White House Wedding Bells

The White House has played host to nuptials for presidential relatives dating back to 1812. There have been nineteen documented weddings hosted by the President and/or First Lady of the United States, with four additional wedding receptions hosted by the President and/or First Lady after the ceremony took place elsewhere.

The first White House wedding

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

The wedding ceremony was held in the White House, making it the first of its kind, and it set a precedent for future nuptial celebrations involving presidential relatives. The White House has since become known as "The People's House", hosting weddings for children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, siblings, staffers, friends, and relatives of presidents and first ladies.

The White House wedding of Lucy Payne Washington and Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd was a significant event, not only because it was the first but also because it established a tradition of celebrating important life events within the White House. This tradition has continued for over two centuries, with the venue providing a backdrop for numerous weddings and receptions.

The White House weddings are often referred to as "America's 'royal' weddings," as they capture the public's interest and cast the president in a sympathetic light as a parent or family member. The grandeur of the White House, with its elegant rooms and ability to accommodate a large number of guests, makes it an ideal setting for these memorable occasions.

Weddings of presidential children

The White House has been the site of numerous weddings and wedding receptions over the years, including those of presidential children. Here is a closer look at some of these weddings:

Maria Hester Monroe

On March 9, 1820, Maria Hester Monroe, the daughter of President James Monroe and First Lady Elizabeth Monroe, married her first cousin, Samuel L. Gouverneur, who was also Mrs. Monroe's nephew and private secretary to President Monroe. This was the first wedding of a child of a president in the White House. The ceremony likely took place in the “Elliptical Saloon,” later known as the "Blue Room," and was followed by a feast in the State Dining Room for the 42 guests.

John Adams II

John Adams II, the son of President John Quincy Adams and First Lady Louisa Catherine Adams, married his first cousin, Mary Catherine Hellen, on February 25, 1828. The wedding took place in the Blue Room and was the first wedding of a grandchild of a president at the White House. It was a small wedding, as neither of John Adams II's two brothers attended, likely due to the bride having been courted by both of them previously.

Elizabeth Tyler

Elizabeth Tyler, the daughter of President John Tyler and First Lady Letitia Tyler, married William Waller, an attorney and family friend, on January 31, 1842. The wedding took place in the East Room, and the guests included members of the Cabinet, diplomats and their wives, family, and friends. This was the second time a daughter of a president was married at the White House.

Nellie Grant

Nellie Grant, the daughter of President Ulysses S. Grant and First Lady Julia Grant, married Algernon Sartoris, a British attaché, on May 21, 1874. The wedding took place in the East Room and is considered the first truly grand White House wedding. The black crepe that had draped the interior of the White House in mourning was replaced with beautiful flowers, and orange blossoms were specially transported from Florida. The wedding march was played by the Marine Band as President Grant escorted Nellie to the East Room, which was filled with 250 guests.

Alice Roosevelt

Alice Roosevelt, the eldest daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, married Ohio Representative Nicholas Longworth on February 17, 1906. The wedding took place in the East Room and was a grand affair, with a guest list of 1,000 people, including family, friends, and politicians and diplomats from around the world. Alice Roosevelt had been an international celebrity for several years, known for her wild antics such as carrying a pet snake in her purse and smoking on the roof of the White House.

Jessie Woodrow Wilson

Jessie Woodrow Wilson, the daughter of President Woodrow Wilson and First Lady Ellen Wilson, married Francis Bowes Sayre on November 25, 1913. The wedding took place in the East Room, and the bride wore an ivory satin dress trimmed with lace. The wedding was described as "intimate," with a guest list limited to 400.

Naomi Biden

Naomi Biden, the granddaughter of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, married Peter Neal on November 19, 2022. The wedding took place on the South Lawn, making Naomi the first grandchild of a sitting president to be married at the White House.

Presidential relatives' weddings

The White House has been the site of many weddings and wedding receptions for presidential relatives over the past two centuries.

Presidential Weddings

Only one president has ever gotten married at the White House. President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room on June 2, 1886. The wedding featured an ocean" of flowers, with pansies shaped into the initials "C" and "F." The couple was joined by 28 guests, including relatives, cabinet members, and close friends, who dined in the State Dining Room following the ceremony.

Children of Presidents

Nine children of presidents have had their weddings at the White House. These include:

• Maria Hester Monroe, daughter of President James Monroe, married her first cousin, Samuel L. Gouverneur, on March 9, 1820.
• Elizabeth Tyler, daughter of President John Tyler, married William Waller in the East Room on January 31, 1842.
• Nellie Grant, daughter of President Ulysses S. Grant, married Algernon Sartoris in the East Room on May 21, 1874.
• Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, married Nicholas Longworth in the East Room on February 17, 1906.
• Jessie Woodrow Wilson, daughter of President Woodrow Wilson, married Francis Bowes Sayre in the East Room on November 25, 1913.
• Eleanor Randolph Wilson, daughter of President Woodrow Wilson, married William Gibbs McAdoo in the Blue Room on May 7, 1914.
• Lynda Bird Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, married Charles Spittal Robb in the East Room on December 9, 1967.
• Tricia Nixon, daughter of President Richard Nixon, married Edward Finch Cox in the Rose Garden on June 12, 1971.
• Naomi Biden, granddaughter of President Joe Biden, married Peter Neal on the South Lawn on November 19, 2022. Naomi was the first grandchild to wed at the White House.

Other Presidential Relatives

In addition to the children of presidents, other presidential relatives have also had their weddings at the White House, including nieces, nephews, siblings, and grandchildren.

Wedding of President Grover Cleveland

On June 2, 1886, President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room of the White House, making him the only president in history to marry while in office. The wedding was highly publicised, but only close associates of the couple were permitted to attend the ceremony, with a public reception held a week later.

Grover Cleveland, 49, and Frances Folsom, 21, first met when Folsom was an infant, as Cleveland was a friend of her father, Oscar Folsom. In 1875, Oscar Folsom died in a buggy accident, and Cleveland was appointed the executor of his estate and became her unofficial guardian. He maintained a close relationship with Folsom while she was in school, and later while he became Governor of New York and then President of the United States.

Prior to his election, Cleveland had indicated a desire to remain a bachelor, and a White House wedding seemed unlikely. Media speculation was rife, and a Miss Van Vechten was considered the most likely bride-to-be. While in college, Folsom became engaged twice, though neither resulted in marriage. She expressed to her mother her desire to marry an older man. Cleveland and Folsom began a courtship, and he proposed to her shortly after, asking, "Would you put your life in my hands?". The engagement was kept secret from the press, and the couple went to great lengths to avoid public attention in the days leading up to the wedding.

The Blue Room was redecorated to serve as the venue for the wedding ceremony, 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. The East Room was also decorated with palms, ferns, azaleas, and hydrangeas.

Grover Cleveland led Frances Folsom down the aisle, as her grandfather, who was supposed to walk her down, had died shortly before her return to the United States. They walked down the Grand Staircase and across the hall into the Blue Room at 6:30 pm. The ceremony was officiated by two ministers: Byron Sunderland of the First Presbyterian Church, and Cleveland's brother, Reverend William Neal Cleveland. The U.S. Marine Band, conducted by John Philip Sousa, provided the music.

The groom wore a tuxedo and white bowtie, while the bride wore an ivory dress made of such stiff satin that it could stand up by itself. The traditional “honor, love and obey” portion of the bride's marriage vows was replaced with the words “honor, love and keep” at the couple's request. The ceremony lasted a total of ten minutes, after which the city went into celebration with the ringing of bells and blowing of ships' horns. A 21-gun salute was also performed.

The newlyweds then left the White House for their honeymoon in Deer Park, Maryland, where they were closely followed by reporters who intruded on their privacy. After returning to the White House, the Clevelands held two wedding receptions, one of which was open to the public.

White House wedding costs

The White House has hosted nineteen documented weddings, with four additional wedding receptions for nuptials that took place elsewhere. The costs of these events are borne by the president or first lady, who are invoiced for private expenses such as flowers, event-specific staffing, and overtime. While White House staff may be directed to work on the wedding, such as chefs, butlers, or calligraphy staff, any overtime pay is billed to the president.

The White House social secretary takes on wedding planning duties, and the first family has a range of resources at their disposal, including official White House china services, the ballroom chairs, and the Marine Band. The White House Historical Association reports that the president and first lady redecorated the East Room for Nellie Grant's wedding in 1874, adding white columns with gold leaf details and endless flowers, including a bell made of pink and white roses above the altar.

For the wedding of President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom in 1886, the Blue Room featured an "ocean" of flowers, with pansies shaped into the initials "C" and "F." Fifty guests attended, followed by a seated dinner in the State Dining Room.

The wedding of Alice Roosevelt in 1906 was described as "almost a national event," with thousands of well-wishers gathering in D.C.'s Lafayette Park to celebrate. The East Room was modestly decorated, and the event was attended by over a thousand guests, with a formal breakfast in the State Dining Room afterward.

In 1967, the wedding of Lynda Bird Johnson and Marine Capt. Charles Robb featured a 6-foot-tall pound cake, which the couple cut using a sword. The event was attended by 500 guests, including previous White House brides Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Luci Johnson.

The first outdoor wedding at the White House took place in 1971, when Tricia Nixon married Edward Finch Cox in the Rose Garden. The event featured elaborate floral details and a 7-foot-tall Lady Baltimore cake, nicknamed "Washington's newest monument" by the press.

In 2022, Naomi Biden, granddaughter of President Joe Biden, became the first grandchild to wed at the White House, exchanging vows with Peter Neal on the South Lawn. The event was followed by a luncheon and reception at the executive mansion, with dessert and dancing.

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