Flowers in Her Hair -

Home
>
Marriage & Wedding
>
Flowers in Her Hair

Flowers in Her Hair

Before George W Bush became a President, John Quincy Adams was the first son of a President to become a President himself. But while John Quincy Adams lost that first, for him and his family there are still other firsts.

One of his own firsts was that he created the very first flower garden in the grounds of the White House, generating a generation of Presidents involved in ongoing beautification of the White House grounds.

But it was Mary Catherine Hellen who brought into the Adams' Family a most interesting first.

For sometime she had flirted light-heartedly with the President's two older sons, never quite sure which one to choose. She did lean slightly to George Washington, the eldest of the boys. After all, there was always a certain amount of prestige, and often a definite financial reward in marrying the first born. But in her heart of hearts, she had to admit George Washington was not a lot of fun to be around. Only in his early twenties, up to his eyeballs in hock, he also seemed to spend a lot of time around the cocktail cabinet ? and not only at the happy hour.

John, the younger son, on the other hand, appeared to be on the straight and narrow, despite managing to get himself expelled from Havard. Though, if she were to be frank with herself, he wasn't exactly averse to the cocktail cabinet either.

But dash it all, she had set her heart on a President's son for a husband, and there weren't all that many of them around.

So on 28th February 1828, John married his Mary in the White House. The room was an oval, named by posterity Blue, but brilliantly red on this occasion. At the reception Mary sparkled as, supported by President Adams, her now father-in-law, she sashayed and do-si-doed to the Virginia Reel.

Many may not have been aware that she was creating history. In the first instance, this was the first time a son of a President married in the White House. Since then quite a few President's daughters have done it, but so far no sons.

But the second first was her own desire for originality. She had delved deeply, as brides tend to do, into wedding customs and traditions, agonising about how to dress, what shoes to wear and how to adorn her hair. With one eye on what brides across the ocean deemed acceptable, she hoped to find something that had not yet become de rigueur for the English bride.

And she found it.

On her wedding day she came down the aisle in white satin and pearls ? which was to be expected ? and with orange blossoms in her hair which wasn't.

It would take another twelve years, and a wedding of Queen Victoria, before orange blossoms became the flowers that no self-respecting bride could do without.

Vlady, an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant, is an author of "The Complete Book of Australian Weddings", "The Small Organisation Handbook", and an ebook, "Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle?" which you can see on Vlady's website http://www.vlady-celebrant.com

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.hour.ca/columns/3dollarbill.aspx%3FiIDArticle%3D16138cid=1275505628ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNFDL4FTJFx3AFCLO1wQVTm9EChMZQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=y755Qx2kn2AJimgurl=www.hour.ca/_images/montreal/1648/texte/tdb_1648.jpg width=58 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Hour.ca/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/la-oe-goldberg2-2008dec02,1,5061334.columncid=1275505628ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNHRRW2AjFfM8Rj_qv0Ccyti0VK1-gAn ugly attack on Mormons/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fLos Angeles Times,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The Mormon zealots yank the couple#39;s bwedding/b rings from their fingers and then tear up their bmarriage/b license. As the thugs leave, one says to the other, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.browndailyherald.com/news/2008/12/01/Columns/Sam-Loomis.10.Common.Ground-3563729.shtmlcid=1275505628ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNEmvKvupOz5EvPn4GPGUViYdXdsuwSam Loomis #39;10: Common ground/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Brown Daily Herald/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%2520Dec08/Art_Dec08_10.htmlcid=1275505628ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNFRH8D_Qp-8hBPbtbwrOT-3lYF8lwProposition 8: Separating the fiction from fact/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrChristianExaminer/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1275505628hl=ennobrall 65 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/lifeandstyle/people/ivana-trump-splits-from-fourth-husband/2008/12/02/1227979975396.htmlcid=1276678143ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNEtLUxdmEB2vbTpIDZQf7vr57ttrgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=4d50FQjKbVwJimgurl=www.smh.com.au/ffximage/trump_narrowweb__300x477,4.jpg width=50 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Sydney Morning Herald/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,459889,00.htmlcid=1276678143ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNGiTpvvmtS1iVaLPmJjKHKGGlZ7GQIvana Divorce! Trump Splits From Hubby After 7-Month bMarriage/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fFOXNewsnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Ivana Trump#39;s sons walked her down the aisle, and her daughter Ivanka was her maid of honor for their April 2008 bwedding/b held, to keep the family even more b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1090967/Ivana-Trump-splits-husband-No-4-just-seven-months-3million-wedding.htmlcid=1276678143ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNHPeWOclcvA13k6iw8GirCR1A2FXwIvana Trump splits from husband No.4, just seven months after b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrDaily Mail/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.divorcediva.co.uk/20081202/divorce-ivana-trump-7-month-marriage-is-over/cid=1276678143ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNGaO8OyjGx2CILIUbnGUQuNmLqtOgDivorce: Ivana Trump 7 month bmarriage/b is over/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrDivorce Diva/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.themoneytimes.com/articles/20081202/ivana_trump_leaves_husband_no_4-id-1043215.htmlcid=1276678143ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNHSqhOiOcZH5jwWjsy5-vpKn1bzjgIvana Trump Leaves Husband No. 4/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Money Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx%3Fid%3D676699cid=1276678143ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNFFV_zFHFiq6T8qj8eIXCu6w8z_UQnobrNinemsn/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276678143hl=ennobrall 210 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/sfl-flbcristbride1202sbdec02,0,6873585.storycid=1276749719ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNHj6ivLojYm8Jk7or1glLoKVmgR-wFlorida governor#39;s bride-to-be chooses her gown for Dec. 12 bwedding/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSun-Sentinel.com,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Hung#39;s salon is also altering cream-colored, floor-length dresses purchased elsewhere for Rome#39;s two preteen daughters from a previous bmarriage/b, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php%3Fch%3Dnews%26sc%3D%26sc2%3Dnews%26sc3%3D%26id%3D84035cid=1276749719ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNEFg6o80hU5wKydZanMyUR3iR4IKwGays to Demonstrate at Fla. Gov. Crist’s bMarriage/b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrEDGE Boston/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp%3FS%3D9437088%26nav%3Dmenu577_2_1cid=1276749719ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNEsv5dz0Hj04WtikIEqCYjY0SwqzwGay rights group to protest at Crist#39;s bwedding/b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWWSB ABC 7/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2008/11/30/sunday_links_a_protest_of_the.htmlcid=1276749719ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNEljD7Y_siO5tXrwymak6nUROn8YwSunday links: A protest of the Crist-Rome nuptials?/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrPalm Beach Post/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276749719hl=ennobrall 22 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://cbs4.com/local/wedding.crist.amendment.2.877291.htmlcid=1276353943ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNFxEvvmBDlDFpikX2VWsIqxeI1UhAGroup Plans To Protest Crist#39;s bWedding/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCBS 4,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b Impact Florida says the group plans to demonstrate outside Crist#39;s bwedding/b because he supported Amendment 2, which banned same-sex bmarriage/b in Florida. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2008/12/1/gay_rights_group_to_protest_at_crist39s_wedding.htmlcid=1276353943ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNFGPyL0dg7-oG0FtINl2kHXndQFtgGay Rights Group To Protest At Crist#39;s bWedding/b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCentral Florida News 13|/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tampabay.com/SearchForwardServlet.do%3FarticleId%3D921413cid=1276353943ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNH4SA5mQKqZuD9qbPsZQslrckdW3QGay rights group to protest at Crist#39;s bwedding/b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTampabay.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/dec/02/na-gay-rights-protest-set-for-nuptials/news-breaking/cid=1276353943ei=J_o0SfXXEaXg6gPdkeiTDwusg=AFQjCNGNONgcQQp85Ga3YqzbLi3crAWjNQGay Rights Protest Set For Nuptials/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTampa Tribune/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276353943hl=ennobrall 6 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

marriage wedding - Google News

Flowers in Her Hair

Marriage & Wedding