Flowers in Her Hair

Before George W Bush became a President, John Quincy Adams was the first son of a President to become a President himself. But while John Quincy Adams lost that first, for him and his family there are still other firsts.

One of his own firsts was that he created the very first flower garden in the grounds of the White House, generating a generation of Presidents involved in ongoing beautification of the White House grounds.

But it was Mary Catherine Hellen who brought into the Adams' Family a most interesting first.

For sometime she had flirted light-heartedly with the President's two older sons, never quite sure which one to choose. She did lean slightly to George Washington, the eldest of the boys. After all, there was always a certain amount of prestige, and often a definite financial reward in marrying the first born. But in her heart of hearts, she had to admit George Washington was not a lot of fun to be around. Only in his early twenties, up to his eyeballs in hock, he also seemed to spend a lot of time around the cocktail cabinet ? and not only at the happy hour.

John, the younger son, on the other hand, appeared to be on the straight and narrow, despite managing to get himself expelled from Havard. Though, if she were to be frank with herself, he wasn't exactly averse to the cocktail cabinet either.

But dash it all, she had set her heart on a President's son for a husband, and there weren't all that many of them around.

So on 28th February 1828, John married his Mary in the White House. The room was an oval, named by posterity Blue, but brilliantly red on this occasion. At the reception Mary sparkled as, supported by President Adams, her now father-in-law, she sashayed and do-si-doed to the Virginia Reel.

Many may not have been aware that she was creating history. In the first instance, this was the first time a son of a President married in the White House. Since then quite a few President's daughters have done it, but so far no sons.

But the second first was her own desire for originality. She had delved deeply, as brides tend to do, into wedding customs and traditions, agonising about how to dress, what shoes to wear and how to adorn her hair. With one eye on what brides across the ocean deemed acceptable, she hoped to find something that had not yet become de rigueur for the English bride.

And she found it.

On her wedding day she came down the aisle in white satin and pearls ? which was to be expected ? and with orange blossoms in her hair which wasn't.

It would take another twelve years, and a wedding of Queen Victoria, before orange blossoms became the flowers that no self-respecting bride could do without.

Vlady, an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant, is an author of "The Complete Book of Australian Weddings", "The Small Organisation Handbook", and an ebook, "Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle?" which you can see on Vlady's website http://www.vlady-celebrant.com

post construction cleaning Des Plaines ..

In The News:

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

Moving and downsizing expose seniors to identity theft and scams as data brokers collect real estate records and personal information to sell to criminals.

ShengShu's Vidar technology revolutionizes humanoid robot training by using AI-generated synthetic video, reducing required training data from hours to just 20 minutes.

Apple's older Mac computers face security risks without regular updates, but 10 essential tips including FileVault encryption and strong passwords can keep aging Macs protected.

Self-driving trucks from PlusAI could reshape freight transportation by 2027, addressing driver shortages and reducing logistics costs for businesses.

Flowers in Her Hair

Marriage & Wedding