Lyla Dejesus
The White House has been the site of wedding ceremonies and receptions for nearly two centuries, hosting nineteen documented weddings and four receptions. The first wedding took place in 1812, when First Lady Dolley Madison's sister, Lucy Payne Washington, married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd. Since then, weddings have been held for first family members, relatives, close friends, and White House staff. The only president to marry in the White House was former President Grover Cleveland, who wed Frances Folsom in the Blue Room in 1886. The most recent White House wedding was in 2022, when Naomi Biden, granddaughter of President Joe Biden, married Peter Neal on the South Lawn.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of weddings | 19 documented weddings and 4 receptions |
| First wedding | March 29, 1812 |
| Last wedding | November 19, 2022 |
| Wedding of a sitting president | June 2, 1886: President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom |
| Wedding of a grandchild of a sitting president | November 19, 2022: Naomi Biden (granddaughter of President Joe Biden) married Peter Neal |
| First outdoor wedding | June 12, 1971: Tricia Nixon (daughter of President Richard Nixon) married Edward F. Cox in the Rose Garden |
| Wedding of a president's aide | October 19, 2013: Pete Souza (Chief Official White House Photographer) married Patti Lease |
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What You'll Learn
Who has had their wedding at the White House?
The White House has played host to 19 weddings and four receptions over the years. The first wedding took place in 1812, and the most recent was in 2022. The majority of weddings have been for members of the first family, particularly the children of presidents, but also nieces, nephews, siblings, and grandchildren. Relatives, close friends, and White House staff have also tied the knot at the White House.
The first wedding at the White House was between Lucy Payne Washington, sister of First Lady Dolley Madison, and Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd. The wedding of Maria Hester Monroe, daughter of President James Monroe, to Samuel L. Gouverneur, the First Lady's nephew and private secretary to President Monroe, was the first of a presidential child. John Adams II, son of President John Quincy Adams, married his first cousin, Mary Catherine Hellen, in 1828. Mary was also the niece of Mrs Adams, who disapproved of the match.
The only wedding of a sitting president to take place in the White House was that of President Grover Cleveland to Frances Folsom in 1886. Their wedding in the Blue Room triggered national interest, with hundreds of uninvited guests flooding the North Lawn. Frances was the daughter of the president's late business partner.
Other presidential children who married at the White House include Lynda Bird Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson; Tricia Nixon, daughter of President Richard Nixon; Nellie Grant, daughter of President Ulysses S. Grant; and Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt.
The first wedding to take place outdoors at the White House was that of Tricia Nixon and Edward F. Cox in 1971. They were married in the Rose Garden, as were Anthony Rodham, brother of First Lady Hillary Clinton; Pete Souza, Chief Official White House Photographer; and Patti Lease in 2013.
The most recent wedding at the White House was that of Naomi Biden, granddaughter of President Joe Biden, and Peter Neal on the South Lawn in 2022.
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How many weddings have there been at the White House?
The White House has played host to 19 weddings and four receptions over more than two centuries. The first wedding took place in 1812 when First Lady Dolley Madison's sister, Lucy Payne Washington, married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd. The most recent was in November 2022 when Naomi Biden, granddaughter of President Joe Biden, married Peter Neal on the South Lawn.
The White House has also been the site of wedding receptions for four weddings that took place elsewhere. The first of these was in December 1831 when President Andrew Jackson hosted a reception for his son, Andrew Jackson Jr, and his new wife, Sarah Yorke. The couple had married in Philadelphia on 24 November 1831.
Of the 19 weddings, nine have been children of presidents, three have been a niece or nephew of the president or first lady, two siblings, two staffers, one granddaughter, one friend and one president.
The wedding of President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom in 1886 is the only time a sitting president has married at the White House.
The Rose Garden was the setting for the first outdoor wedding at the White House in 1971 when President Richard Nixon's daughter Tricia Nixon married Edward F Cox.
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Who had the first wedding at the White House?
The first wedding at the White House took place on March 29, 1812, between Lucy Payne Washington, the sister of First Lady Dolley Madison, and Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd.
Since then, 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 for couples who were married elsewhere. Of these weddings, nine have been children of presidents, three have been nieces or nephews of the president or first lady, two have been siblings, two have been staffers, one has been a granddaughter, one has been a friend, and one has been a president.
The first wedding of a child of a president took place on March 9, 1820, when Maria Hester Monroe, the daughter of President James Monroe, married her first cousin, Samuel L. Gouverneur. The first wedding of a grandchild of a president took place on November 19, 2022, when Naomi Biden, the granddaughter of President Joe Biden, married Peter Neal on the South Lawn.
The only wedding of a president to take place in the White House was that of President Grover Cleveland, who married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room on June 2, 1886. Cleveland was 49, and Folsom was 21. The wedding was highly publicized, but only close associates of the couple were permitted to attend, with a total of 31 guests at the ceremony. The press was expressly forbidden from attending, though reporters were allowed to see the decorations before the area was closed off. Hundreds of spectators gathered around the White House as the guests arrived. The Blue Room was redecorated for the wedding, with numerous flowers and other houseplants, including begonias, azaleas, camellias, pansies, ferns, roses, and palms. The wedding date was inscribed in the flower bed, written out in an arrangement of white pansies, and the initials "CF" were written with white roses.
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How much does a White House wedding cost?
There have been 19 documented weddings at the White House, with four receptions for weddings that took place elsewhere. The White House has been described as the most exclusive wedding venue in the United States, reserved for only a few connected people. The President is invoiced for private events at personal expense, including flowers, event-specific staffing, and overtime. However, White House staff may be directed to work on the wedding, and the White House social secretary takes on wedding planning duties.
There is no standard cost for a White House wedding, as the venue is not available for hire by the general public. The only people to have been married at the White House are members of the first family (particularly presidents' children, but also nieces and nephews, siblings, and grandchildren) or close staff members.
There are, however, venues that offer White House-themed weddings, such as the White House Event Center in Orange County, California. This half-scale replica of the White House in Washington, D.C., offers a one-of-a-kind event experience. The West Wing Grand Ballroom can accommodate up to 360 guests for dining or 500 for dancing. The White House Event Center also offers a 2,000-square-foot bridal suite, a full audio-visual system, a baby grand piano, and a bar and service station.
Another White House-themed venue is Barrington's White House, which offers wedding packages for intimate and traditional weddings. The venue includes a native garden for photo opportunities, gold Chiavari chairs, and a full-service catering kitchen. Alcoholic beverages are available for an additional charge.
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Has a sitting president ever gotten married at the White House?
The White House has been the site of wedding ceremonies and receptions for over two hundred years. There have been nineteen documented weddings hosted by the President and/or First Lady of the United States. However, only one sitting president has ever gotten married at the White House.
On June 2, 1886, President Grover Cleveland, who was 49 years old at the time, married Frances Folsom, who was 21 years old, in the Blue Room of the White House. Cleveland was the sitting President of the United States and remains the only U.S. president to be married in a room of the White House. The wedding was highly publicized, but only close associates of the bride and groom were permitted to attend the ceremony. A reception was held as a public event one week after the ceremony.
Of the nineteen weddings hosted at the White House, nine have been children of presidents, three have been a niece or nephew of the president or first lady, two siblings, two staffers, one granddaughter, one friend, and one president. 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 first wedding of a child of a president in the White House took place on March 9, 1820, when Maria Hester Monroe, the daughter of President James Monroe, married her first cousin, Samuel L. Gouverneur.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there have been nineteen documented weddings hosted by the President and/or First Lady of the United States.
The first wedding at the White House was between Lucy Payne Washington, sister of First Lady Dolley Madison, and Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd on March 29, 1812.
Yes, the only president to tie the knot at the White House was former President Grover Cleveland. He married Frances Folsom, the daughter of his late business partner, on June 2, 1886.
The most recent wedding held at the White House was on November 19, 2022, between Naomi Biden, granddaughter of President Joe Biden, and Peter Neal.
Private events at the White House like weddings are typically paid for by the family of the couple getting married. The President is invoiced for the private event at personal expense, including flowers, event-specific staffing, and overtime.
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