The wedding took place at the First African Baptist Church on the northern edges of Cumberland Island. Per JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography by Rosemarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil, John had heard that, following the assassination of his uncle, Robert Kennedy, the island’s inhabitants had gathered at this particular church for a special service in his honour. The story moved him—and convinced him that it was the ideal venue for their wedding, rather than the beach or another private residence.
On hand to officiate at the brief Catholic service was Reverend Charles J O’Byrne of New York’s Church of St Ignatius Loyola, where John’s mother Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s funeral was held in 1994. Tragically, just three years after this wedding, O’Byrne would also preside over Kennedy and Bessette’s funeral.
The guests
Only 40 guests were invited to the wedding, including John’s cousin Anthony Radziwill (who served as his best man); John’s sister, Caroline Kennedy (Carolyn’s matron of honour), and her husband, Edwin Schlossberg; and their kids, Jack (the ring bearer), Rose and Tatiana (both flower girls). Also in attendance were Jackie’s longtime partner, Maurice Tempelsman, and Carolyn’s immediate family.
Notably not on the list? Anthony’s mother and Jackie’s sister, Lee Radziwill. She and John weren’t close, and though Carolyn did reportedly question him on the decision, it felt like the right one for them.
To house all their guests, John and Carolyn took over as many family homes on the island as they could. In lieu of fancy cars, everyone got to the ceremony on pick-up trucks, and were given distinctive, rare Buffalo nickel coins to carry around, to show the security teams when required.
The rehearsal dinner
As shown in Love Story, the celebrations kicked off with a rehearsal dinner at the palatial Greyfield Inn. For it, Carolyn wore a dress designed by Narciso Rodriguez, her friend from her time as a publicist at Calvin Klein. It was similar to her wedding dress—a nude-coloured, bias-cut slip embellished with crystals and with a tank-style neckline. She paired it with white Manolo Blahnik slingback sandals for the occasion.
At the dinner, Edwin Schlossberg made a toast which featured the line, “Politics plus fashion equals passion,” which he also had printed onto T-shirts. Carolyn’s mother, Ann, also spoke, telling the crowd that she hoped her daughter would have the strength to cope with her new public life.
The dress
Carolyn’s Narciso Rodriguez wedding dress—a pearl-coloured, silk crêpe, sleeveless, bias-cut slip with a cowl neck—was the product of extensive consultations with her friend. Carolyn, by all accounts, wanted something simple that wouldn’t look dated or feature much adornment. She flew to Paris for a number of fittings, and Narciso and his team apparently designed three different wedding dresses for her to choose between. The gown she ultimately picked required several adjustments, including on the day of the wedding, which resulted in Carolyn arriving at the ceremony about two hours late.
It was clearly worth it—the dress remains one of the most famous wedding looks of all time, and rightly sent Rodriguez stratospheric. Just a year later, the designer was able to launch his very own label.
The schedule
Photo: Getty Images
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