TR Marries Alice
Before the wedding TR had spent several thousand dollars on a sapphire ring along with other jewelry and gifts for Alice. He vowed saving money would begin after their marriage.
Their 1880 wedding took place on his 22nd birthday, Wednesday October 27th at noon in the Unitarian Church in Alice's hometown of Brookline outside of Boston. It was a perfect New England fall day in the height of Indian summer.
Mittie had invited Edith who sat in the pew beside her along with Bamie, her sister Anna and the Gracie’s. Corrine was a bridesmaid. Elliot stood beside TR with the ring. Corrine’s friend Fanny Smith said when it came to the vows he responded in “The most determined and Theodore-like tones.”
The reception was held at the Lee family home that was described as spacious and well-lit Fall sunlight was streaming through windows. There was plenty of food, champagne and dancing. Edith wrote in her diary that she danced the leather off her shoes.
On their weddings night they stayed in Springfield, Massachusetts at the Massasoit House.
The following day they went directly to Oyster Bay for a 2-week Honeymoon. A proper European had to be postponed until the summer because TR had decided to enter Columbia Law School on the urging of Uncle Robert who in 1850 passed the bar through self-study.
Mittie wrote the newlyweds were living a perfect “Dream of delight” at Tranquilly. Servants waited on them hand and foot. Breakfast was at 10:00. Dinner at 2:00 and Tea at 7:00.
Except for the servants at Tranquility and a black and white collie named Dare, they had the town all to themselves. The summer crowd had long since gone home and the big summer houses stood silent amid the autumn leaves. They played tennis, took long walks and long drives in the family buggy. At night they'd sit by a log fire and read aloud from Keats and Sir Walter Scott. Their only contact with the outside world was when the morning paper arrived.
November 2nd TR was driven by carriage to East Norwich where he cast his first vote for president helping to elect Republican James A. Garfield and his running mate no other than Chester A. Arthur who had defeated his father in his bid to head the NYC Customs House. In his diary he wrote, “There is hardly an hour we are not together; how I wish it would last forever.” Saturday November 13th Mittie welcomed them home at 6 West 57th Street.
The photo on the left is said to have been TR's favorite picture of Alice