When Jackie Kennedy walked down the aisle toward John F. Kennedy on her wedding day on September 12, 1953, she wore a timeless dress that is considered one of the most iconic and influential bridal ensembles in history. According to People, however, the silk-taffeta gown by Ann Lowe that Jackie donned for her big day wasn’t her first choice. The publication noted on July 28, 2024, that the former first lady preferred a “simpler, sleeker design,” than the one she ultimately wore.
Jackie’s future father-in-law, John Kennedy, supposedly had the final say on the bride’s wedding dress, so he was the one who rejected Jackie’s proposal for a more subdued garment, Elle reported. Julia Faye Smith, the author of Lowe’s biography Something to Prove, told the publication that Jackie probably “had some say” in what she wore on her special day, though. “Ann did like to please her clients,” Smith noted.
The wedding dress that Jackie ended up wearing—and that received approval from her future father-in-law—was an ivory gown made of silk taffeta that featured a portrait neckline, a bouffant skirt, and embellished flowers by Lowe. Since the trailblazing designer previously customized dresses for Jackie’s mom, Janet Lee Bouvier, the mother of the bride enlisted Lowe to do the honors for her daughter’s wedding day. The designer spent eight weeks creating the piece.
A week before Jackie and JFK’s big day, disaster struck when a waterline in Lowe’s studio—where she was working on Jackie’s wedding dress—burst, which flooded the space and destroyed the bride’s gown (and nine of the bridesmaid dresses) in the process, according to the National Museum of American History. Instead of stressing out the Kennedy family by telling them about the damaged dress, Lowe decided to withhold the happening. She quickly took action, buying new fabric and swiftly reconstructing all 10 garments. Luckily, Lowe (with the help of her team) managed to remake the collection of frocks in five days—but due to the dilemma, Lowe ended up losing $2,200.