One may assume that the U.S Presidents’ and First Ladies’ weddings would be extravagant and over-the-top. However, prior to living in the White House, a majority of these couples were just simple and overwhelmingly in love.
It may surprise you just how simple some of their weddings were, including a woman who picked out her wedding dress a day before and two future first ladies who opted out of wearing white.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s Wedding Gown
Eleanor Roosevelt, who is the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt’s brother, married Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was the president’s fifth cousin in 1905. Their initial meeting was back when Eleanor was 14 and he was 18. After losing touch for a few years, they reconnected when they ran into one another at a horse show in Madison Square Garden.
F.D.R finally proposed to Eleanor when she was 19 and he, 22. Both sides of the Roosevelt family were in attendance. It may seem like a Roosevelt-Roosevelt marriage was odd, but it was not uncommon. On her wedding day she wore a high collared gown with puffy fabric shoulders and an elegant hat.
Jackie Kennedy’s Last-Minute Wedding Dress
In 1953, Jackie Bouvier gave fashion designer Anne Lowe the task of making her wedding dress. Unfortunately, ten days before the wedding, a water pipe broke and tragedy hit at Lowe’s studio on Madison Avenue. In total, it ruined 10 dresses for the wedding, including Jackie’s dress which took two months to create.
Lowe was on a time crunch to re-create Jackie’s dress. She ordered additional ivory French taffeta and pink silk faille. With a team of seamstresses by her side, they were able to remake a dress just in time for the wedding. Jackie’s dress had a classic neckline and bouffant skirt. It was so beautiful that it is considered to be one of history’s most iconic wedding gowns.
Barbara Bush Borrowed Her Future Mother-In-Law’s Veil
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Pierce met when they were teenagers in 1941. In a documentary titled 41, he discusses how they first met. In the documentary he says, “They called it a holiday dance at Christmas time and here she was in this red and green dress. I said, ‘Who is this good-looking girl, that beautiful girl over there?’ ‘That’s Barbara Pierce from Rye, New York.’ So then a guy named Wozencraft introduced us. And the rest is history.”
A few years later, the two married in 1945 at First Presbyterian Church in Rye, N.Y. George’s mother wore a veil when she got married and gifted it to Barbara for her ceremony.
The Obama’s Throwback ’90s Wedding Photo
Similar to Hillary and Bill Clinton, the famous Barack Obama met his future wife, Michelle Robinson in the law field. The two met while working at Sidley Austin law firm located in Chicago. At first, Michelle was against dating a colleague because she knew that could make for a messy work environment if things didn’t work out. However, eventually he convinced her to go on a date in 1989. They obviously really hit things off because the pair married three years later.
The two were married at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. It was as sweet as can be when Michelle’s brother walked her down the aisle, and a dance to “You and I” by Stevie Wonder followed. Michelle’s dress of choice was white, with pointed sleeves on her shoulders accompanied by a veil.
Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter- Since 1946
Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter were fairly young when they married on July 7, 1946. At the time she was only 18 and he was 21. The wedding was located in their hometown, Plains, Georgia. At first, Rosalynn turned down the proposal of the future 39th president but changed her mind once he graduated from a wartime class at the U.S. Naval Academy.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Jimmy wore his Navy uniform. Rosalynn chose a knee-length dress and paired it with a set of gloves, a hat, and a corsage. In 2016 the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Now that is something you don’t hear very often.
Mamie Eisenhower Was 19 When She Married
Geneva Doud who was only 19 at the time married Dwight Eisenhower on July 1st in 1916. At the time of their marriage, Dwight was 25 and a lieutenant in the Army. The two wed at Mamie’s parents’ home in Denver, Colorado.
Following the wedding, the two enjoyed their honeymoon at a resort nearby.
Bess Truman Had a Good Sense of Style
On June 28, 1919 Elizabeth Virginia “Bess” Wallace married Harry Truman who eventually would become president of the United States. As a young child Bess would’ve been best described as a tomboy by those who knew her. However, as she grew into a young woman, she became more feminine and enjoyed fashion-particularly hats. A friend of Bess said, “Bess always had more stylish hats than the rest of us did, or she wore them with more style.”
Harry and Bess met prior to him leaving for World War I and proposed in 1911, and unfortunately, she said no. He decided that he wanted to be able to provide a comfortable living for her before proposing again. At their wedding, Bess wore a beautiful brimmed hat.
Lou Henry Hoover’s Unconventional Wedding Gown
Lou Henry was an extremely smart and interesting woman. In her free time, she enjoyed camping with her father, and collecting rocks and minerals. She was also a proficient taxidermist. She met future President Herbert Hoover at Stanford University where she graduated with a B.A. in Geology. An interesting fact about Lou is that she was fluent in Chinese and was the only First Lady who was able to speak the language.
In February of 1899 Lou and Herbert tied the knot at her parents’ home in Monterey, California. Just like the groom, she chose to become a Quaker, but interestingly enough, they were married by a Roman Catholic priest. Instead of wearing white or a lighter color, Lou chose to wear a dark-colored gown.
Lucy Hayes’ - A "Genuine Woman"
On December 30, 1852, Lucy Ware Webb married Rutherford Richard Hayes at her family’s home in Cincinnati, Ohio. You may not know this, but Lucy had several suitors before she finally settled down with Rutherford. Lucy had a strong moral character and came from a religious background which made her seem like the perfect match for Rutherford according to his mother.
In 1851 Rutherford wrote in his diary, “I guess I am a great deal in love with L(ucy)…Her low sweet voice…her soft rich eyes.” He also referred to her as a “genuine woman.” Together the couple had eight children and as you can tell from the photo above, the pair both wore dark clothing on their wedding day.
Nancy Reagan Tried to Hide Her Baby Bump
Nancy Davis was a well-known actress in the 1940s and 1950s. Prior to meeting Ronald Reagan, she dated a man named Clark Gable. Nancy met Ronald in 1949 which was when he was the president of the Screen Actors Guild. Ronald was not someone who was big on marriage to begin with, but especially not after his divorce from Jane Wyman.
However, after three years of dating, Ronald and Nancy married in 1952. To avoid running into any issues with the press, their wedding was very last minute, and the only people who attended were the best man and matron of honor. The ceremony took place at the Little Brown Church located in Los Angeles. Nancy was also pregnant at their wedding so she wore a very simple, no-frills dress in an effort to conceal her bump.
Laura Bush Chose a Simple Tan Dress for Her Special Day
George Bush and Laura Lane Welch met at a backyard barbecue in July and got engaged just three months later. The two met on November 5, 1977, at her childhood church in Midland, Texas. The new couple took pictures with the future president’s parents, Geroge H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush.
Laura’s mother wore a fancy, traditional gown but she chose to wear a very simple tan dress she bought off the rack to her wedding. Bush was the Governor of Texas from 1995-2000 and became the President of the United States the following year.
Glover Cleveland's Courted Frances Folsom When She Was a Young Girl
In Today’s world, the union between Frances Folsom’s marriage to Glover Cleveland would not be socially acceptable. Grover met Frances when he was 27 and she was just a small child. He had his eyes on her from a very early age and he bought her several gifts to woo her. Frances’s father passed away when she was only 11 in 1875.
He didn’t have a will set in place, so Grover became the administrator of his estate. It was when Frances was in college the two became involved. In 1886, the two married when she was 21 and he was 49. At her wedding, she wore a white dress with orange blossoms and laurel leaves.
Betty Ford Didn’t Wear White At Her Second Time Around
Elizabeth Anne “Betty” Bloomer married Gerald R. Ford in Grand Rapids, MI, in 1948 at the Grace Episcopal Church. Although most brides choose to wear white on their wedding day, Elizabeth did not. She looked absolutely beautiful in a shiny dress with a pair of pumps to match. Prior to her marriage to Gerald, she was married to a man named Willian G. Warren, but due to his alcoholism, they divorced in 1947.
The two of them delayed their marriage initially because he was running for the U.S. House of Representatives. According to the New York Times, “Jerry was running for Congress and wasn’t sure how voters might feel about his marrying a divorced ex-dancer.”
Helen Louise Herron Taft’s Got Married in the Comfort of Her Home
Helen Louise Herron “Nellie” Taft and William Howard Taft married on June 19, 1886. The wedding ceremony took place at Nellie’s parents’ home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her dress was a short-sleeved gown with her hair styled into a beautiful up-do with a decorative accent that matched her dress. While on their honeymoon, the two visited New York City and Sea Bright, New Jersey. Following that, they traveled to Europe for a total of three months.
Helen had become the First Lady of the United States when Cleveland took office as the president in 1909 and served through 1913.
Melania Trump’s Luxurious Wedding Gown
Melania Knauss married Donald Trump in 2005, prior to him becoming president. Her dress of choice was made by the designer Dior and had 300 feet of tulle. The dress came with a hefty price tag too. It was somewhere between $100,000 and $200,000 to create. Not only was the price large, so was the dress.
The dress was so heavy that she was told to have a full meal before walking down the aisle so she could handle carrying the weight of the fabric and its accouterments. It had more than 1,500 pearls and rhinestones. The dress was so big that she couldn’t even sit in a chair, she had to sit on a bench instead.
550 Hours Went into Melania’s Wedding Gown
To elaborate further on Melania’s dress, it obviously took quite a while to create. According to Vogue, it took the Christian Dior brand 550 hours to make her dress. Meeting the strict deadline and with it being a high society event, it was not easy to do.
Her train alone was 13-feet long and a 16-foot veil. The dress weighed a total of 60 pounds - insane! We aren’t surprised that she didn’t wear the dress after the reception.
Melania Wore Vera Wang for Her Second Dress
Once the two had exchanged their wedding vows, Melania stepped out of her amazing Christian Dior gown and stepped into a Vera Wang dress. Of course, her Dior gown screamed everything extravagant, but the Vera Wang dress showed off her very model-like figure.
It hugged her body ever so perfectly and went straight down to the floor, with a slit that came up to her knee.
Edith Wilson Was One of Her Husband's Advisers
President Woodrow Wilson met Edith Bolling Galt a year after his wife passed away. She was also married but her husband had also passed away in 1908. The two married on December 18, 1915, in Washington, D.C. It was thought by many that Wilson would not be elected for a second term due to his quick courtship to Edith.
However, he was inaugurated for the second time in March of 1917. Edith proved to be an invaluable advisor to her husband during his second term, which included the beginning of WWI.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Proposed on the First Date
Lyndon Baines Johnson, LBJ for short met Claudia Alta, “Lady Bird” Taylor through a mutual friend. Sometime after Lady Bird made a confession that she felt drawn to LBJ “like a moth drawn to a flame.” Wildly enough, he proposed to her on the first date and she accepted about two weeks later.
The two married in San Antonio, Texas on November 17, 1934. A honeymoon to Mexico came after the wedding. LBJ became the 36th president of the United States in 1963 after John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
Long Before the Watergate Scandal
Thelma Catherine “Pat” Ryan and Richard Nixon fell in love after meeting at an audition for a community play. The two married on June 21, 1940, in Riverside, California and following that, they honeymooned in Mexico.
The photo above is a picture from Nixon’s wedding shower. Nixon became president after his second presidential campaign. As you may already know, Mr. Nixon was a part of one of the biggest American political scandals in modern history.
America’s First Presidential Wedding
When George Washington was 26, he married Martha, who was 27 at the time on January 6, 1759. They married at the White House, which was a plantation at the time. Martha was married previously and had four children, but her husband passed away.
According to Wikipedia and the few remaining depictions of the event, “Washington’s suit was of blue and silver cloth with red trimming and gold knee buckles. The bride wore purple silk shoes with spangled buckles, which are occasionally displayed at Mount Vernon.” Her dress was also blue, to coordinate with Washington’s.
A Snapshot of Barack and Michelle Obama's Garter Toss
In 2018 Michelle posted this intimate photo from her wedding reception of her and Barack on Instagram. In her caption, she shared with her followers that he had been sick with a cold in the morning but felt better when he was at the altar.
She recalled: “We ended up dancing almost all night. Twenty-five years later, we’re still having fun, while also doing the hard work to build our partnership and support each other as individuals. I can’t imagine going on this wild ride with anybody else.”
The Reagans on Their Wedding Day
Ronald Reagan was so in love with his wife, and one of the ways he showed this was by giving her thoughtful gifts. He would complete drawings that he created and signed (I love you more than anyone ‘in the whole wide world. Who knew that Ronald was such a romantic!
Mr. Reagan’s Best Man was William Holden, the Academy-Award winning famous for films like Sunset Boulevard, The Wild Bunch, and Sabrina. His wife’s Maid of Honor was his William’s wife, actress Brenda Marshall.
Laura Bush Was George Bush's "Best Decision"
Marriage is such a beautiful thing because it’s a union of two families coming together. In Laura Bush’s case, she would also be gaining siblings, which was unknown to her because she had been an only child her entire life. She was truly thrilled to know that she would be gaining five brothers and sisters-in-law when she married George.
George W. had later said that marrying Laura, who has now been his wife for four decades, was the “best decision of his life.”
Grover Cleveland Was the Only President to Get Married at the White House
At the time of Grover Cleveland’s marriage Frances Folsom in 1886, he was the first and only president to be married at the White House. They celebrated their beautiful wedding in the summer of 1886. Prior to Frances becoming the first lady, Grover’s sister served.
For whatever reason, reporters were so fascinated by the President’s honeymoon that they followed the two around with binoculars. The couple had five children in total together and remained married until he sadly passed away in 1908.
Thomas Jefferson’s Wedding
The famous Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson married Martha Wayles in 1772 who was a widow. At the time of their wedding, Jefferson was the Governor of Virginia, making Martha the state’s first lady.
Jefferson gifted Martha with a mahogany forte-piano that he said was “worthy the acceptance of a lady for whom I intend it.”
Kennedy's Huge Wedding Party
Jackie and John F. Kennedy married on September 12, 1953, the entire Kennedy family turned out in Newport, Rhode Island. The two invited roughly 800 guests to attend the ocean-front wedding at Saint Mary’s Church. It sounds like an amazing wedding, we can’t imagine anyone not going to it.
Jackie had a total of ten bridesmaids, not including her maid of honor. All of them wore pink taffeta gowns to the ceremony. Her bridesmaids included her sister Lee, her stepsister Nina Auchincloss, John’s sister Jean, sister-in-law Ethel, and Jackie's former roommates, Nancy Tuckerman.
Jackie Kennedy and the Best Men
You’d assume that JFK would include his brothers in his bridal party, and he did! In this photo, Jackie is with the men of the family, including Robert and Edward Kennedy who are standing on either side of John.
At the time, JFK was a United States Senator, and his Senate colleague George Smathers, brother-in-law Sargent Shriver, cousin Joe Gargan, and brother-in-law Michael Canfield were all in his wedding party. In addition, so were a few of his friends, such as Lem Billings, Red Fay, and Robert Macdonald. And of course, Charles Bartlett stood close to the couple because he was the one who introduced the happy couple.
Jackie’s Dress on Display at the Kennedy Library
It’s not common to be able to see the First Ladies’ wedding dresses on display, but you can go see Jackie Kennedy’s! This is another dress that was designed by Ann Lowe and is now iconic for American brides. Jackie’s dress is probably one of the best-remembered gowns of all time.
Jackie kept it simple and wore very little jewelry with her dress. The bouquet she held had pink and white spray orchids and gardenias. If you want to go see Jackie’s dress, it’s on display at the Kennedy Library which is located in Boston, Massachusetts. You can also see many of her other popular outfits there.
The Royal Wedding, American Style
There wasn’t a single person who didn’t want to attend the amazing Jackie and John wedding. Why? Because it was similar to a royal wedding. Life photographer Lisa Larson wrote, “Their wedding turned out to be the most impressive the old society stronghold had seen in 30 years.”
Their wedding was so special that even the pope blessed them. After two years of dating, JFK proposed to Jackie with a 2.9-carat ring with a matching emerald.
A Woman of Faith
Jackie and John shared the same similar Catholic beliefs, and she was the first Catholic woman to serve at the First Lady of the United States. She was baptized at a church in Manhattan called the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola.
In this picture, the two are kneeling together in the century-old church of St. Mary’s. It was the happiest day of their lives. It was 1953, before JFK’s successful campaign for the presidency, before the Vietnam War, and before Robert F. Kennedy was killed. Unfortunately, Jackie would become a widow about ten years later.
President Johnson’s Daughter Tied the Knot in the East Room
Two daughters of President Johnson got married while he was in office. Lynda Baines Johnson, who his oldest daughter, married Marine Capt. Charles S. Robb in 1867. The two met while Robb was an aide in the White House. The pair married in the East Room, which was a room located in the White House.
Robb later became the governor of Virginia which would make Lynda the First Lady of Virginia, and the pair had three daughters together. It had been reported that Robb had an affair with Miss. Virginia USA of 1983, but he and Lynda remained married.
Chelsea Clinton's Lavish Wedding
The former first daughter of Bill Clinton, Chelsea, married her investor, Marc Mezvisnky on July 31, 2010. The two married at an estate on the Hudson River in Rhinebeck, New York. The famous Bill Clinton gave her away of course.
The beautiful bride wore a strapless Vera Wang dress that was ivory in color and had an embroidered waistband and a Cathedral-length wedding veil. Rumor has it that her dress cost right around $25,000.
The Gluten-Free Wedding Cake
As you can imagine, security was tight at her wedding, but certain details about the even have come to the surface. For example, Bill Clinton toasted his son-in-law during the reception, saying that he was “looking forward to having some company because I’m outnumbered.”
It’s been said that Chelsea and Bill danced to a song by Frank Sinatra, and he was crying a bit, and we don’t blame him! Afterwards, the 400 guests who attended were treated to a 500 pound, gluten-free vanilla sponge cake.
Woodrow Wilson’s Daughters Married in the White House
Eleanor “Nellie” Wilson was lucky enough to have her wedding in the White House while her father was in office. President Woodrow Wilson gave away his daughter Nellie to her husband William McAdoo, who was the Secretary of the Treasury in 1914.
The couple married in the Blue Room. Nelli was 24 years old at the time, and McAdoo was a 50-year-old grandfather, widowed with six children from his previous marriage. After the couple divorced in 1934, McAdoo married a 26-year-old when he was 71!
Tricia Nixon's Rose Garden Wedding
President Richard Nixon’s daughter, Patricia Nixon Cox, and her husband are still to this day the only couple to get married in the Rose Garden at the White House. She married a man named Edward Finch Cox, who was a law student at Harvard at the time.
The wedding was huge an extravagant and was described as a wedding of “American royalty” with Tricia’s father holding office. Did you know that their wedding cake was made with 400 egg whites? As you can imagine the guest list certainly included D.C.’s elite. Once the couple married, they settled down in the suburbs of New York and lived a pretty down to earth life with their son.
Amy Carter Belonged to No One
Amy Carter was one of the most independent women out there. She married James Wentzel in a smooth sailing ceremony which was held in Plains, Georgia, in 1996.
Amy obviously grew up in the White House, but she didn’t let that change what she wanted her wedding plans to be. She also didn’t let Jimmy give her away, saying that “she belonged to no one.” It comes as no surprise that she kept her own name.
Dorothy Bush- The First Presidential Daughter to Marry At Camp David
Dorothy Walker Bush was the daughter of President George H.W. Bush and the sister of George W. Bush. She was the first daughter to be married at Camp David which is a very private presidential retreat, located in the woods of Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland.
In 1942, President Roosevelt turned it into a presidential retreat. The facility is named after Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower. Dorothy married a man named Robert Koch in 1992.
Alice Lee and Theodore Roosevelts' Rocky Marriage
Alice Lee Roosevelt was the oldest daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. She was known to be quite the wild child. She was once quoted saying, “If you haven’t got anything good to say about anybody, come sit next to me.”
It was in 1906 when she married a Republican Congressman named Nicholas Longworth in the White House. Nicholas was 14 years older, and Alice wasn’t quite ready to settle down. Because of this, she ended up having an affair with a Senator. The two had a daughter together. Nicholas was also known to be something like a playboy which resulted in the two having a very up and down marriage.
Eleanor “Nelly” Custis Was Given Away by Her Step-Grandfather, George Washington
President George Washington was Eleanor “Nelly” Custis’s Step-Grandfather, and he gave her away on her wedding day when she married in 1799. The man’s name is Lawrence Lewis, and he was Washington's nephew. This was another wedding that was a huge event.
Once the couple tied the knot, they settled down near Mount Vernon at Woodlawn which was adjacent to Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.
David Eisenhower and Julie Nixon
Below, we see young couple Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower on their wedding day, December 22, 1968, in New York. Julie is Richard Nixon's youngest daughter, and in a political match made in heaven, she married former president, Dwight D. Eisenhower's only grandson, David Eisenhower. The entire wedding had been planned to the last detail when in 1968, her father was elected president; obviously, this changed things for the young couple.
Richard Nixon recalls trying to convince Julie to change her wedding venue and get married in the White House. After all, the wedding was set to take place seven weeks after election day, and why would Julie not want to be part of the very small and exclusive list of people to get married in the White House? But Julie declined. They didn't want their marriage to become a public and political spectacle. The couple has been married for over 50 years, and are still together today.
Margaret Truman and Clifton Daniel
Margaret Truman, President Harry S. Truman's only child, got married to NY Times reporter and editor, Clifton Daniel, on April 21, 1956. It was Margaret's lifelong dream to get married at the same church her parents had tied the knot at 36 years ago.
And so, the couple married in the Trinity Episcopal Church in Independence, Missouri, six blocks from the Truman family home. The couple remained happily married for decades until Daniel's death in 2000.
Jessie Wilson and Francis Bowes Sayre Sr.
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the U.S. and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1919. Jessie Wilson was one of his three daughters, and on November 25th, 1913, she got married to District Attorney, Francis Bowes Sayre Sr. Theirs was the thirteenth wedding to be held in the White House.
Born in Gainesville, Georgia, Jessie was the middle sister of Margaret and Eleanor Wilson. Both she and her fiance were Ivy League graduates, Jessie from Princeton University and Francis from Harvard. They had three children and remained married until Jessie's death in 1933, at a young 45 years of age.
William McKinley and Ida Saxton
In the photo below, we see 25th President of the U.S., William McKinley, posing next to his wife, Ida Saxton. They had two daughters, but unfortunately, both passed away at a very young age. Already having a fragile, nervous personality, this tragedy led to Ida's slow demise; shortly after their deaths, Ida started to develop epilepsy and became very dependant on William.
The couple had a strong bond. In fact, opposite to what was accustomed at the time, President Mckinley always insisted that Ida sit beside him at state dinners, instead of at the opposite side of the table. Sadly, McKinley was murdered in 1901, and Ida passed away 6 years later, in 1907.
Julia Gardiner and John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, from 1841 to 1845. Tyler became president sort of "accidentally", after being Vice-President to his predecessor, William Harrison, who passed away one month into his presidency. Tyler got married to Julia Gardiner in 1844, two years after the passing of his first wife, Letitia Christian. John Tyler had more children than any American president, fathering 15 children from both his marriages, seven of which were with Julia.
The engraved portrait above depicts Julia Gardiner Tyler posing for her White House portrait. The couple would remain together until John's death in 1862. Julia passed away in 1889 at the Exchange Hotel in Virginia, the same place her husband had died 27 years earlier.
Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, who served as the 16th U.S. President, was one of the most influential men in American history. During his term, he led the country through the American Civil War, abolished slavery, preserved the Union, and strengthened the nation's economy and the federal government. Lincoln married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842, in a small, private ceremony with 30 guests. On the morning of November 3, one day before the wedding, Abraham had stopped at their Reverend's home and said "I want to get hitched tonight", to which the Reverend agreed.
As he left the home, he bumped into former Governor of Illinois, Ninian Edwards and told him about the plans. Edwards, who was Mary Todd's guardian, said the ceremony should be held at their home. And since there were prior engagements that night, Lincoln and Todd got married the very next day, on November 4, at the Edwards' residence. Mary, true to her simple nature, wore a white muslin dress and no veil or flowers in her hair. The two would have a happy marriage until Abraham's tragic assassination in 1865.
Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman
Ronald Reagan was a famous Hollywood actor before becoming the 40th President of the United States. And before Nancy Reagan became First Lady, Reagan was married to fellow actress, Jane Wyman, for 9 years. The couple tied the knot on January 26, 1940, as depicted in the photo below, in their wedding ceremony in California.
True to form, the couple looks glamorous in the photo above, as was expected from Hollywood actors, especially during the Golden Age. Reagan and Wyman had three children; Maureen, Michael, and Christine.
Nellie Grant and Algernon Charles Frederick Sartoris
The photo below shows Nellie Grant, the only daughter of the 18th U.S. President, Ulysses S. Grant, and her husband, Algernon Charles Frederick Sartoris. The couple got married on May 21, 1874, and had a lavish wedding ceremony at the White House. The young couple (Nellie was 18 years old and Algernon, 22). The couple moved to England shortly after and had four children together.
Unfortunately, by 1889, Nellie was granted a divorce after Sartoris had clearly proved to have an irremediable drinking problem that spiraled out of control. Nellie went back to the U.S. and took the kids with her. She remarried in 1912.
Patti Davis and Paul Grilley
Patti Davis is the oldest child of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and older sister to Ron Reagan. She has two older siblings, Maureen and Michael, from Reagan's previous marriage to Jane Wyman. In the photo below, we see Patti Davis next to husband, Paul Grilley, who was a yoga instructor at the time, on their wedding day in 1984, in Los Angeles California. Accompanying them are proud parents, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and the Grilleys. It was a small, private, 17-minute ceremony at the Bel Air Hotel.
Sadly, the couple divorced in 1990. Patti Davis worked as an actress and a model during her younger years and went on to pursue a career in writing. She has written for The New York Times, Newsweek and Time, and has even penned a screenplay that later became a Hallmark movie.
Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel
Robert F. Kennedy was the seventh of nine children to successful businessman, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and socialite Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. And brother of famous U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Kennedys were one of the most influential Irish American families in the 1930s and would go on to become U.S. political and historical legacy. Robert served as both U.S. Attorney General, and United States Senator. In the photo below he is captured with his wife, Ethel Skakel, on their wedding day, on June 17, 1950, leaving the church in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Like most of his family, Robert Kennedy was a strong advocate of human rights and social justice. A socialite from Chicago, Illinois, Ethel Skakel was also an American human rights advocate. The couple was married for 18 years and had 11 children together. Shortly after being elected U.S. Senator, Robert was killed on June 5, 1968.
Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg
A part of the Kennedy dynasty, Caroline Bouvier Kennedy was the second child of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Onassis. Caroline was three years old when her father became the 35th president of the United States. Much like the rest of her family, Caroline has become intricately involved in U.S. politics and law, doing education reform and charity work for most of her adult life. She married exhibit designer, Edwin A. Schlossberg, in 1986. The couple is still married to this day; they have three children.
In the photo above, the couple is seen leaving Our Lady of Victory Church in Centerville, Massachusetts, after the wedding ceremony. Caroline and her uncle, Ted Kennedy, endorsed Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Later, in 2013, Obama appointed Caroline as United States Ambassador to Japan; a position which she held until 2017.
Jenna Bush and Henry Hager
The photo below shows proud father and 43rd U.S. President, George W. Bush, and daughter Jenna on her wedding day, on May 10, 2008. The ceremony took place at Prairie Chapel Ranch, near Crawford, Texas. Jenna Bush married Henry Hager, son of former lieutenant governor of Virginia, John H. Hager. Although reluctant for her father to run for president in 2004, she eventually gave in and even became involved with the election campaign.
After her father's presidency, Jenna went on to become an American news personality, author and journalist. She's a TV personality on NBC, a correspondent on The Today Show, and an editor for Southern Living magazine. And she's a mother of three.
Susan Ford and Charles Vance
Susan Ford is the youngest of four children, and the only daughter of 38th U.S. president, Gerald Ford, and wife Betty Ford. Susan married Charles Frederick Vance, a divorced Secret Service Agent that was 16 years her senior. Vance worked for Gerald Ford's security detail until 1977, the same year he met Susan. The couple got married two years later, on February 10, 1979.
The couple had two daughters, but unfortunately, they divorced in 1988. Susan remarried in 1989. She is a successful author and photojournalist.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
Below, we see the current First Daughter of the United States, Ivanka Trump, next to husband Jared Kushner, on their wedding day. Trump and Kushner got married on October 25, 2009, in Bedminster, New Jersey. The ceremony took place at the Trump National Golf Club.
Ivanka is the daughter of 45th and current U.S. president, Donald Trump, and former model and businesswoman, Ivana Trump. She works as an advisor to her father and is a businesswoman, fashion designer, author and reality TV personality. Ivanka and Jared have three kids.
Luci Baines Johnson and Patrick Nugent
Luci Baines is the youngest daughter of former U.S. President, Lyndon B. Johnson, and wife, former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. Luci married Air National Guardsman, Patrick Nugent, on August 6, 1966. Below, they are pictured on their wedding day, arm-in-arm outside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Luci's bridesmaids make a nice contrast to the photo with their pink veils, as they hold Luci's dress train.
Luci's name was actually spelled "Lucy", but in an act of rebellion against her parents, she changed the "y" for an "i". Luci is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. Her marriage to Patrick Nugent would last 13 years and produce four children, until their divorce in 1979. Luci remarried to Ian Turpin in 1984.
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
Another Kennedy on our list, John F. Kennedy Jr., often called JFK Jr. or John John, was the son of former President, John F. Kennedy, and former First Lady, Jacqueline Onassis. A graduate from Brown University and later, NYU, John Jr. was a very successful lawyer, journalist and magazine publisher. Below he is seen with wife, Carolyn Bessette, a saleswoman and publicist for Calvin Klein, on their wedding day on September 21, 1996, in a private ceremony in Georgia.
Unfortunately, this love story only lasted for three years, and ended tragically, after both John and Carolyn were killed in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, on July 16, 1999. Carolyn's older sister Lauren was also on the plane.
Elliott Roosevelt and Elizabeth Browning Donner
Elliott Roosevelt was the second son of 32nd U.S. President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and former First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. In the photo below we see young Elliott with his wife, Elizabeth Browing Donner, a Philadelphian socialite, on their wedding day, on January 16, 1932, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The photo was taken after the wedding ceremony, in the Church of the Redeemer.
Sadly, the marriage wouldn't last long, and the couple divorced a year later, in 1933. Elliott would go on to remarry four more times, fathering five children in total. In his younger years, Elliott was an aviation official and a wartime officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He went on to pursue a career in broadcasting, politics, business, and writing, publishing more than 20 mystery novels.
Maureen Reagan and David Sills
Maureen Reagan was the first child of the former U.S. president, Ronald Reagan, and his first wife, Jane Wyman. The photo below shows a young Maureen being escorted by her father at her wedding. The wedding ceremony took place on February 28, 1964, when Maureen wedded lawyer and Marine corps officer, David Sills. This was Maureen's second wedding, as she had been married before, in 1961.
Maureen was an actress in her younger years, later became co-chair of the Republican National Committee. Her marriage to Sills lasted only three years until they finally divorced in 1967. Maureen remarried in 1981. She passed away from melanoma in 2001, in Granite Bay, California. She was 60 years old.
James Garfield and Lucretia Rudolph Engagement Photo
Below we see the engagement photo of 20th U.S. President, James A. Garfield, and Lucretia Rudolph. They met in high school and came from very different families. Not to mention, they had very different personalities. Lucretia was more quiet and reserved, while James was always described as outgoing and attention-seeking, but they both shared their intelligence, curiosity, and love of literature. James lovingly referred to her as 'Crete'.
What started out as a sort of 'duty' marriage in 1858, became a 19th-century love story, lasting for more than 20 years, up until James's death in 1881. Even as the First Lady, Lucretia never showed much interest in the role, but was always very gracious and kind. Lucretia wanted to completely restore the White House, but she died of malaria in 1918, before she could see the project through.