Inside Grover Cleveland's Historic White House Wedding

On June 2, 1886, President Grover Cleveland became the only sitting U.S. president to marry in the White House, exchanging vows in a private ceremony in the Blue Room. His bride, 21-year-old Frances Folsom, was not only the youngest first lady in history but also Cleveland’s former ward—a detail that stirred public curiosity. Their unexpected romance and elegant wedding captivated the nation, making headlines and setting the stage for one of the most talked-about presidential unions.

Cleveland knew his bride-to-be, the daughter of his longtime friend and law partner Oscar Folsom, almost from the moment she was born. Twenty-seven years her senior, the future president doted on Frances throughout her childhood, even giving her the first baby carriage she ever rode in. When her father died in a tragic carriage accident in 1875, Cleveland stepped in as executor of the Folsom estate and guardian of 11-year-old Frances, overseeing her education and well-being.

Years later, their bond would take a romantic turn—much to the fascination of the American public.

As Cleveland campaigned for the presidency in the early 1880s, a Buffalo newspaper scandalized the public with revelations that the bachelor candidate had fathered an illegitimate child in the early 1870s. Cleveland did not deny the charge. He admitted he had acknowledged the boy at birth and had supported him ever since.

Yet the story had layers. The child’s mother had been romantically involved with several men at the time, including Oscar Folsom himself. With the paternity uncertain, Cleveland reportedly took responsibility—perhaps to shield the reputations of the other potential fathers, all of whom were married. This episode, which predated Frances' adolescence, did not deter her from eventually marrying Cleveland and accepting his complicated past.

By the time Cleveland took office in March 1885, his feelings for Frances had matured. Then a student at Wells College, Frances had blossomed into a celebrated beauty. With her mother’s permission, Cleveland began sending her letters and decorating her dormitory room with flowers.

He proposed in writing just after Frances’ graduation in August 1885. Their engagement remained secret until just five days before the wedding. On June 2, 1886, Frances Folsom became the First Lady of the United States in a ceremony held not in a grand church but in the intimate setting of the White House’s Blue Room.

President Cleveland worked a full day before arriving for his own wedding. The ceremony, attended by just 28 guests, included close family, friends, and cabinet members with their wives. Plump and mustachioed at 49, the president wore a tuxedo and white bowtie. Frances, only 21, wore an ivory satin gown so stiff it could stand on its own. She later had it refashioned into an evening dress for official functions and portrait sittings.

The couple requested a modern twist on their vows, replacing the traditional “honor, love and obey” with “honor, love and keep.” The ceremony was officiated by Cleveland’s brother, Reverend William Neal Cleveland, and Reverend Byron Sutherland. The U.S. Marine Band, led by John Philip Sousa, provided the musical backdrop.

Until the wedding, Cleveland’s sister Rose had managed the duties of First Lady. She gladly stepped aside after the marriage to pursue a career in education. Frances, for her part, quickly won over the American public. Her charm, beauty and graciousness made her a beloved figure. She even broke tradition by holding weekly receptions on Saturday afternoons so working women could attend—an early and symbolic gesture of inclusion.

The newlyweds honeymooned for six days in Deer Park, Maryland. But privacy proved elusive. Reporters, barred from the wedding, dogged their every move, even peering into their hotel room with binoculars and lifting plate covers in restaurants to see what the couple was eating. Enraged, Cleveland penned a letter to the New York Evening Post, decrying the press’s “contemptible” conduct.

Grover and Frances Cleveland went on to have five children and remained devoted to one another until the president’s death in 1908 at age 71. Though Frances eventually remarried five years later—becoming the first presidential widow to do so—she chose to be buried beside her first husband in Princeton, New Jersey, a final testament to their enduring bond.