A Presidential Wedding: Is It Possible?

The White House has been the site of many weddings and wedding receptions over the years. There have been nineteen documented weddings hosted by the President and/or First Lady of the United States, with the first taking place on March 29, 1812, when Lucy Payne Washington, the sister of First Lady Dolley Madison, married Supreme Court Associate Justice Thomas Todd. Since then, the White House has hosted the weddings of children, nieces, nephews, siblings, staffers, and friends of the President and First Lady, as well as one presidential wedding. These events are often referred to as America's 'royal' weddings and offer a glimpse into the personal lives of the country's leaders.

Who can get married at the White House?

The White House has hosted 19 documented weddings, including:

• Nine children of presidents
• Three nieces or nephews of the president or first lady
• Two siblings
• Two staffers
• One granddaughter
• One friend
• One president

The weddings of 12 children of incumbent presidents who married elsewhere were followed by receptions at the White House.

The first wedding at the White House took place on March 29, 1812, when Lucy Payne Washington, the sister of First Lady Dolley Madison, married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd.

The most recent wedding at the White House took place on November 19, 2022, when Naomi Biden, granddaughter of President Joe Biden, married Peter Neal on the South Lawn.

How many weddings have been held at the White House?

There have been 19 documented weddings hosted by the President and/or First Lady of the United States at the White House, with the first taking place on March 29, 1812. There have also been four documented weddings that took place elsewhere, with the wedding receptions hosted by the President and/or First Lady at the White House.

Weddings at the White House

• March 29, 1812: Lucy Payne Washington (sister of First Lady Dolley Madison) married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd.
• March 9, 1820: Maria Hester Monroe (daughter of President James Monroe) married her first cousin, Samuel L. Gouverneur.
• February 25, 1828: John Adams II (son of President John Quincy Adams) married his first cousin, Mary Catherine Hellen, in the Blue Room.
• April 10, 1832: Mary A. Eastin (niece of Rachel Jackson, wife of President Andrew Jackson) married Lucius J. Polk in the East Room.
• November 29, 1832: Mary Anne Lewis (daughter of a close friend of President Andrew Jackson) married Alphonse Joseph Yves Pageot in the East Room.
• January 31, 1842: Elizabeth Tyler (daughter of President John Tyler) married William Waller in the East Room.
• May 21, 1874: Nellie Grant (daughter of President Ulysses S. Grant) married Algernon Sartoris in the East Room.
• June 19, 1878: Emily Platt (niece of President Rutherford B. Hayes) married Russell Hastings in the Blue Room.
• June 2, 1886: President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room.
• February 17, 1906: Alice Roosevelt (daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt) married Nicholas Longworth in the East Room.
• November 25, 1913: Jessie Woodrow Wilson (daughter of President Woodrow Wilson) married Francis Bowes Sayre in the East Room.
• May 7, 1914: Eleanor Randolph Wilson (daughter of President Woodrow Wilson) married William Gibbs McAdoo in the Blue Room.
• August 7, 1918: Alice Wilson (niece of President Woodrow Wilson) married Isaac Stuart McElroy, Jr., in the Blue Room.
• July 30, 1942: Harry Hopkins (advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt) married Louise Gill Macy in the Yellow Oval Room.
• December 9, 1967: Lynda Bird Johnson (daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson) married Charles Spittal Robb in the East Room.
• June 12, 1971: Tricia Nixon (daughter of President Richard Nixon) married Edward F. Cox in the Rose Garden.
• May 28, 1994: Anthony Rodham (brother of First Lady Hillary Clinton) married Nicole Boxer in the Rose Garden.
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What are some examples of White House weddings?

There have been nineteen documented weddings hosted by the President and/or First Lady of the United States at the White House, with four additional wedding receptions hosted by the President and/or First Lady for couples who married elsewhere. Here are some examples of White House weddings:

Lucy Payne Washington and Thomas Todd (1812)

The first wedding at the White House was that of Lucy Payne Washington, sister of First Lady Dolley Madison, who married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd on March 29, 1812.

Maria Hester Monroe and Samuel L. Gouverneur (1820)

Maria Hester Monroe, daughter of President James Monroe, married her first cousin, Samuel L. Gouverneur, on March 9, 1820. This was the first wedding of a child of a president at the White House.

John Adams II and Mary Catherine Hellen (1828)

John Adams II, son of President John Quincy Adams, married his first cousin, Mary Catherine Hellen, in the Blue Room on February 25, 1828. This was the first wedding of a grandchild of a president (grandson of President John Adams) at the White House.

Mary Anne Lewis and Alphonse Pageot (1832)

Mary Anne Lewis, daughter of a close friend of President Andrew Jackson, married Alphonse Joseph Yves Pageot in the East Room on November 29, 1832. This was the first wedding at the White House of an individual not related to the first family, and the only Roman Catholic wedding ever held at the White House.

President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom (1886)

Grover Cleveland is the only president to marry inside the White House. He wed Frances Folsom in the Blue Room on June 2, 1886.

Alice Roosevelt and Nicholas Longworth (1906)

Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, married Ohio Representative Nicholas Longworth in the East Room on February 17, 1906.

Naomi Biden and Peter Neal (2022)

The most recent White House wedding was that of Naomi Biden, granddaughter of President Joe Biden, who married Peter Neal on the South Lawn on November 19, 2022.

How much does a White House wedding cost?

There is no publicly available information on the cost of a White House wedding. However, it is known that the president is invoiced for the private event at personal expense, including flowers, event-specific staffing, and overtime. The White House social secretary takes on wedding planning duties, and White House staff may be directed to work on the wedding, such as chefs, butlers, or calligraphy staff.

Public weddings at the White House, especially those involving the children of the president, are often referred to as "America's 'royal' weddings." They are seen as "feel-good occasions for the country and the commander in chief, casting presidents in the sympathetic role of father."

Over the years, there have been nineteen documented weddings hosted by the President and/or First Lady at the White House, with four additional wedding receptions for nuptials that took place elsewhere.

• March 29, 1812: Lucy Payne Washington, sister of First Lady Dolley Madison, married Supreme Court Associate Justice Thomas Todd.
• March 9, 1820: Maria Hester Monroe, daughter of President James Monroe and First Lady Elizabeth Monroe, married Samuel L. Gouverneur, the First Lady's nephew and private secretary to President Monroe.
• February 25, 1828: John Adams II, son of President John Quincy Adams and First Lady Louisa Catherine Adams, married Mary Catherine Hellen, the niece of Mrs. Adams.
• April 10, 1832: Mary Ann Eastin, grandniece of Rachel Donelson Jackson, married Lucius J. Polk.
• November 29, 1832: Mary Anne Lewis, daughter of a close friend of President Andrew Jackson, married Alphonse Pageot.
• January 31, 1842: Elizabeth Tyler, daughter of President John Tyler and First Lady Letitia Tyler, married William Waller in the East Room.
• May 21, 1874: Nellie Grant, daughter of President Ulysses S. Grant and First Lady Julia Grant, married Algernon Sartoris in the East Room.
• June 19, 1878: Emily Platt, niece of President Rutherford B. Hayes, married General Russell Hastings in the Blue Room.
• June 2, 1886: President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room, making him the only president to marry inside the White House.
• February 17, 1906: Alice Lee Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, married Ohio Representative Nicholas Longworth in the East Room.
• November 25, 1913: Jessie Woodrow Wilson, daughter of President Woodrow Wilson and First Lady Ellen Wilson, married Francis Bowes Sayre in the East Room.
• May 7, 1914: Eleanor Randolph Wilson, daughter of President Woodrow Wilson and First Lady Ellen Wilson, married Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo in the Blue Room.
• August 7, 1918: Alice Wilson, niece of President Woodrow Wilson, married Reverend Isaac Stuart McElroy, Jr. in the Blue Room.
• July 30, 1942: Harry Hopkins, administrator and advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, married Louise Gill Macy in the Second Floor Oval Room (then Roosevelt's private study).
• December 9, 1967: Lynda Bird Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon Johnson and First Lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, married Captain Charles S. Robb in the East Room.
• June 12, 1971: Tricia Nixon, daughter of President Richard Nixon and First Lady Patricia Nixon, married Edward Finch Cox in the Rose Garden, becoming the first outdoor wedding at the White House.
• May 28, 1994: Anthony Rodham, brother of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, married Nicole Boxer in the Rose Garden.
• October 19, 2013: Official White House Photographer Pete Souza married Patti Lease in the Rose Garden.
• November 19, 2022: Naomi Biden, granddaughter of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, married Peter Neal on the South Lawn, becoming the first wedding of a grandchild of a sitting president at the White House.

Can the president officiate a wedding?

In the United States, there is no federal law that explicitly states whether or not the President can officiate a wedding. However, it is possible for the President to have officiated a wedding depending on the state laws where the wedding is taking place.

State Laws

In Texas, for example, state law outlines that only certain persons may officiate a marriage ceremony. These include licensed or ordained Christian ministers or priests, officers of religious organizations who are authorized by the organization to conduct a marriage ceremony, and current, former, or retired federal or state judges. While there is no requirement to have a wedding officiant's license or to register as an officiant in Texas, one must be qualified to conduct the ceremony according to Texas law.

Illinois has similar requirements, allowing weddings to be officiated by judges or retired judges, county clerks in counties with a population of at least 2,000,000, public officials whose duties include performing weddings, and mayors or presidents of a city, village, or town. Additionally, Illinois recognizes marriages solemnized by religious denominations, Indian nations or tribes, or native groups, as long as the officiant is in good standing with the respective group.

Weddings at the White House

Historically, there have been nineteen documented weddings hosted by the President and/or First Lady of the United States at the White House, including one wedding of a sitting president, Grover Cleveland, in 1886. In addition, there have been four documented weddings that took place elsewhere, followed by wedding receptions hosted by the President and/or First Lady at the White House. These events are often referred to as "America's 'royal' weddings" and showcase the White House as a site of celebration and tradition.

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