either of them personally, so I won't comment on their relationship. But I definitely prefer Hailey for him. She seems perfect for him and she has always been supporting him.
Photo via Getty