09/12/2021
JFK Marries Jackie
September 12, 1953
With more than 800 guests in attendance, Senator John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier wed 68 years ago today in Newport, Rhode Island. The ceremony, held at St. Maryâs Roman Catholic Church, began with a blessing sent from Pope Pius XII, and ended with a two-hour receiving line. A large reception followed on the terrace of Hammersmith Farm, Bouvierâs stepfatherâs 300-acre oceanfront property, where she had spent her childhood summers. Bouvierâs dress was created by Ann Lowe, one of the first Black American fashion designers to achieve acclaim. Days before the nuptials, a pipe burst in Loweâs New York City studio, soaking the bridal gown and 10 bridesmaid dresses; all of them were remade in haste.
Bouvier and JFK met in 1951 at a small dinner party in Washington, D.C. Journalist Charles Bartlett arranged the event explicitly to introduce the future First Couple; he later served as one of their wedding ushers. Kennedy, a decorated World War II veteran from Massachusetts, was then a member of the House of Representatives. A recent George Washington University graduate, Bouvier was working as a photojournalist for the âWashington Times-Herald.â Several years later, she would become First Lady of the United States â one of the most well-known and influential of all time.
