Rory Kennedy and Mark Bailey postponed their July 17, 1999, wedding at the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port after the plane carrying John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette went missing. The wedding guests instead gathered as the family awaited news. Kennedy and Bailey married privately in Greece on August 2.
Why was the wedding postponed?
Kennedy and Bailey had planned to marry at 6 p.m. on July 17 at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette were traveling by plane toward Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod for the wedding when the plane crashed on July 16. After it was confirmed missing, the couple postponed the ceremony.
The Los Angeles Times reported on July 18, 1999, that about 275 people had been expected at the wedding. Rather than proceeding with the celebration, relatives and guests waited for news.
What happened at the compound that weekend?
The wedding gathering became a vigil. While search efforts continued, the family held an outdoor Mass at the compound. The Los Angeles Times reported that about 40 family members attended the Mass. The 2000 Congressional Record memorial tribute to John F. Kennedy Jr. also notes that the wedding was postponed during the family’s mourning.
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Did Rory Kennedy and Mark Bailey marry later?
Yes. Kennedy and Bailey married privately on Monday night, August 2, 1999, at the family compound of shipowner Vardis Vardinoyiannis in Ekali, near Athens, Greece. The Associated Press report published by CBS News on August 3 says the ceremony took place “late Monday,” which was August 2, and describes it as a small family gathering.
The report separately mentions footage of a woman boarding a yacht after the ceremony and says a honeymoon cruise was unconfirmed. The wedding itself was at the Ekali compound, not on a yacht.
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