The Gorgeous Gowns That First Ladies Wore On Their Wedding Days

Bess Truman

Bess Truman's wedding dress is also emblematic of its time. This dress isn't form-fitting by any means. It's rather loose and flowy, and it has bell sleeves and a layered bottom. The dress is long, but not so long that you can't see Bess's shoes. Bess is also accessorizing her wedding look with a wide-brimmed hat. It's truly a statement piece.

Elizabeth Virginia "Bess" Wallace married future president Harry Truman on June 28, 1919, in Independence, Missouri.

Frances Cleveland

Frances Cleveland's dress was rather detailed. It looks like it was made out of a satin material. It is covered in applique flowers and it has a long, dramatic train. Frances looks like she's part of a scene in a painting in this photo.

Frances married Glover Cleveland in 1886. Their love story is quite unusual. Grover met his future wife when he was 27 years old and she was just an infant. He had feelings for her when she was young and he would often shower her with gifts. They became romantically involved when she was in college.

Betty Ford

Betty Ford is one of the few first ladies who was actually previously divorced before she married her presidential husband. Her first husband, William G. Warren, was an alcoholic. She divorced him in 1947.

Because this wasn't Betty's first marriage, she decided not to wear white. This shiny dress is still quite bridal, though. The hat is also a nice touch. Elizabeth Anne "Betty" Bloomer married Gerald R. Ford at the Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, MI, in 1948.

Melania Trump

Melania may not have known that she was marrying a future president when she married Donald Trump in 2005, but she knew she was marrying into money. Maybe that's why her wedding dress was so expensive. Melania got married in a Christian Dior dress which consisted of 300 feet of tulle. The gown cost between $100,000 and $200,000.

This gown was super heavy! It was difficult for Melania to maneuver it down the aisle. She's strong, though, so she managed.

How long did Melania's dress take to create? Find out next.

Melania Again

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You didn't think Melania Trump wore just one dress to her wedding, did you? Of course, she got another one. After the ceremony, Melania changed into a Vera Wang gown that wasn't as heavy as the Christian Dior gown she wore earlier.

The second dress was a lot more simple and understated. he Grecian-style Vera Wang gown hugged her body and was floor-length with a knee-length skirt slit- perfect for dancing at a Florida wedding.

Mamie Eisenhower

Mamie Eisenhower married future president Dwight Eisenhower on July 1, 1916. Mamie was just 19 years old at the time. Dwight Eisenhower was 25 and an army lieutenant.

The couple started out their lives together moving from place to place as Dwight was stationed in different countries. They traveled everywhere from the Philippines to Panama. Mamie learned a lot about other cultures during this time which helped her interact with diplomats when Ike became president.

Rosalynn Carter

Rosalynn Carter's wedding dress must have been lucky because she and Jimmy Carter have been married for over 70 years. On her wedding day, Rosalynn didn't wear all white. She chose this black and white simple shift dress accessorized with a hat and some kind of flower arrangement.

Rosalynn was just a teenager when she walked down the aisle. She was 18 and he was 21 when they tied the knot on July 7, 1946, in Plains, Georgia.

Michelle Obama

Michelle and Barack Obama got married in 1992. Michelle's dress is clearly very '90s. Those sleeves are definitely a product of the times. Even though Michelle's dress is dated, she still looks stunning in it. Her veil makes the whole outfit.

The Obamas got married at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Michelle's brother walked her down the aisle, and the happy couple danced to "You and I" by Stevie Wonder. These two look like the perfect couple.

Lucy Hayes

Lucy Hayes may not look like a bride in this photo, but she was still one heck of a wife. Lucy Ware Webb was 21 years old when she married Rutherford Birchard Hayes on Dec. 30, 1852, at her family's home in Cincinnati, Ohio. She saw many suitors while she was looking for a husband but ultimately settled on Richard.

Rutherford wrote in his diary in 1851: "I guess I am a great deal in love with L(ucy)....Her low sweet voice...her soft rich eyes." He also called her a "genuine woman."

Eleanor Roosevelt

In 1905, Eleanor Roosevelt, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt's brother, married Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the president's fifth cousin. They first met when she was 14-years-old and he was 18-years-old. After losing touch they reconnected four years later when they crossed paths at a horse show in Madison Square Garden.

The event was attended by Roosevelts from both sides of the family. F.D.R. proposed to Eleanor when he was 22 and she was 19. A Roosevelt-Roosevelt marriage was not uncommon. Her high collared gown had puffy fabric shoulders, and she wore an elegant hat.

Jackie Kennedy

In 1953, Jackie Bouvier tasked fashion designer Anne Lowe with making her wedding dress, but tragedy struck. Ten days before the wedding, a water pipe broke and caused havoc at Lowe's studio on Madison Avenue. It ruined 10 of the dresses for the wedding, including Jackie's gown, which had taken two months to construct.

In a panic, Lowe ordered additional ivory French taffeta and pink silk faille to remake the dress. She and her team of seamstresses were able to do it in the nick of time. The gown, with a classic neckline and bouffant skirt, is one of history's most iconic wedding gowns.

Barbara Bush

George H.W. Bush met his future wife, Barbara Pierce when they were teenagers in 1941. The former president talked about their first meeting in the documentary titled 41. He said,"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."

The couple got married in 1945 at First Presbyterian Church in Rye, N.Y. Barbara wore the wedding veil that George's mother donned in her own ceremony.

Read on to see George W. Bush's wedding day.

Nancy Reagan

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Nancy Davis was an actress in the 1940s and 1950s, and she dated many stars before meeting Ronald Reagan, including Clark Gable. She met Ronald in 1949 when he was president of the Screen Actors Guild. Ronald was not big on marriage, particularly following his divorce from Jane Wyman.

He and Nancy wed in 1952 after three years of dating. The wedding was last minute to avoid the press, and only the best man and matron of honor were in attendance. Nancy was pregnant during the ceremony at the Little Brown Church in Los Angeles. She wore a simple, no-frills dress.

Laura Bush

Laura Lane Welch married George Bush on Nov. 5, 1977, at her childhood church in Midland, Texas. The newlyweds posed with the future president's parents, George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush. Unlike her mother in law, Laura did not opt for the traditional, fancy wedding gown. Instead, she wore a simple tan dress she bought off the rack to the ceremony.

She met George at a backyard barbecue in July, and they became engaged just three months later. He was the Governor of Texas from 1995-2000 and became the President of the United States in 2001.

Lou Henry Hoover

Lou Henry was a fascinating woman. She enjoyed camping with her dad and was a proficient taxidermist. She loved rocks and minerals. She graduated with a B.A. in Geology at Stanford University, where she met future president Herbert Hoover. She was fluent in Chinese and the only First Lady to speak an Asian language.

She and Herbert wed in February 1899 at her parents home in Monterey, California. She decided to become a Quaker like the groom, but they were married by a Roman Catholic priest. The bride did not wear the traditional white dress; instead, she opted for a dark-colored gown.

Bill Clinton Bought Hillary A House Before They Were Married

Bill Clinton proposed to Hillary Rodham many times before she finally accepted and agreed to become his wife. As she later described, "I was desperately in love with him but utterly confused about my life and future. So I said 'No not now' -- what I meant was 'Give me time.'"

What set her over the edge? He had purchased a home for them to live in together, one she'd casually mentioned liking earlier. This showed her that he was serious about wanting to spend his life with her, and she said yes.

Helen Louise Herron

Helen Louise Herron "Nellie" Taft and William Howard Taft were married on June 19, 1886. She became First Lady of the United States when Cleveland took the office of the president in 1909. Nellie then served as First Lady until 1913. The Tafts' wedding ceremony took place at Nellie's parents' home in Cincinnati, Ohio. During their honeymoon the couple visited New York City and Sea Bright, New Jersey. They then traveled to Europe for three months.

On their wedding day, Nellie wore a short-sleeved gown and had her hair styled into an updo, with a decorative accent to match her dress.

Making Melania's Wedding Gown

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The elaborate, custom designer gown Melania wore when she became Mrs. Donald Trump took a lot of time to complete. According to Vogue, the Christian Dior brand took 550 hours to make Melania's dress, which was no easy feat with a strict deadline and such a high society event as Trump's wedding.

The train alone was 13-feet long, paired with a 16-foot veil. In total, the dress wore an incredible 60 pounds! On Melania's slim frame, it must have weighed much more. She didn't wear the dress after the reception though.

After they exchanged vows, see what Melania changed into on the next slide.

Edith Wilson

On December 18, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson married Edith Bolling Galt. They were married in Washington, D.C. The wedding was the second for each of them. The President had been widowed the year before, and Edith's first husband passed away in 1908.

Although many thought that Wilson’s hopes of a second term as President could be harmed by his quick courtship with Edith, these fears were unfounded. Wilson 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.

"Like A Moth Drawn To A Flame"

Lyndon Baines Johnson, often called “LBJ,” was the 36th President of the United States. Johnson married his bride Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor in San Antonio, Texas, on November 17, 1934. A honeymoon to Mexico followed the ceremony. Johnson became President in 1963, following the tragic assassination of John F. Kennedy.

LBJ and Lady Bird were introduced to each other by a friend. Afterward, Lady Bird confessed that she felt drawn to LBJ "like a moth drawn to a flame." He must have felt the same way, as he proposed marriage on their first date. Two weeks later, Lady Bird accepted the proposal.

Long Before Watergate

Before his name became synonymous with one of the biggest American political scandals in modern history, Richard Nixon was just a guy in love. He and his future bride Thelma Catherine "Pat" Ryan met one night while they were both auditioning for a community play. The story is that he fell in love with her on that very first night.

The couple was married on June 21, 1940 in Riverside, California. They honeymooned in Mexico. The photo above shows the Nixons at their wedding shower. They became President and First Lady of the United States following Nixon’s second presidential campaign.

America’s First Presidential Marriage

The future first President of the United States, George Washington, married Martha Dandridge on January 6, 1759, at the White House, at that time a plantation. Martha was a widow and had four children from her previous marriage. George was 26 and Martha 27 when they tied the knot.

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.

An Obama Garter Toss

For their anniversary in 2018, Michelle Obama took to Instagram with this intimate photo taken at their wedding reception. She shared that Barack had been sick with a cold that morning but felt better at the altar.

She wrote: "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

Ronald Reagan had a great love for his bride Nancy and frequently gave her special gifts: drawings he’d done himself and signed "I.T.W.W.W.” (I love you more than anyone ‘in the whole wide world). We didn't know he was such a romantic!

The Reagans' Best Man was William Holden, the Academy-Award winning famous for films like Sunset Boulevard, The Wild Bunch, and Sabrina. Maid of Honor was his wife, actress Brenda Marshall.

Laura Bush

One of the beautiful things about marriage is that it means two families are coming together. In the case of Laura Bush, she was also gaining siblings for the first time. Having been an only child for her entire life, Laura was elated to gain several brother and sisters-in-law when she wed George W. Bush. George is one of six children of George and Barbara Bush.

Although they had a quick engagement and marriage, the couple has been happily married for four decades. George W. has even said that marrying Laura was the “best decision of [his] life.

Grover Cleveland

When Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in 1886, he became the first and only president to be married at the White House! The celebration took place in June, 1886. Before he married, his sister Rose had served as the first lady.

Reporters were so desperate to get details about the Presidential honeymoon that they followed President and Mrs. Cleveland with binoculars. The couple eventually had five children and remained together until Cleveland's death in 1908.

A Founding Father's Wedding

Founding Father Thomas Jefferson married a widow named Martha Wayles in 1772. At the time, Jefferson was the Governor of Virginia, so his bride became the state's first lady. As a gift, Jefferson presented Martha with mahogany forte-piano that he said was “worthy the acceptance of a lady for whom I intend it.”

The couple lived together in his home, Monticello. Martha died a full two decades before Jefferson became the third President of the United States.

Jackie’s Ten Bridesmaids

When Jackie and John F. Kennedy wed on September 12, 1953, the entire Kennedy clan turned out in Newport, Rhode Island. The couple invited 800 guests to attend the ocean-front wedding at Saint Mary’s Church, and who wouldn’t RSVP ‘yes’ to that event?

Jackie’s bridesmaids included her sister, Lee, her stepsister Nina Auchincloss, John’s sister Jean, sister-in-law Ethel, and Jackie’s former roommate, Nancy Tuckerman. There were ten bridesmaids total, plus a maid of honor, all wearing pink taffeta gowns.

Powerful Men

Of course, John F. Kennedy included his brothers in his bridal party. Jackie is pictured with the men of the family, including Edward and Robert Kennedy, standing on either side of John.

JFK was holding office as a United States Senator at the time, and included his Senate colleague George Smathers in his party, along with his brother-in-law Sargent Shriver, cousin Joe Gargan, and brother-in-law Michael Canfield. A few of his friends included Lem Billings, Red Fay, and Torbert Macdonald. Of course, Charles Bartlett stood by the couple when they wed- he was the one who introduced them.

Jackie’s Dress On Display

We’re not fortunate enough to have all of the First Ladies’ wedding dresses on display to admire in person, but Jackie Kennedy’s dress is! The dress designed by Ann Lowe is now iconic for American brides and has been deemed one of the best-remembered bridal gowns of all time.

Jackie mostly wore the gown by itself, with little jewelry. She held a bouquet filled with pink and white spray orchids and gardenias. You can see the dress displayed at the Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts. Several other iconic outfits of Jackie’s are also on display here.

Almost A Royal Wedding

Much like royal weddings, nuptials as exciting as John and Jackie Kennedy’s wedding don’t happen often. But when they do it’s a highlight on everyone’s calendar. Life photographer Lisa Larson wrote, “Their wedding turned out to be the most impressive the old society stronghold had seen in 30 years.”

The wedding was so important, even the Pope himself blessed the couple. JFK proposed to Jackie after the couple had been dating for two years. He presented her with a 2.9 carat diamond ring with a matching emerald.

The Happiest Day Of Their Lives

Jackie Kennedy was the first Catholic woman to serve as First Lady of the United States. She was baptized at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan and shared her beliefs with John.

Pictured kneeling together in the century-old church of St. Mary’s, this was the happiest day of the couple’s life. It was 1953, before JFK’s successful campaign for the presidency, before the Vietnam War, and before Robert F. Kennedy was killed. Ten years later, Jackie would tragically become a widow.

President Johnson’s Daughter

Two of President Johnson’s daughters wed while he was in office. Lynda Baines Johnson, the eldest daughter of the President married Marine Capt. Charles S. Robb in 1967. The couple met while Robb was an aide in the White House, and they ended up marrying in the East Room of the White House.

He later went on the become the governor of Virginia, making her the First Lady of Virginia. The couple would have three daughters and although Robb reportedly had an affair with Miss Virginia USA 1983, the couple remained married.

Chelsea Clinton

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Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton was married to her investor beau Marc Mezvinsky on July 31, 2010. The two were wed at an estate on the Hudson River in Rhinebeck, New York. Chelsea's famous father, of course, gave her away.

The beaming 30-year-old bride chose a strapless Vera Wang gown of ivory silk organza, with an embroidered waistband and a Cathedral-length wedding veil. The dress is rumored to have cost around $25,000.

Chelsea Clinton's Wedding

Although there was (understandably) tight security surrounding Chelsea Clinton's wedding, some details about the event have emerged. 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."

Chelsea and Bill reportedly danced to a Frank Sinatra song, with Bill shedding tears during the poignant moment. Guests were then treated to a 500-pound, gluten-free vanilla sponge cake.

Woodrow Wilson’s Daughter

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 Had The Only Rose Garden Wedding

The daughter of President Richard Nixon, Patricia “Tricia” Nixon Cox, and her husband are still the only couple to be wed in the Rose Garden at the White House. She was married in 1971 to Edward Finch Cox, who was a law student at Harvard.

The wedding was a huge event, described as a wedding of “American royalty” with Tricia’s father holding office. The cake was made with 400 egg whites and of course the guest list included D.C.’s elite. After marrying, the couple moved to the suburbs of New York and live a relatively quiet life with their son.

Amy Carter

Former President Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy married James Wentzel in a relatively no-fuss ceremony held in Plains, Georgia, in 1996.

Amy, who grew up in the White House, didn't let the fact that her dad was a former president influence her wedding plans. She bucked tradition and didn't let her father give her away, saying that she "belonged to no one". She also kept her own name.

Dorothy Bush

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Dorothy Walker Bush, daughter of President George H.W. Bush and the sister of President George W. Bush, was the first presidential daughter to be married at Camp David. The wedding, to Robert Koch, took place in 1992.

Camp David is the ultra-private presidential retreat located in the woods of Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland. President Franklin D. Roosevelt turned the former military camp to a presidential retreat in 1942. The facility is named after Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower.

Alice Lee Roosevelt

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Alice Lee Roosevelt, the eldest daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, was a wild child. She was once quoted saying, “If you haven’t got anything good to say about anybody, come sit next to me.”

In 1906 she married Republican Congressman Nicholas Longworth in a White House wedding. He was 14 years older than she, and Alice wasn’t ready to settle down. She was caught having an affair with a Senator, which resulted in a daughter between the two. Longworth had a reputation for being a playboy, and the two ended up having a very unstable marriage.

George Washington

When Eleanor “Nelly” Curtis was married in 1799, her Step-Grandfather, President George Washington, gave her away. She married a nephew of Washington’s by the name of Lawrence Lewis. The wedding was a huge event, and even had a song created in its honor, named, “Nellie Grant’s Wedding March.”

After they were married, the couple lived near Mount Vernon at Woodlawn, adjacent to Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.