‘Love Story’: What Was Carolyn Bessette & John F. Kennedy Jr.’s Wedding Actually Like?

The wedding took place at the First African Baptist Church on the northern edge of Cumberland Island. Every JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography John heard that after his uncle, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated, the islanders gathered in this special church for a special ceremony in his honor. The story moved him and convinced him that this was the ideal place for their wedding, rather than a beach or other private residence.

The Reverend Charles J O’Byrne of St. Ignatius Loyola Church in New York, where the funeral of John’s mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, was held in 1994, performed the brief Catholic ceremony. Sadly, just three years after this wedding, O’Byrne presided over the funerals of Kennedy and Bessette.

guest

Only 40 guests were invited to the wedding, including John’s cousin Anthony Radziwill (who served as John’s best man); John’s sister Caroline Kennedy (Caroline’s bridesmaid) and her husband Edwin Schlossberg; and their children Jack (ring bearer), Rose and Tatiana (all flower girls). Also in attendance were Jackie’s long-term partner Maurice Templesman and Caroline’s immediate family.

Notably not on the list? Lee Radziwill, Anthony’s mother and Jackie’s sister. She and John were not close, and although Caroline reportedly did question his decision, it felt like it was the right choice for them.

To accommodate all the guests, John and Caroline took over as much of the family home on the island as possible. Everyone traveled to the ceremony in a pickup truck in lieu of a luxury car and were given unique, rare Buffalo nickels to take with them to show to the security team if needed.

rehearsal dinner

As shown in the picture love storyThe festivities kicked off with a rehearsal dinner at the palatial Greyfield Hotel. For the occasion, Caroline wore a dress designed by Narciso Rodriguez, her friend from her days as a publicist at Calvin Klein. It was similar to her wedding dress – a nude bias-cut slip embellished with crystals and a vest-style neckline. She paired it with white Manolo Blahnik slingback sandals for the occasion.

During the dinner, Edwin Schlossberg wrote the words “Politics plus fashion equals passion” during his toast, which he also printed on a T-shirt. Caroline’s mother Ann also spoke, telling the crowd she wanted her daughter to have the strength to cope with her new public life.

this dress

Carolyn’s Narciso Rodriguez wedding dress, a sleeveless, bias-cut slip dress in pearl silk crepe, was the result of extensive consultation with her friends. By all accounts, Caroline wanted something simple that wouldn’t look dated or too embellished. She flew to Paris for multiple fittings, and Narciso and his team apparently designed three different wedding dresses for her to choose from. The dress she ultimately chose required multiple adjustments, including on the wedding day, which caused Caroline to be about two hours late to the ceremony.

It was clearly worth it—the dress remains one of the most famous wedding looks of all time, and rightfully catapulted Rodriguez to the top. Just a year later, the designer launched his own brand.