As the backdrop of your special day, your wedding venue sets the scene for your nuptials. While there are many different potential settings for your affair, from a historic castle to a family member’s backyard, arguably the most exclusive option in the United States—reserved for only a few connected people—is the White House. Ever since the executive mansion opened in 1800, there have been 19 weddings and four receptions at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
While only one president has tied the knot at this historic home so far, members of the first family (particularly presidents’ children, but also a few nieces and nephews, siblings, and grandchildren) or close staff members have primarily been the ones to ring in their marriage at this noteworthy site. And though most of these lucky individuals traded vows at this presidential setting, a handful hosted only their reception on the grounds of the mansion.
Meet the Expert
Lina Mann is a historian at the White House Historical Association. After joining the nonprofit organization in 2017 as American University’s Public History fellow, she joined the staff as a historian in March 2020.
Although you need to have an in with the president to say “I do” at the White House, fortunately, the couple of honor doesn’t have to follow many rules—particularly when it comes to selecting the location of their celebration, according to Lina Mann, historian at the White House Historical Association. Mann explains that the engaged duo can host their event in any spot they prefer, but the Blue Room and the East Room tend to be some of the most sought-after sites. “Some of the smaller weddings—and, particularly, weddings in the 19th century—tend to occur in the Blue Room,” she says. “And then, some of the more extravagant [weddings] typically happen in the East Room.”
Want to learn more about the influential White House weddings that made history? We’re taking a look back at all 19 of the noteworthy nuptials at this elite venue, from Lucy Payne Washington and Thomas Todd in 1812 to Naomi Biden and Peter Neal in 2022.
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Lucy Payne Washington and Thomas Todd: March 29, 1812
The first documented wedding at the White House? On March 29, 1812, just over a decade after the presidential mansion opened, Lucy Payne Washington, the sister-in-law of former President James Madison, tied the knot with Thomas Todd, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. The couple held a small indoor wedding, likely in the Blue Room, and Lucy’s sister, former First Lady Dolley Madison, was both the hostess and a bridesmaid. This was Lucy’s second marriage; she first married George Steptoe Washington, nephew of former President George Washington, who died of tuberculosis 16 years after they wed.
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Maria Hester Monroe and Samuel Lawrence Gouverneur: March 9, 1820
Maria Hester Monroe, the daughter of former President James Monroe and former First Lady Elizabeth Monroe, was the first presidential daughter to get married on the grounds of the White House. On March 9, 1820, at 17 years old, she married Samuel Lawrence Gouverneur, her first cousin and her father’s private secretary. Their wedding was a 42-person affair, which included a ceremony in the Blue Room and dinner in the State Dining Room.
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Mary Catherine Hellen and John Adams II: February 25, 1828
The first presidential son to exchange vows in the White House was John Adams II, former President John Quincy Adams and former First Lady Louisa Catherine Adams’ son. He married his first cousin Mary Catherine Hellen, the niece of former First Lady Louisa Adams, on February 25, 1828, in the Blue Room—an event that was reportedly similar to the previous White House wedding (which Mary attended). According to Heroes, Heroines, and History, Mary was romantically involved with all three Adams brothers, and she ended her engagement to George Adams to pursue John. For this reason, John’s two brothers refused to make an appearance at his wedding.
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Mary Ann Eastin and Lucius Junius Polk: April 10, 1832
A few years later, on April 10, 1832, Mary Ann Eastin, the grandniece of the late Rachel Jackson—who died before her husband, former President Andrew Jackson, took office—married Lucius Junius Polk, a Tennessee politician, in the White House’s East Room. The wedding took place near the end of the president’s first term.
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Mary Anne Lewis and Alphonse Joseph Yves Pageot: November 29, 1832
There was another wedding at the White House that happened in 1832: Mary Anne Lewis, the daughter of the president’s close friend, and Joseph Yves Pageot on November 29. Mary Anne reportedly lived with Jackson in the White House at one point, which is how they developed a close bond. During her ceremony in the Blue Room (the first and only Roman Catholic ceremony in the presidential palace), Jackson even gave Mary Anne away.
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Elizabeth Tyler and William Waller: January 31, 1842
A decade later, former President John Tyler and former First Lady Letitia Tyler’s daughter, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Tyler, held her nuptials with William Waller, a lawyer from Virginia, in the White House on January 31, 1842. Their ceremony took place in the East Room, likely the first of its kind in this location.
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Nellie Grant and Algernon Sartoris: May 21, 1874
The second wedding to take place in the East Room was that of Nellie Grant, former President Ulysses S. Grant and former First Lady Julia Grant’s daughter, and Algernon Sartois. Unlike the White House weddings before them, this affair was extravagant: The White House room, where up to 250 guests gathered, debuted a glamorous transformation with a white-and-gold palette and upgraded chandeliers, and it was adorned with roses and greenery, the White House Historical Association reported.
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Emily Platt and Russell Hastings: June 19, 1878
On June 19, 1878, former President Rutherford B. Hayes and former First Lady Lucy Hayes hosted their niece Emily Platt’s wedding to Russell Hastings. According to the White House Historical Association, they shared their first kiss beneath a floral bell, composed of 15,000 rosebuds, in the Blue Room.
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Frances Folsom and Grover Cleveland: June 2, 1886
The first and only president to ever tie the knot in the White House was former President Grover Cleveland. He married Frances Folsom, the daughter of his late business partner, on June 2, 1886. The 50-person affair took place in the Blue Room, which was reportedly bedecked in elaborate floral arrangements with palms and roses.
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Alice Lee Roosevelt and Nicholas Longworth: February 17, 1906
Two decades later, Alice Lee Roosevelt, the eldest daughter of former President Theodore Roosevelt, wed Nicholas Longworth on February 17, 1906—the first to take place on a Saturday. Their wedding was reportedly the largest of any at the White House, with up to 1,000 guests in attendance. According to Mann, the newlyweds cut their wedding cake with a military sword, and they ended the evening by climbing out of the window to their getaway car.
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Jessie Woodrow Wilson and Francis Bowes Sayre: November 25, 1913
The middle daughter of former President Woodrow Wilson, Jessie Woodrow Wilson, wed Francis Bowes Sayre on November 25, 1913. According to The New York Times, about 500 guests showed up to the ceremony in the East Room before enjoying dinner in the State Dining Room and dancing back in the East Room. The publication noted that both rooms were decorated in gorgeous floral assortments. Jessie’s sisters played a role in the affair, with her older sister serving as maid of honor and her younger sister as a bridesmaid.
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Eleanor Randolph Wilson and William Gibbs McAdoo: May 7, 1914
The following year, President Wilson hosted another wedding for his youngest daughter, Eleanor Randolph Wilson. Contrary to Jessie’s boisterous bash, Eleanor’s ceremony to William Gibbs McAdoo on May 7, 1914, was a “quiet” one, per The New York Times (likely due to her mother’s failing health), in the Blue Room with 100 guests. Like her sister’s wedding, Eleanor tapped her sisters to be her bridesmaids.
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Alice Wilson and Reverend Isaac Stuart McElroy Jr.: August 7, 1918
The third White House wedding in the Wilson family occurred on August 7, 1918, but this time, it was for President Wilson’s niece, Alice Wilson. She married Reverend Isaac Stuart McElroy Jr. in the Blue Room, surrounded by a mere 16 people. The New York Times reported that the bride walked down the aisle in a short crepe wedding dress before eating dinner and cake in the State Dining Room.
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Louise Gill Macy and Harry Hopkins: July 30, 1942
Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s aide, Harry Hopkins, got married to Louise Gill Macy in the White House on July 30, 1942. The two made their marriage official in front of a marble fireplace—embellished with white gladioli and chrysanthemums, in the Oval Room, Roosevelt’s study, according to The New York Times. The bride and groom also coordinated outfits—with Louise in a blue floor-length crepe dress and Harry in a blue suit.
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Lynda Bird Johnson and Charles Spittal Robb: December 9, 1967
Lynda Bird Johnson was another presidential daughter to select the White House as her wedding venue. The eldest daughter of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lynda married Charles Spittal Robb on December 9, 1967. The president’s daughter walked down the aisle in a long-sleeved dress with a mock neck by Geoffrey Beene, while the groom sported his Marine Corps uniform. After their ceremony, the newlyweds and their 500 or so guests headed to the East Room—decorated with topiaries, string lights, and ribbon—for Champagne, cake, and dancing.
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Tricia Nixon and Edward Finch Cox: June 12, 1971
Tricia Nixon, daughter of former President Richard Nixon, and Edward Finch Cox were the first couple to get hitched in the Rose Garden of the White House. Engulfed in white ribbon, white flowers, and greenery, the soirée accommodated 400 guests. Following the service, the group celebrated at a reception, which featured a six-tiered cake, nearly seven feet tall, which stood in front of a mirror in North Portico Hall.
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Nicole Boxer and Anthony Rodham: May 28, 1994
Anthony “Tony” Rodham, one of former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s brothers, held his wedding to Nicole Boxer in the Rose Garden, too. Surrounded by 250 guests and pink-and-white geraniums, they hosted a ceremony that included both Methodist and Jewish rituals. They concluded the celebration with dinner and dancing in the State Dining Room.
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Patti Lease and Pete Souza: October 19, 2013
The official White House photographer for former President Barack Obama’s administration, Pete Souza, married his bride, Patti Lease, in the White House’s Rose Garden. Their guest list was made up of 35 individuals, including President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
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Naomi Biden and Peter Neal: November 19, 2022
The most recent White House wedding was that of President Joe Biden’s granddaughter, Naomi Biden, who wed Peter Neal. The couple made history for multiple reasons: Their nuptials marked the first time that a sitting president’s granddaughter tied the knot at the White House and the first time that a wedding took place on the South Lawn. For the ceremony, 250 guests watched the couple exchange personalized vows surrounded by white flowers and greenery, while the bride’s sisters stood by her side as members of the bridal party. After they said “I do,” the wedding party had a luncheon, and the rest of the invitees returned later that evening for dancing and dessert.