- TV series revisits 1996 wedding of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
- Couple married September 1996 on Cumberland Island, Georgia ceremony
- Show includes fictionalized events differing from real wedding details
- Ceremony attended by about 40 guests in private event
The FX series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette returns to the actual wedding held in 1996 between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy but incorporates facts with an element of drama. In the sixth episode of the series, which is called The Wedding, a planned ceremony of the couple and the panic that they went through to conceal their wedding as a secret before the media are showcased.
The show was created by Ryan Murphy, who described the project as part of a broader anthology exploring famous relationships.
"The series follows the whirlwind courtship and marriage of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy," the production notes explain, dramatizing their relationship leading up to their deaths in 1999.
As a matter of fact, the couple got married September 21, 1996, at a small ceremony with approximately 40 close friends and relatives present on Cumberland Island. The very secretive wedding was soon regarded as one of the most discussed following celebrity weddings of the decade, in part due to the insistence of the couple to keep the press out.
Although the series recreates and documents a lot of real life events of the day, historians and sources near the couple have indicated that there are a few historical events dramatized in the show to tell the story.
Historian Steven Gillon, who knew John F. Kennedy Jr., commented on how the show portrays the late Kennedy.
"I knew the real John. I don't need to see the fake TV version of him. But I have nothing against the series," Gillon said while discussing the renewed attention brought by the drama.
Bridal Shower and Wedding Receptions
A scene in the show depicts the speech at the mercy of Bessette of her mother, Ann Freeman, who is giving an emotional rehearsal dinner speech and concludes her speech by walking away crying after slamming Kennedy. Sources used in biographies and interviews argue that Freeman did make a cynic remark concerning the possible pressures her daughter could encounter when entering the Kennedy family as a bride.
The conflict shown in the show did not take place, however. Another episode of the series that is dramatized is the spending of the night together on the beach by the couple prior to their wedding. In actual sense, the couple was more conservative.
They remained at the Greyfield Inn, at which they slept in different rooms since Kennedy was not willing to see his bride prior to the wedding. Later friends would remember that throughout the evening, Kennedy had taken time to relax with those near and family and friends as Bessette went about preparing the ceremony without consulting him.
Ritual Fussiness and Bridal Accident
The other plot that is used in the episode is a postponement in the start of the ceremony. First-hand testimonies of those who attended the wedding testify that the wedding did not commence late--not so much so, as depicted.
Visitors had to wait in a chapel that had no electricity as the temperature rose. Straw fans were spread to allow the guests to keep cool and candles and flashlights were used afterwards when it became dark. One of the catalysts that are well represented in the show is Bessette having a dress malfunction. The silk dress that she had designed with Narciso Rodriguez could not even fit her head since the neckline was narrow.
Rodriguez actually opened the seam after which she sewed the dress with the aim of wearing it again. A friend assisted her putting a scarf or handkerchief over her head to avoid resettling her makeup or messing up her hair and allowing the gown to slide on to her.
Media Attention And Family Roles
The episode also dramatizes the moment Kennedy runs away with helicopters and journalists attempting to take pictures of the ceremony. Although paparazzi had made efforts to access the island, some were even said to have made their way into the marsh-land to get to a closer location, no photography houses excelled to take pictures of the actual wedding event. The wedding was instead captured by one of the photographers Denis Reggie, who is a relative to the Kennedy family, and a close friend of the couple.
Another theme that the show depicts well is the fact that the father of Bessette, William Bessette, was not present during the ceremony. It is said that the two were not even in touch at that time. Bessette and her stepfather Richard Freeman walked down the aisle and the hymn that was played was the "Amazing Grace." The series also distorts the bridal party by a little bit. As it turned out Caroline Kennedy was the Matron of Honor, and Lauren Bessette, the sister of Carolyn, was the Maid of Honor. Kennedy had her cousin Anthony Radziwill as a Best Man.
Even though the series exaggerates some events, historians say that the main facts of the event are not falsified as the couple tried to ensure their own secret marriage in spite of the overwhelming attention of the society.
