Before Will and Kate, America was feverish for JFK and Jackie. On this day in 1953, the Massachusetts senator proposed to his socialite girlfriend with a stunning emerald-and-diamond ring. Seven years later, the golden couple would become the youngest (and arguably the most stylish) president and first lady to grace the White House. In honor of their 59th engagement anniversary, here’s a quick run-down on their whirlwind romance:

How they met: Before reigning as king and queen of Camelot, Jackie worked as a photographer and columnist for the Washington Times Herald, while JFK was a fast-rising political star on Capitol Hill. On May 8, 1951, the two were introduced by a mutual friend at a Georgetown dinner party. “I leaned across the asparagus and asked her for a date,” Kennedy reportedly said.

How they got engaged: After two years of dating, JFK proposed to Jackie on June 24, 1953 with a Van Cleef and Arpels ring that consisted of a 2.88-carat diamond mounted next to a 2.84-carat emerald with tapered baguettes, according to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. In 1962, the ring was reset to include 2.44 carats worth of round and marquis accent diamonds.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Love trumps politics. This morning, former veep Dick Cheney’s daughter, Mary, married her partner of 20 years, Heather Poe in Washington, D.C. Mary updated her Facebook friends this afternoon: “Very happy to announce that as of this morning, Heather and I are legally married (at least in DC). 20 years to the day after our first date.”

Dick and Lynne Cheney also issued a statement of their own: “We are delighted that they were able to take advantage of the opportunity to have that relationship recognized. Mary and Heather and their children are very important and much loved members of our family and we wish them every happiness.” Though he’s a conservative Republican, the former vice president has publicly supported marriage equality since 2009 — even lobbying for Maryland Republicans to legalize gay marriage earlier this year.

And even the tense presidential campaign paused for a moment in honor of the happy occasion. People.com reports that some prominent members of both the Mitt Romney campaign and George W. Bush’s administration “liked” and commented on Mary’s status update.

Congrats, Mary and Heather!

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Wearing an ivory silk mermaid Vera Wang gown and a romantic lace veil, Ashley Biden, a social worker and daughter of vice president Joe Biden, married Philadelphia surgeon Dr. Howard David Krein at the same Delaware church where she was baptized, the Associated Press reports.

After the ceremony at Greenville’s St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church, the couple and an approximate 200 close friends and family gathered for a cozy reception at the Biden’s lakeside family home in Wilmington. According to People, guests enjoyed a backyard family-style dinner, which was prepared by the vice president himself!

The couple was introduced in 2010 by Ashley’s older brother, and got engaged on a cliff (at sunset!) in California’s Big Sur last October.

“We’re happy to welcome Howard into our family, and we wish them all the best in their new life together,” Joe and wife Dr. Jill Biden, said in a statement released by the vice president’s office.

As for the honeymoon, a family source tells People that Howard, 45, will surprise Ashley, 30, with their destination — we can’t wait to see where he’ll take her!

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