#kennedy wedding

Today is the wedding anniversary of Jacqueline Lee Bouvier and John F. Kennedy. They were married on September 12, 1953, in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Newport, Rhode Island. 

Jacqueline Bouvier’s ivory silk wedding gown required 50 yards of ivory silk taffeta and took more than two months to make. It was the creation of Ann Lowe, an African-American dress-maker born in Grayton, Alabama, who had designed gowns for the matrons of high society families. Ms. Lowe was 54 when she designed the Bouvier wedding dress, which featured a portrait neckline and bouffant skirt decorated with interwoven bands of tucking and tiny wax flowers. She also designed the pink faille silk gowns and matching Tudor caps worn by the bridal attendants.

Over twelve hundred guests attended the reception at Hammersmith Farm, the oceanfront estate of Jacqueline’s stepfather, Hugh D. Auchincloss. This home movie footage of the bride and groom dancing was taken by JFK’s close friend Paul Fay. Throughout 2017, we’re celebrated the JFK Centennial with a series all about JFK!

More on the wedding of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy from the JFK Library