Once upon a time: Remembering some of the most cherished moments of world history when wedding bells tolled and two people united in love in magical surroundings
Not every moment in every fairy tale is perfect; Snow White gets lost in a forest, Sleeping Beauty pricks her finger, Rapunzel is trapped in a tower. Real life fairy tales aren’t any different. The lead-up to one of the most beautiful weddings of the 20th century too had its fair share of nightmare-moments. Seven days before the wedding it seemed impossible the bride’s dress would be ready in time for the ceremony in the church, when a pipe burst at the dress designer’s studio soaking the bride’s gown and the dresses of the ten bridesmaids beyond redemption.
While the African-American dressmaker, Ann Lowe, panicked and got her team to remake all eleven dresses within a week, the bride remained unfazed. Not surprisingly. There was little that could unsettle the cool demeanor of Jacqueline Bouvier.
Except, perhaps that first time she set her eyes on John F. Kennedy, the good-looking junior senator from Massachusetts, at a dinner-party in Georgetown in 1951 and forgot everything else that had mattered to her till then. Jackie, as she was known, was twenty-two and working as the Washington Times-Herald’s “Inquiring Camera Girl” when her path crossed with his, when sparks flew, when two hearts started to beat to the same rhythm. He dated her for two years, during which time Jackie - an ardent lover of horses mused at the idea that she might actually marry a man who was allergic to horses, something she had never dreamed, not even in her wildest dreams, she would do. In 1953, when he proposed with a Van Cleef & Arpels ring set with a 2.88-carat diamond and 2.84-carat emerald, she accepted.
When Jack (as Kennedy was known) married Jackie on 12th September 1953, eight years before he became the youngest elected president in U.S. history, he was just a guy marrying a girl in Newport, Rhodes Island. Well, almost. Both of them came from prominent, moneyed, influential families, for their wedding to go unnoticed, and so the celebrations which was later known as the social event of the season took place with more than 800 guests including senators, diplomats, and other notables descending upon St. Mary’s Church, to attend the nuptials.
Jackie was resplendent in an ivory silk portrait-neckline dress with a bouffant skirt accented by an heirloom rose point lace veil. She was escorted down the aisle by her stepfather, Hugh D. Auchincloss. Her sister, Lee, served as matron of honor, while her stepsister Nina Auchincloss was maid of honor. The groom’s sister Jean and sister-in-law Ethel also served as members of the bridal party.
Afterwards, the reception was held at Hammersmith Farm, the 300-acre property owned by Jackie’s mother. There, some 400 more guests joined the festivities-so many were in attendance that it took the couple two hours to shake each guests hand. Everyone enjoyed a traditional lunch and then the bride and groom had their first dance to Meyer Davis’ “I Married an Angel.”
The day ended with a spectacular send-off: Rose petal confetti and rice were showered on the newlyweds wishing them happiness and prosperity.
The LIFE magazine chronicled this spectacular wedding, in their September 1953 issue, ‘The marriage of Washington’s best-looking young senator to Washington’s prettiest inquiring photographer took place in Newport R.I. this month and their wedding turned out to be the most impressive in 30 years. The whole affair, said one enthusiastic guest, was ‘just like a coronation.’
-Aditha
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