Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Her Grandmother’s Wedding Gown

Eunice + Mikey

Miami, Florida

A couple of weeks ago, I experienced an incredible sense of déjà vu that transported me back to my early days as a photographer. There I was, in the bride’s home catching shots with no assistant, no Chad (he was with the groom), just me, myself, and I. This surprise trip down memory lane was orchestrated in large part by the formidable year 2020. And it happened at the Miami wedding of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. It was an extraordinary honor to capture the nuptials of Eunice, and her now-husband, Michael “Mikey” Serafin Garcia, last month. 

In a year full of unwelcome surprises (and a few rays of hope!), this intimate wedding, so meaningfully orchestrated by Eunice, her family, and Annie Lee of Daughter of Design, has been one of the greatest gifts of my year. It is one of the most special weddings, featuring one of the most incredible gowns, I’ve ever photographed.

Let’s start with the dress. Because: Dior! 67 years ago, Eunice (who is her grandmother’s namesake), wore it when she wed Eunice’s grandfather. It was made by Christian Dior himself in 1953. Time has turned the color to a soft candlelight ivory and created a few small holes, but it fit Eunice to perfection. (The bride shares more than a name with her grandmother; they also share the same height and measurements.) 

It was a dream to photograph this gown, carefully restored by Ever After Miami. They also created a custom bodice to match the gown (and a fun, flirty party skirt for later in the evening). Eunice carried it off beautifully throughout the entire celebration.

A celebration not easily planned or rescheduled…

For Eunice and Mikey, as for many other couples who married in 2020, planning the wedding came with many unique challenges. Since COVID-19 conditions meant little promise for their original 200-guest celebration, the couple decided to plan a micro-wedding. But, once rescheduled, plans were continually in flux. Just a month before their wedding, the couple learned that their reception venue could no longer accommodate the 30+ guests scheduled to attend the micro-wedding.

As Eunice told Vogue, “Even within the month of our wedding, there were a few major changes due to the regulations.”

Which takes us back to that déjà vu feeling…. I was not the only one experiencing flashbacks to my early career. Every wedding vendor worked solo that day to eliminate unnecessary risk. Annie, of Daughter of Design, Camille of Ever After Miami and I all agreed that it felt like we had stepped back in time. 

Every step of the way, there were precautions to take. But it was all worth it for Eunice and Mikey, to be married in Miami in front of their closest friends and family. “Red tape every six feet down the aisle wasn’t exactly my vision, but it’s part of having a wedding in 2020. The church clergy has been at the bedside of many patients in hospitals and take the pandemic quite seriously,” Eunice told Vogue. 

As their photographer, I offered to remove the lines of red tape from their final images, but Eunice chose to leave them in, as context for the time in which we are living. I was moved by her choice, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Tradition, meaning, and history were not lost to the challenges of the event. Eunice grew up in the Catholic church, and wed her husband surrounded by clergy who have known her all of her life. “There was never a question as to where the ceremony would be,” she said. “We had a traditional Catholic wedding with a full mass. Our families only filled the first few pews, but the mostly empty church was filled with music.”

Emotion also filled the church. Mikey told Vogue, “The energy of that day filled the room. It was the best moment of my life. As I walked down the aisle with my mom, and then watched Eunice walk in with her dad, it was tough to hold in my tears. She was the most beautiful bride ever.”

Despite having to consider myriad changes and precautions, Eunice still managed to pull off a surprise post-dinner celebration with some of the couple’s closest friends. “Mikey is Mr. Social, and the small wedding was not his dream. I knew how much it would mean to him to see some of our closest friends to celebrate.”

The rich family legacy, the beauty of this breathtaking bride in her grandmother’s Dior gown, the closeness and the emotion of those who were present—it made this one of the most special weddings I’ve had the privilege of documenting.

I hope you enjoy these wedding images of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and the feature on Vogue.com, as much as I have cherished this gift from the year none of us will forget. 

Read more on Vogue feature: