JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s Secret Wedding Photos Revealed

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Georgia — John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy famously kept their wedding a secret from many, including some of their guests. They married in a one-room church on Georgia’s Cumberland Island in 1996, surrounded by family and close friends.

The couple’s wedding weekend featured a relaxed atmosphere, complete with a rustic chapel, makeshift outdoor dance floor, and beach bonfires. Carolyn’s elegant slip dress has since influenced bridal style, becoming iconic.

Recently, CNN premiered a three-part original series highlighting their story. Ahead of the show, exclusive photos taken by Carole Radziwill, a close family friend and former journalist, were revealed. Radziwill’s husband, Anthony, was JFK Jr.’s cousin and served as the best man.

Radziwill described the wedding as a small elopement-like event with about 30 attendees. “You didn’t get the sense that anything was overly planned. They just let things happen the way they happened. And there was something so beautiful about that,” she said.

Unposed shots capture moments of joy, with JFK Jr. and friends sharing laughs during the rehearsal dinner. Anthony Radziwill is seen happily dressing alongside JFK Jr., who embraced him in a warm moment before the ceremony.

Radziwill recalled the ceremony taking place in candlelight, saying, “I remember the doors opening in the back of the chapel and her walking in. She just looked so beautiful. It was like a movie.”

Following the ceremony, the couple cut a lavish floral cake while their friends and family danced joyfully nearby. Radziwill reflected fondly on the simplicity of the wedding: “There’s an elegance to the casualness that I think is hard to replicate — certainly now and even then.”

The couple’s wedding remains a cherished memory for their intimate circle, demonstrating their desire for privacy and connection during a highly public period of their lives.