The Today show cast is like family — just ask Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager.
Sitting down with PEOPLE for this week’s issue (on stands Friday), the NBC morning show coanchor — who just published her second children’s book, Princesses Save the World — opens up about her special bond with Bush Hager, 36.
“We’re almost exactly 10 years apart and 10 years ago, when she got married to Henry, I was a fourth string White House reporter and they assigned me to go cover her wedding,” recalls Guthrie, 46. “It’s hilarious, because there are live shots of me talking about Jenna getting married.”
“Isn’t it beautiful and delightful, the turns that life takes?” she adds. “Here I was, just a reporter, trying to find out anything about the wedding. Ten years later, she’s one of my closest friends.”
For more on Savannah Guthrie, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on stands Friday
And it’s not just Guthrie and Bush Hager that are thick as thieves. Their daughters are, too — they even share the same birthday! This summer, the moms and colleagues threw a joint princess-themed birthday party for Guthrie’s daughter Vale, who turned 4, and Bush Hager’s daughter Poppy, who turned 3, both on Aug. 13, just one year apart.
Birthday twins party together!!!
our tradition #ValeandPoppy @jennabhager
A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie) on Aug 13, 2018 at 5:05pm PDT
“Through the show, having our kids at the same time and being neighbors, we just became really close friends,” says Guthrie. “And even though I moved two blocks away, our kids still play together.” (Guthrie is also mom to son Charley, 1, with husband Michael Feldman, 49, and Bush Hager also shares daughter Margaret “Mila”, 5, with husband Henry, 40.)
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But when it comes to playdates, Guthrie and Bush Hager like to play it by ear.
“I find it totally impossible to schedule play dates, especially in advance,” Guthrie says. “I think I’m like this in my actual life, and it kind of now is extending to playdates. I’m all for the last minute . ‘What are you guys doing? Do you want to bring Mila and Poppy over? Bring the girls over, drop them and you go get your nails done, or something.’ ”
“Sometimes she’ll say, ‘Bring Vale over. I’ll feed her dinner. Come get her at 6:00,’ ” adds Guthrie. “I think we try to give each other a break! Then, sometimes, which happens a lot, we just both stay and have a cocktail and have fun.”