A half-century ago, Julie Nixon and Dwight “David” Eisenhower II opted out of a White House wedding ceremony, writes Jessica Contrera for The Washington Post.

Richard Nixon’s daughter and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s only grandson, who now reside in Berwyn, had already booked a church and chosen their reception venue when the bride’s father was elected president.

Nixon’s election made the match a true political spectacle.

“I told Julie that she should give serious consideration to waiting until after the inauguration and being married in the White House,” Nixon wrote in his memoirs.

He framed it as a unique privilege, as by then only 15 couples had married in the White House.

However, they declined.

“Both she and David felt that they wanted their wedding ceremony to be as personal and non-political as it possibly could,” wrote Nixon.

The wedding took place on Dec. 22, 1968 and drew controversy from some members of the media who, while credentialed, were not allowed at the reception. This set the stage for Nixon’s tense relationship with the press that lasted throughout his presidency.

Read more about the wedding at The Washington Post here.

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