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JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette never before seen wedding footage© Getty Images

Watch never-before-seen footage of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's secret wedding


UPDATED JUNE 28, 2019 10:08 AM EDT

Twenty years ago, America's royal couple John F Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette got married in a secret ceremony, which only their closest family and friends attended. More than two decades later, the whole world will now get to see the exclusive wedding in a new documentary titled JFK Jr. and Carolyn’s Wedding: The Lost Tapes. The film, which will air July 13 on TLC, will feature never-before-seen footage of the couple's nuptials along with interviews from friends who were present at the wedding.

John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette© Getty Images
A two-hour special on TLC will reveal never-before-seen footage of JKF Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's secret wedding ceremony 

John and Carolyn tied the knot on September 21, 1996 in a small church on Cumberland Island in Georgia. In the promo, you can see some special features they included like the bridal party arriving by pickup truck and the beautiful and romantic candlelit decor in the venue. The footage, recorded and released by JFK Jr.'s best friend Billy Noonan, also show the groom giving a speech at the party. “Carolyn has changed my life in a way that I never thought was possible,” JFK Jr. said to all of the guests. “And [she] just made me tonight, the happiest man alive.”

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In the clip, viewers also get a glimpse at the couple sharing their first dance, kissing and cutting their three-tiered wedding cake. Both sadly died in a plane crash in July 1999, months before their third wedding anniversary.

TLC said in a statement their delight in sharing this footage with the world. “As the leading destination for weddings, TLC is immensely proud to air this intimate look into the exclusive and historic wedding of ‘American royalty,’ which captivated and delighted the world,” TLC President Howard Lee said in a statement. “This special celebration encapsulates their fairytale wedding weekend as the public has never seen, and we are honored to share it with our passionate viewers.”

JFK Jr. and Carolyn’s Wedding: The Lost Tapes airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on July 13 on TLC.