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List of weddings at the White House

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Tricia Nixon, escorted by her father, Richard Nixon, down the aisle at her wedding to Edward F. Cox in the White House Rose Garden, June 2, 1971
The East Room decorated for the wedding of Alice Roosevelt and Nicholas Longworth, 1906.

This is a list of weddings that have taken place at the White House, the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States.

White House weddings

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Nineteen couples have had documented weddings in 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. Of the twelve children of incumbent presidents who married during their father's presidency in locations other than the White House, two had receptions in the executive mansion.[1]

Public weddings in the White House, particularly those of the president's children, "have been feel-good occasions for the country and the commander in chief, casting presidents in the sympathetic role of father."[2] President-elect Richard Nixon encouraged his daughter, Julie, and her fiancé, David Eisenhower, grandson of Dwight D. Eisenhower, to postpone their December 1968 wedding at New York's Marble Collegiate Church and instead have it after his inauguration at the White House, but the couple did not wish for the publicity of a White House wedding.[3] Her older sister, Tricia, is the most recent White House bride to be a child of the president.

These events are occasionally referred to in the press as "America's 'royal' weddings."[4] The President is invoiced for the private event at personal expense, including flowers, event-specific staffing, and overtime, but White House staff may be directed to work on the wedding, such as their chefs, butlers, or calligraphy staff. The White House social secretary takes on wedding planning duties. Apart from weddings, the White House hosts hundreds of events annually.[5]

List of weddings at the White House

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19th century

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President Grover Cleveland marries Frances Folsom in the Blue Room, June 2, 1886.

20th century

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Wedding of Lynda Bird Johnson and Charles Spittal Robb, December 9, 1967

21st century

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List of wedding receptions at the White House

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Luci Baines Johnson and Patrick Nugent and their parents on the south portico, August 6, 1966

References

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  1. ^ a b "Wedding Ceremonies Held at the White House". The White House Historical Association. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  2. ^ Eschner, Kat. "A Brief History of White House Weddings". Smithsonian. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  3. ^ Eisenhower, Julie (1986). Pat Nixon the Untold Story. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 1416576053.
  4. ^ Kermani, Genivive (April 29, 2011). "America's royal wedding? Looking back at Luci Baines Johnson's wedding in 1966". CBS. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  5. ^ "A wedding at the White House? This weekend won't be the first or last". Washington Post. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  6. ^ "A Look Back at 22 Glamorous White House Weddings". The Washingtonian. November 17, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  7. ^ Glass, Andrew (9 December 2008). "Lynda Bird Johnson marries in the White House, Dec. 9, 1967". Politico. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  8. ^ "The Marriage of Tricia Nixon and Edward Finch Cox". Richard Nixon Foundation. 12 June 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  9. ^ "A Rose Garden Wedding". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 30, 1994. Retrieved March 23, 2008.
  10. ^ Larson, Leslie (October 21, 2013). "Obama photographer Pete Souza gets hitched in White House wedding...so who took the pictures?". NY Daily News. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  11. ^ Superville, Darlene (November 19, 2022). "Biden's granddaughter Naomi ties knot in White House wedding". AP News.
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