In fall 2022, the wedding of Naomi Biden became the first in almost a decade to be held at the White House, and she became the first presidential grandchild to wed at the famous residence. But how does her story fit into the larger history of White House weddings? Bethanee Bemis examines how traditions for releasing wedding details to the public have evolved – including wedding cake recipes released to the press for the weddings of Luci and Lynda Johnson and Patricia Nixon.

About Bethanee Bemis

Bethanee Bemis is a museum specialist with the Division of Political and Military History, where she works to ensure the physical and intellectual care of the division's collections. Her role combines collections management, exhibition development and installation, academic research and writing to share objects and their stories with the public. Her current research focuses on Disney theme parks as locations for the collective memory of the national narrative.

How to Participate

This program will take place on Zoom. To participate, please register online, and we will email you a link and instructions for joining. Simply follow that link at the time the program starts (12 p.m. EDT / 9 a.m. PDT). When you register, you can also request to receive a reminder email one day before the program with the link included.

About the D.C. Mondays Series

Join local authors, researchers and community members online for lively discussions about Washington, D.C.’s history, politics, culture and more. Browse upcoming programs