-- judy agnew i do not know as much, but she and betty ford were dear friends that had known each other many years and that came up in washington. they had a very close relationship even after she left the white house. a very different personality, kind of night and day. that is what i found so interesting in researching them both. i see mrs. nixon as teeing women's issues up and betty puts them in the spotlight. mrs. nixon was very private, did not like the spotlight. i think mrs. ford perhaps enjoyed the spotlight more. an interesting contrast because they were dear friends even though they were quite different. >> i think -- we could go on.

we may do this again in a non-problematic way. i would like to thank linda and the first rose garden wedding. the naval photographic center produced this film. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [applause] ♪ ♪ ♪

>> one of the most important days in tricia nixon's life was drawing to a close. the wedding was over but a w life and career as mrs. edward finch cox was just commencing. at a press conference tricia once said speedy the most important thing is love but love -- you can't really define it. you can say i i love this aboa person, i love this -- intelligent -- [inaudible] that you just can't quite decide. ♪ >> the events leading up to this memorable day all regarded back on the night of march 16. the father of the bride to be announced his daughters engagement. the occasion was an evening at the white house a celebration in honor of the visit to washington of john lynch prime minister of ireland and mrs. nixon's birthday. ♪ ♪

♪ >> i understand i'm supposed to make a surprise announcement. [laughing] the difficulty is that every time i'm supposed to make a surprise announcement, i find that somali it is leaked before i get to make it. and this seems to be no exception. under the circumstances of course i was wondering whether making an announcement to this very distinguished group of our very close friends from all over the united states to making such an announcement which seen to be rather an anti-climax for this wonderful evening. i discussed it with the prime minister and he's given his permission. and he is one who has had great success that i going to take his advice. he tells me that even though the

information may have leaked out, that until i say if it's not official. [laughing] and so tonight mrs. nixon and i are very honored to announce the engagement of our daughter tricia to mr. edward cox of new york. [applause] just so happy that we can share happiness with everybody. i think an engagement is supposed be a fun time can specially those engagement parties. is traditionally supposed to be a surprise.

>> the announcement signaled the start of an exciting round f showers and receptions by friends and family. the first official event was a miscellaneous shower hosted by the vice presidents wife mrs. agnew at the residence in the sheraton park hotel on june june 1. besides mrs. nixon and tricia, special guests included julie eisenhower, mamie eisenhower, mrs. cox and ed's sister, marianne. among her many gifts, tricia received her china, the blue tree pattern by lyness, her silver, eloquence from greenfield massachusetts, and her crystal, a cut glass pattern.

prior to mrs. agnes party and informal shar was held on may 26. tricia wasn't the first white house bride-to-be to have a shower given in her honor by a member of the washington women's press corps. helen thomas was hostess of the party at which mrs. nixon, julie, and ed's mother were honored yet. other guests included members of mrs. nixon staff and women reporters. one of tricia is gifts from a lady of the press. to be an expression of sympathy for tricia and ed's desire for anonymity. to the movement of all, tricia donned her disguise. on friday evening june 4 at

washington's beautiful anderson house, mrs. william rogers, wife of the secretary of state, hosted a reception for the diplomatic corps in honor of tricia and it. dean of the diplomatic corps led the way through the receiving line. the secretary of state was unable to be there as he was attending meetings in portugal and france. tricia graciously accepted the gift from the ambassador. in his remarks to this international group of guests, the president expressed this wish for his daughter and her future husband. >> i would like to leave one thought with you on this occasion which is my wish for the bride and groom after the wedding ceremony. first, the chance to live their own lives. second, more than anything else, the chance to know the world as i've had a chance to know it. and i look forward to a time

when this will truly be an open world where they will have the chance to go to your countries and to all the countries of the world and know the people of those countries. because what a wonderful future it is, for your children and our children to know each other. ♪ >> while tricia entertained at a white house dinner on june 10 for the members of the wedding party and the wives of the groomsmen, and was hosting a bachelor party at the f street club. tricia chose as members of the wedding party for sister julie as matron of honor, ed's sister mary and as maid of honor, and as junior bridesmaids are cousins, beth and amy nixon. add chose his brother howard as best man and college friends as groomsmen. david eisenhower was unable to be in the wedding since he was on duty aboard the uss albany in

the mediterranean. ed's godparents warehouse at a luncheon for tricia and add an out-of-town guests on june 11 at washington celebrate club. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> the time slipped quickly away. in the rose garden which tricia had chosen as the setting for her marriage, the members of the wedding party rehearsed their role. >> one of the most important things for people is the fact that except one another, , even though they are very different,

they accept the differences in the person. i guess you might say they complement one another. i don't think necessarily people have to be a light to be able to be married and have a happy marriage. eddie was my first love. we met at a christmas dance. i'll never forget that because we were dancing together and only when i will remember, i was dealt with some who so tall that i was being smothered. i think eddie is more intelligent than i i always find being with him very challenging. i think one of the things i always expected eddie was his sin city. he just is a completely sincere person.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> that evening, ed's father and mother were housed at the traditional rehearsal dinner at blair house. the 40 guests attending the black-tie affair included beside members of the wedding party, mamie eisenhower, the wives of the four four groomsmen, te president's brothers and their wives, and a few other friends and relatives. members of the wedding party exchange traditional gifts. millions of people throughout the world waited in anticipation as the white house prepared to celebrate the wedding. historians took note that tricia

was the eighth daughter of a a president to be married in the white house, that hers was the first june wedding held their and the first marriage ceremony to be performed out-of-doors at the executive mansion. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ the father of the bride to be unexpectedly visited the press center and express a poetic view to reporters about the possibility of rain when he explained that a soft rain caresses the marriage. and then anymore lighthearted vein he said, -- >> a little rain will keep people indoors and they will remember it more.

>> in spite of threatening skies, tricia decided to go forward with her plans for the out-of-doors ceremony. >> the preparation shifted into high gear. a light rain continued to fall, but the guests were as eager as tricia to have the ceremony take place in the rose garden. the 400 guests invited to the wedding included members of the cabinet, the ambassador representing the diplomatic corps, former white house brides

including alice roosevelt longworth, lucy johnson and lynda johnson rob. young friends of tricia and add, and relatives and friends of the family. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> at 4:30 p.m. after a half hor delay, the rain stopped and the

loveliest of all white house weddings began. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ dear friends, we are gathered together to unite tricia and edward in marriage an institution founded in nature, ordained by the state, sanctioned by the church, made honorable by the faithful

keeping of good men and good women in all ages. it is therefore not by any to be entered into on advisedly are likely but discreetly and advisedly and with due reference. this union is of hearts and a union created by loving purpose and capped by abiding will. and the union into which you are about to enter is most precious because it will bring you together in a relationship so intimate and so close that it will inevitably and profoundly influenced your entire future. and that future with disappointments and the pleasures and the sadness, and

its successes and failures, cannot be foreseen. of course these elements are found in every life and therefore are to be anticipated in your own. and so, unaware of what is before you, you accept one another to love is to appreciate and cherish our beloved as a unique person, deep and extraordinarily exceptional. it is to visualize him or her as an equal, yet complementing individual. love each other, but do not make a bond of your love. stand together, but not to near together, just as the pillars of the temple stand apart, yet stand together.

thus, these thoughts are most awesome and it is a beautiful tribute to your love of each other that cognizant of importance, you are here to save them as valves each to the other. because these words involve such implications it is appropriate that your life together exemplify the principal of altruism. love gives and forgives and accepts and adjusts, sacrifice is frequently offered garage and the lien love can make it generous and often. love can make it a joy and ideally married life ought to be a life of self-sacrificing love of grade and unreserved giving

of self and is in the spirit and for this purpose that you have come hither to be joined together and who giveth patricia to be married to edward. [background sounds]. put your hands together. if you have any, i edward take the patricia to be my wedded wife, to have into old, to honor and comfort, in sickness and in

health and in sorrow and enjoy, and to love and to cherish from this day forth. patricia, you repeat after me looking at edward. i patricia, take the edward to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, to honor and comfort in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to love and to cherish, from this day forward. may i have the rings. the wedding ring is the outward sign of an inward and a

spiritual grace. signifying to all the uniting of patricia and edward, in holy matrimony let us pray. blessed oh lord, this ring, that he who gives it and she who wears it, we know that piece and continue in that favor, all the days of their lives, amen. edward, places ring on the third finger of patricia's left hand and repeat after me. in symbol and pledge, of our constant love, with this ring, iv wedded. iv wedded.

let us pray, our father who art in heaven, hallowed be the name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. amen. pledge your right hands together predict and edward and patricia, have been together in holy wedlock and have witnessed before god and this company, and there to

have pledged their faith each to the other and have declared the same by joining hands and by giving a ring, i pronounce that they are husband-and-wife together. let us pray. eternal god, create tour and preserver of all mankind, giver of all spiritual grace, send a blessing upon patricia and edward that they may surely perform and keep the covenants made between them. may their hearts be one of your love and fidelity, and may they be a blessing and a comfort to each other. and to everyone else, they touch. maybe shares of each other's

choice, consoler's of each other's sorrows, helpers to each other in all and made a ever remain in perfect it, harmony together living according to the golden rule. look upon them and that they may love, honor, and cherish one another and sell them together in faithfulness and in patients, in wisdom and true kindness, that there home may be a haven of happiness in the place of serenity. this moment is the beginning of a new day. in the evening of their life together, maybe they be able to look back and say, how splendid the day has been.

amen. will you kneel. may the lord bless you and keep you, may the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. may the lord at the satellite of his countenance upon you and give you peace and may all that is noble, lovely and true, abide with you forever, amen. ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪

♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪

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♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ >> not only were patricia and ed, the wedding party assembled for the official corporate.

portrait. ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪

♪ ♪♪ the procession of well-wishers began with amy eisenhower the vice president and chief justice and missus brooks. ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ [background sounds]. ♪ ♪♪

commune ♪ ♪ ♪♪ >> the most fun, it's just so beautifully and still today, not only does he know how to do the waltz. ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ [applause] i've been trying to figure out .[inaudible].

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♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ the wedding cake and six years and it was nearly a dozen feet high what are the couple in the hole, confirming the success of the white house pastry chefs aggressive but the recipe fish patricia express to life referring to her ability.

[inaudible]. i can eat a chocolate chip cookie. [inaudible]. ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ in the final but brief ceremony remains to be performed in on the arm of her husband that thousands watched. [inaudible]. and the okay was tossed. ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪

with a new and very different life ahead of them, patricia and ed left the white house for their honeymoon. >> on think the most, my parents. in a really look forward at the end of the day to be able to talk to them and visit with them and be with them and i think i probably always will. ♪ ♪♪ ♪ ♪♪ [applause] ♪ ♪♪

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