AMERICAN ARCHIVE
STORIES FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
Say “I Do”
Engraving of Frances Folsom and President Cleveland’s wedding, 1886.
Library of Congress
On June 2, 1886, President Grover Cleveland became the first (and only) president to be married at the White House—so far.
President Cleveland wed 21-year-old Frances Folsom, the youngest first lady to date. The wedding took place in the Blue Room and was attended by 28 guests including relatives, cabinet members with their wives, and close friends. A reception followed in the State Dining Room, with music provided by the U.S. Marine Band. John Philip Sousa conducted the band.
For her wedding, Ms. Folsom wore a dress of white satin, silk, and muslin trimmed with orange blossoms by the go-to fashion designer of Gilded Age society, Charles Frederick Worth. Her wedding dress and subsequent clothing choices made her a trendsetter, known for her keen fashion sense.
Frances Folsom Cleveland in her wedding gown, 1886.
Library of Congress
Illustration of President Cleveland and Frances Folsom’s wedding on the cover of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, 1886.
Library of Congress
The Blue Room decorated for the wedding of President Cleveland to Frances Folsom, 1886.
White House Historical Association/White House Collection
The Blue Room, 2021.
Bruce White for the White House Historical Association
In the Blue Room
The Blue Room is one of three parlor rooms on the State Floor and is used as a formal reception room. Historically, the president and first lady received visitors in this room, including heads of state, dignitaries, and citizens.
AMERICAN ARCHIVE
STORIES FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
