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For her October 20, 1968, wedding to Aristotle Onassis, Jackie Kennedy wore a short, two-piece Valentino couture ensemble from the designer’s Spring 1968 collection: a high-neck lace top and a pleated skirt. The relaxed look differed sharply from the traditional Ann Lowe gown she wore at her first wedding.
A private wedding on Skorpios
Kennedy and Onassis married on October 20, 1968, in a private ceremony on Skorpios, Onassis’s Greek island. In a message reported before the ceremony, Kennedy asked the press to respect the privacy of the occasion, observing that even well-known people experience the emotions surrounding life’s most important moments. UPI’s contemporary report described the private wedding, while the White House biography confirms the marriage took place in 1968.
What Jackie Kennedy wore
Vogue identifies the outfit as Valentino couture from Spring 1968: a high-neck lace top paired with a pleated skirt. It was a shorter, more relaxed choice than the conventional long bridal gown many people associate with a wedding, and its two-piece silhouette made it distinctive.
Vogue says Kennedy was believed to have bought the ensemble at a private showing of Valentino’s collection, along with several other dresses. That account is presented as a belief; the article does not cite a purchase record.
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How it differed from her first wedding dress
The contrast with Kennedy’s 1953 wedding to John F. Kennedy is clear in designer, silhouette and setting. The first wedding gown was designed by Ann Lowe; for the private 1968 ceremony on Skorpios, Kennedy chose Valentino separates. The comparison is about the documented overall looks, not a claim about construction or materials beyond what is reported.
| Wedding | Designer and documented look | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| 1953, to John F. Kennedy | Ann Lowe; a traditional wedding gown | Newport, Rhode Island |
| 1968, to Aristotle Onassis | Valentino Spring 1968 couture; high-neck lace top and pleated skirt | Private ceremony on Skorpios |
Why the shorter dress attracted attention
Marissa Speer, Bonhams’ US head of sale for designer handbags and fashion, called the short dress “groundbreaking for the time” and “unconventional.” Speer interpreted the choice as part of Kennedy’s transition toward a style more independent of her earlier public role. That is Speer’s reading of the outfit, rather than a documented statement by Kennedy about why she chose it.
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What happened to the dress
Vogue reports that after Kennedy’s death in 1994, the ensemble was gifted to a couple who had worked on Onassis’s yacht, Christina. In 2024, Vogue announced that Bonhams planned to auction it later that September with an estimate of $8,000–$12,000. That figure was an estimate, not a confirmed sale price. The cited coverage does not establish whether the lot sold, what it realized, or who owns the dress now.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the archival record adds
Italy’s Presidential Historical Archive catalogs a 2003 Gianni Bisiach documentary about Jacqueline marrying Onassis on Skorpios. Its listing describes the original as an analog Beta SP tape that had not yet been digitized. This archival entry supports the wedding’s Skorpios context; it does not identify the dress or add details about its design.
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