Photo: Courtesy of Bill Clinton via Twitter
With the Democratic National Convention on the horizon (taking place in Philadelphia on Monday, July 25 through Thursday, July 28), we figured it was time to take a moment to look back on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s awesomely low-key wedding (and because hey, Republican nominee Donald Trump’s weddings got their spot in the limelight, too). From how she and Bill Clinton first met, to all the details of their intimate wedding ceremony, read on for a look into the presidential candidate’s big day.
Photo: Courtesy of Hillary Clinton via Instagram
How They Met
Fun fact: while Bill Clinton is definitely more well-known for his forward ways, it was actually Hillary (Rodham) Clinton who made the first move. While both were in law school at Yale in 1971, Hillary Rodham was getting a stare-down from her future husband at the library, and so she decided to break the ice — a move that would forever change her life. “I was studying in the library, and Bill was standing out in the hall talking to another student — and I noticed he kept looking over at me. He had been doing a lot of that. So I stood up from the desk, walked over to him and said, ‘If you’re going to keep looking at me, and I’m going to keep looking back, we might as well be introduced. I’m Hillary Rodham.’ That was it,” she shared with the Clinton House Museum. A few days later, they went on their first date.
The Proposal
In 1974, Hillary moved to Arkansas to be with her future husband, and the two taught law at the University of Arkansas. While on a trip back to the Northeast (due to her restlessness of being in Arkansas), Bill was so distraught that Hillary was away that he purchased a small cottage for them to live in when she returned, saying “I bought it. You have to marry me now because I can’t live there alone. So you’re going to marry me.”
The Planning
According to the Clinton House Museum, Bill was the one who wanted an extravagant wedding bash, whereas Hillary didn’t even want an engagement ring (well, she did get a house out of the deal, so not a bad trade)! The compromise? An engagement party where Hillary met all of Bill’s friends — and then a small, intimate wedding and a big reception party to follow.
Photo: Hillary Clinton via Twitter
The Wedding
The future political powerhouses married on October 11, 1975 at a simple, at-home ceremony in Fayetteville, Arkansas in the infamous brick cottage that Bill had purchased. As far as a wedding dress, it is noted by the historical society that Hillary didn’t even have a gown ready to go the night before, so her (horrified!) mother ran her over to Dillard’s in the Fayetteville Mall — Hillary purchased a $53 Jessica McClintock Victorian lace gown, one of the first that she saw. The ceremony was performed in the Clintons’ living room by Vic Nixon, a local minister. The next day, the Clinton family hosted a large wedding reception at Ann and Morris Henry’s house, who were their political friends — where Hillary announced to the crowd (and much to Bill’s mother’s chagrin) that she was keeping her maiden name, Rodham.
The Honeymoon
The Rodham-Clinton duo honeymooned with Hillary’s entire family in Acapulco, Mexico — in the same hotel. How’s that for a family-style buddymoon?
On their 40th wedding anniversary last year, the Clintons couldn’t help but share their love and adoration for each other, with these adorable tweets:
Seems like only yesterday… pic.twitter.com/WbEkNvExYI
— Bill Clinton (@billclinton) October 11, 2015
40 years ago, I married the cute guy from the library. Happy anniversary, @billclinton–you've still got it! -H pic.twitter.com/H6AaXAKdek
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 11, 2015