In 1996, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy secretly wed in an intimate Georgia ceremony
Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy got married on Sept. 21, 1996, on Cumberland Island in Georgia
- Though the couple planned to release a single photo of their wedding after leaving the island, Patrick Kennedy broke the news at a press conference
- After returning from their honeymoon, the Kennedy heir pleaded with reporters outside their home to give his wife time to adjust to fame
News of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's wedding spread across the world like wildfire — but not in the way the low-key couple intended.
From the start of their whirlwind romance in 1992, the Kennedy heir and Calvin Klein publicist did their best to have some privacy amid the constant media attention. They went to even greater lengths to shield prying eyes from their Sept. 21, 1996, wedding, which was documented in FX's limited series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.
Though fans were treated to a reimagining of the intimate ceremony and how they returned from their honeymoon, the drama did not delve into the series of events of the public learning that JFK Jr. had become a married man.
Here's everything to know about who broke the news about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's wedding in real life.
JFK Jr. and Bessette kept their wedding a secret
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To keep their nuptials hidden from the press, the couple spent six months meticulously planning a 40-person ceremony held at First African Baptist Church on Cumberland Island in Georgia.
The church was so small and remote that Chris McLean, a nearby builder, told PEOPLE at the time that they "couldn't have chosen a more obscure place" for their September 1996 wedding.
Guests and workers were asked to sign confidentiality agreements to keep the details of JFK Jr. and Bessette's wedding under wraps. Some people didn't even know the location of the ceremony when they boarded their plane.
"We knew we were going to a wedding, but we didn't know where," guest Billy Noonan said in the 2019 TLC special JFK Jr and Carolyn’s Wedding: The Lost Tapes, noting that Florida was on the flight manifest. "But John said, 'We're not really going to Florida,' so we had no idea where we were headed."
The couple planned to release a photo after they left Cumberland Island
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The newlyweds had planned to announce their nuptials with a photo in a press release after they left the island for their honeymoon, according to PEOPLE editor-at-large Liz McNeil and JFK Jr.'s former assistant RoseMarie Terenzio's 2024 book, JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography.
The now-iconic photo, which landed on the cover of PEOPLE, was taken by Denis Reggie and captured them leaving the church.
"The photo — I mean, it’s ridiculously perfect. Bessette coming down the steps looking at John while he’s kissing her hand, the quaint church behind them," Terenzio shared in the book. "They look so happy, like a prince and a princess in a fairy tale."
However, someone beat the couple to the punch.
Patrick Kennedy broke the news at a press conference
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Terenzio shared in the oral biography that she was finalizing the press release when Patrick Kennedy announced during a press conference that his "cousin John did tie the knot yesterday."
"We wanted to make sure that they had left the island before news got out," Terenzio wrote, "and then Patrick blabbed and … we were like, 'F— I can’t believe he opened his mouth.' "
The former assistant added that almost immediately after Patrick shared the news, her phone "just exploded." However, Bessette and JFK Jr. didn't seem to know that his cousin had announced their nuptials before they planned to.
"Carolyn and I were giggling on the phone and she was saying, 'Oh my God, this is so crazy,' " Terenzio shared. "And then we talked about the photo. They were asking me which photo to release. Carolyn said, 'Denis Reggie’s going to send you options for the photo. What do you think?' "
She continued, "They were kind of similar, but she said, 'Well, I trust you. Whichever one you pick is fine.' John didn’t know Patrick had blabbed and I didn’t mention it."
JFK Jr. sent a memo to his staff while on his honeymoon
Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty
In his 2014 book JFK Jr., George, & Me: A Memoir, former George creative director Matt Berman wrote that the magazine co-founder sent a memo to their staff two days after the wedding with the subject line "Breaking News."
"I just wanted to let you all know that while you were all toiling away, I went and got myself married," the note reportedly read. "I had to be a bit sneaky for reasons that by now I imagine are obvious."
John spoke candidly to reporters after the news broke
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By the time JFK Jr. and Bessette arrived at their New York City home from their honeymoon, the world had found out about their wedding. The news had spread so wide that a swarm of reporters had camped outside their Tribeca building.
According to Vanity Fair, the media mob scared Bessette so much that her husband asked the group to give her some space.
"This is a big change for anyone," he reportedly said, per Fox News.
"And for a private citizen like Carolyn, even more so. I ask you to give her all the privacy and room you can … It would be greatly appreciated."
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