Inside the Super-Secret, Ultra-Intimate Wedding of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette

The dinner and reception took place at the Greyfield Inn, a historic building on the island, where the couple celebrated their love amid toasts and laughter. The groom said that with the ring on his finger, he felt like “the happiest man in the world.”

Again, to ensure the utmost confidentiality, the couple relied on the inn’s owners, Gogo Ferguson and Dave Ferguson, to handle every detail with absolute discretion. Dave Ferguson, a pilot, also handled the transportation of the guests and the couple to the island to ensure that they would arrive without being noticed. In order to move around the island smoothly, each guest received a special coin: a rare Buffalo nickel, which had to be shown to the security guards as a kind of access pass that allowed free movement in the wedding area.

At the reception, there was a DJ, the Macarena was danced, and a three-tiered white wedding cake was cut. The first dance took place to the notes of Prince’s “Forever in My Life,” while Ted Kennedy’s toast moved all the guests. Carolyn’s mother, Ann Messina Freeman, also made a toast, wishing her daughter the strength to face whatever the future would bring.

At one point, Bessette let down her hair, a symbol of freedom, and together with JFK Jr. made the rounds of the guests, chatting and participating in the cutting of the cake and dancing. Chermayeff emphasized how magical the ceremony setting was: “It was beautiful with that moss hanging from the trees.”

Gogo Ferguson, on the other hand, recalled how the island had a special connection to the Kennedy family, dating back to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, when the whole community gathered in the small church for the memorial service.

The newlyweds with Caroline Kennedy and her husband.

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The wedding guests were, of course, very carefully selected: in addition to close relatives, there were close friends and significant figures for the couple, but the focus was all on the bride and groom. Rose and Tatiana Schlossberg, daughters of Caroline Kennedy, sister of the groom, were chosen as bridesmaids, while their brother Jack carried the wedding rings. Chermayeff fondly recalled the children making the atmosphere even more joyful that day.