Weddings. Weddings are this complicated mess of joy and love, but also the idea for some that they should have an opinion. The opinion that matters is that of the bride and groom – however it didn’t matter to everyone. Why? Because everyone has an opinion and thinks that they should express it. In Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, episode 6, the wedding was really complicated.
What I do feel so bad about this is that towing the line between what John and Carolyn wanted vs. what was expected seemed to be something painful and hard for them both. Watching him tell her that it was about what she wanted and making sure that she got it – well that showed me that he loved her.
Unconditionally.
Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly are definitely shining in these roles. They’ve given us this beautiful story and even when it is complicated, they make it feel simple and new. They draw you in and make sure that you are watching a love story that you can fall into.
And live with.
And that’s the beauty of this show. You are drawn in. You know it’s not all reality, but it’s enough of it to remember those times. The times where you could turn on the television or pick up a paper and what you would see is American royalty.
Because that is what they were.
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were our royal couple.
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PAPERS
With the fight that just happened in public there are a lot of opinions that are happening. While we’ll be the first to say that these two should have thought about the possibilities of what could happen when they set foot outside — life happens.
Do I understand that the Kennedy name means something? Yes. I do understand that it does. What I also get is that it’s definitely not fair for anyone to have to live their life hidden to make others feel okay with their lives.
John and Carolyn were not going to be able to put on a show of being good and obediant all the time. Life happens. They are human. So yes, I laughed at Caroline and what I can assume is Uncle Teddy trying to chastize him. I was in shock though when Carolyn went to Ethels.
The Kennedy family is very complex and I do get that. But I do believe that part of their complications come from their own making. They liked complications and chaos – it feels like. John and Caroline didn’t. So it was endearing to watch him try to just be afforded some grace.
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THE DANCE
There is an immense amount of pressure when marrying a Kennedy. I can’t even imagine. There’s got to be this pressure to have a big wedding, to take care of everyone, and to bow to tradition. Yet, tradition isn’t something that John and Carolyn want to bow down to.
I feel for them, but I also am amazed by John. He’s not caring so much about what the Kennedy’s or even his sister would want. He wants to make his wife happy and that is a beautiful thing. It’s beautiful because it takes courage and that is something that I think a lot of people don’t have.
As the two plan – John is the one that comes up with the island. Carolyn loves it and even when he expresses that he’s been there before with an ex, she still loves it. The two are dancing around their loft, knowing that it could not be easy.
Their wedding was something that – I remember – the public held on bated breathe waiting for more. A picture, a hint – it didn’t matter. We just wanted more.
The pictures were beautiful, but if we’re being honest, I don’t think that it’s fair to feel that much pressure to be able to just have a wedding that is your own. No press, no hurt feelings – just your own.
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MAID OF HONOR
Caroline and Ed suggested that the wedding be at their house in the Hamptons. What really was frustrating was seeing them all argue, because all John and Carolyn really wanted was support and assurance.
This led to Carolyn wanting to figure out a way to make it right. That meant that she was going to have to figure out a way to make Caroline realize that she was important. Her solution – ask her to be her maid of honor.
I can’t even imagine how hard that was because Carolyn has sisters. Sisters that she is close to and sisters that she wants to be a part of everything. I can’t blame them for being upset about not being the maid of honor. I just – I feel like Caroline didn’t want to be inconvenienced by it.
There is a protective feeling that Caroline projects – she wants her brother to be okay. I can respect that. But in the same breathe, I feel like John has to grow up and trying to protect him from it isn’t helping anyone.
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CALVIN
How does one not have their mentor make their wedding dress? I would have thought that he would have made it – I think we all would. But Carolyn went a different way and that needs to be respected.
It needs to be respected because it’s her wedding. Her choice.
It was her going into Calvin’s office and explaining to him why it is time for her to leave. He seemed very annoyed and hurt by it, and she didn’t seem to understand or see that.
I do believe that Carolyn respected Calvin and her want was to make sure that she did not do anything to harm that relationship. I do think that for her – it all made sense and that it had to have hurt her also.
Carolyn was the most hunted by the paps person in the states for quite sometime. That was a distraction and I don’t thin he was being unfair or narcissist by saying just that she was one. But I do also get how Calvin may have seen it as a slight.
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REHERSAL DINNER
Parents are supposed to look out for their kids – so there is nothing surprising about Carolyn’s Mom being apprehensive of her daughter marrying into the Kennedy family. She wants to know that Carolyn is protected and loved.
The thing for me is – watching this I believe that Carolyn is this person that protects herself. She makes compromises where necessary, but also has a plan to see the bigger picture. She’s not going to just let anyone take advantage.
Yes, she’d give up everything for John, but is that so bad? As long as she doesn’t lose herself, why does it matter? Why can’t she find compromises in the small things in life? Does it always have to be big compromises?
I do thin that her Moms speech wasn’t meant to be cruel. It was meant to make sure that her feelings were known. Was it the right time? No. But it was time.
LATE FOR THE WEDDING
The small chapel has no electricity. It’s the deep south and there is no air conditioning. It had to have been ripe in there – the sweat flowing. But, it was still a wedding in a church. One that they thought that they had kept secret – until there was a helicopter sound above.
Carolyn had just wanted something intimate, so hearing the helicopter above was a little scary. It didn’t matter though – she was going to get married.
Having to get into her dress – it would have to go over her head and she had just done her makeup. They were late and the designer said that he would figure it out. Umm put a towel over your head and deal with it.
But she did eventually arrive. Two hours late, but a wedding happened and forever started. Or did it?
Whatever happens next – these two were in love. You could see how in love John was. Carolyn became his whole world. She was everything.
He looked at her as though she hung the moon. Maybe she did to him.
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OTHER THOUGHTS
- Carolyn having finally dyed her hair – looks good
- Sleeping on the beach the night before the wedding is romantic
- Why didn’t anyone go back to the hotel to see what was up and why she was running two hours late?
- Caroline kinda scares me
- Ethel was kinda nice in this episode
- Carolyn looking happy is a strange thing for me
- Skinny dipping – been there, done that – they did it better
- I dont blame John for not wanting to publish his wedding pics
- George the TV show? I woulda watched.
