30 years ago, in September 1996, America’s favourite sweethearts – and one of the world’s most famous couples of the day – Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. defied all media and paparazzi and got married in a secret family ceremony in a tiny chapel off a remote island in Georgia, USA.

While the world was fixated on the couple at the time, a new generation have found a revived obsession with the impossibly glamorous duo via the Disney+ TV series Love Story. Their big day was brought to life in the episode The Big Wedding which was portrayed in as romantic, epic, and dreamy a mood as we had might all have imagined.

So what is it about these particular nuptials which captured the world’s attention at the time and continues to endure today? From the simplicity of the bias cut gown (’90s minimalist perfection #chefskiss) to the intimacy of the candlelit setting, there is so much to love about this game-changing pared back celebration. So let us count the ways we can be inspired…

1. The Minimalist Style

First off, there is the wedding dress which not only launched the career of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s friend, the designer Narciso Rodriguez (who was her colleague at Calvin Klein), but also inspired decades of brides hoping to emulate her style ever after. The simple white silk slip dress was cut on the bias, with a scooping cowl neck, and finished with a silk tulle veil, and while the overall look was pared-back, the dress drama on the day was still real. Carolyn wore her hair up, with minimal make-up and jewellery, crystal beaded Manolo Blahnik satin sandals and sheer elbow gloves. Her scent was an understated Egyptian Musk. Her timeless bridal look soon sent ripples through the wider wedding industry, which at the time was all about the ‘big dress’ (think ruffles, lace, skirts and bodices at a time when people were still being very much influenced by the princess-like big weddings of Diana and Charles and Madonna).

Today, the sleek silhoutte of Carolyn’s slip dress remain one of the most enduring wedding dress styles and often particularly for second dresses and day after dresses. For One Fab Day-coded inspiration take a look at this round-up of simple minimalist style dresses, less is more styling and chic hair.

2. The Remote Setting

Just as the wedding was famously discreet, with no media or paparazzi present, it was also in the middle of nowhere and held in a rustic one-room 19th century Baptist chapeI of just eight pews. The intimate twilight service (Carolyn was two hours late for the service) was held in candlelight, and the atmosphere was intimate and magical.

For inspiration on planning a similarly cosy, dreamy wedding with a super-edited guest list, see 17 Epic Small Weddings with 30 Guests or Less and How to Make Your Small Wedding Special.

3. The Reception and the Vibe

Before the prevalence of cell phones, and set on an island with no telephone lines, the simple, elegant ceremony segued into the reception dinner which was held at The Greyfield Inn, which was then and still is the only business on Cumberland island. The bride carried Lily of the Valley down the aisle and the tables were decorated with hydrangeas. Dinner was a Southern-inspired menu of roasted pig, wild mushrooms, and local seafood. The couple danced to Prince’s Forever in My Life with Carolyn wearing her hair loose during the reception, which was different to the style rigid updos of the day.

For ideas on picking a small yet meaningful and intimate wedding you will find lots of inspiration for cool, offbeat and unique wedding venues around Ireland and exclusive and small venues ideas for an intimate bash on the site. See also 35 Perfect Country Houses for a Small Private Wedding.

4. The Three-Month Timeline and the 40 Person Guest List

Those who planned weddings during Covid and post Covid years know all about the challenge of paring down the numbers on a guest list. But imagine what the Kennedys had to do as they edited their guest list to a small and exclusive number of 40 (to put in context, John’s sister Caroline’s wedding ten years earlier with 400 people at her wedding, and at the wedding of his mother and father, Jacqueline Bouvier and John F. Kennedy, there were 800 guests). The wedding was also planned in just three months.

If you want to slim down your list or plan a small wedding we have lots of ideas on wedding list etiquette on the site. For more tips on focussing your numbers down you could also listen to our podcast. Planning a wedding in three months? No sweat! But read this first.

5. The Details

From Carolyn’s understated bridal gloves to the simplest of veils, to the laissez-faire Range Rovers and pick-up trucks in place of fancy cars, not to mention JFK Junior’s slouchy suiting style, there are so many ideas we love and will continually return to with this wedding.

Reminiscent of 1950s style icons such as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, gloves are firmly back on bridal runways and on our radar for a new season of brides again, and are a timeless accessory that effortlessly adds vintage romance to any wedding or formal look. Similarly veils will always add that vintage, classic feel. Whether you’re working with a budget of €50 or €5000 – or want something particularly fashion forward – you will find plenty of bridal veil options to suit. For inspiration for cool groom wedding suit style there are loads of real weddings on the site to peruse, and the same can be said for every sort of wedding transport you can imagine.

Read on for more ideas on bridal style inspiration, wedding dress style , 90s wedding beauty and 90s floral ideas ideas as well as a list of recommended Irish designers