A La Mrs. John F. Kennedy

Last Thursday would have been Jacqueline Kennedy’s 87th birthday!  What a very gracious lady she was.  

Brooke Bobb of Vogue writes that Mrs. Kennedy did a lot of different things to create a warm and inviting White House as soon as her husband, Jack Kennedy, was sworn in.  She shared a few things that Jackie Kennedy felt were important to being a gracious hostess.

Create a casual, comfortable environment.
Where the rooms in the White House were meant to be showpieces rather than gathering areas, the first lady gave them new life. She lit all the fireplaces when guests came by in the winter, nixed the idea of a receiving line at formal affairs, and was thoughtful of her flower arrangements, making them look natural and rustic and not like they came from an expensive florist. Mrs. Kennedy also started the tradition of inviting the men and women to have coffee together after dinner, when historically they’d retire to separate rooms.

Be mindful of the menu.
Though she didn’t have to, Mrs. Kennedy would always consider the price of certain foods and whether or not they were in season and readily available. She instructed the White House chef to serve only four courses instead of the traditional five to six, and she tailored the menu to the cultures and personal preferences of her guests.

Set a simple, well-composed table.
Mrs. Kennedy was adamant about creating a tablescape that was not too fussy or overdone. She never used bread-and-butter plates, but did set the table with individual salt dishes, nut dishes, an urn of cigarettes, and matches. Each plate was decorated with a folded white napkin and a simple place card on top. She also typically used vermeil instead of silver for the table service.

Yes, Jackie Kennedy certainly did have an abundance of charm and style and added so much to the White House.