JFK Jr. and Carolyn: All You Need to Know

OK, now that we’ve wrung out our tear-drenched hankies and are ready to get on with our lives, we think we can stand to talk about the details of the wed . . . wed . . . wedding. It’s still a little tough to say the word.

So, bring on the questions.

Question: Was the wedding of John Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Camelot-like?

Answer: Hardly! The super-secret wedding took place Saturday evening on Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia. The ceremony was held at the small wood-framed First African Baptist Church, begun by former slaves, at the northern end of the 18-mile barrier island. The candlelit, Roman Catholic ceremony was conducted by the Rev. Charles J. O’Byrne of the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City.

It was a teeny and very private affair, with no “Apocalypse Now”-type helicopters hovering.

The bride, John’s 29-year-old main squeeze for the past four years or so, wore a pearl-colored bias-cut silk crepe dress by designer Narciso Rodriguez for Cerruti 1881 with a veil of silk tulle and crystal-beaded silk satin sandals.

The groom wore a blue wool suit with a white vest and pale blue tie (the tie sounds vaguely tacky, but we’ll reserve judgment) and a boutonniere of cornflowers, President Kennedy’s favorite. Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg was the matron of honor, and the best man was cousin Anthony Radziwill.

They cut a traditional three-tier vanilla cake, which you know had to be his decision, because if it was hers, we’re sure it would have been chocolate.

Q: So what makes this Carolyn dame so special?

A: According to a recent story in W magazine, a former colleague called her “a cool blond” with “something sexy--even raunchy--about her.” Ouch.

Q: We know that Carolyn has bagged the Sexiest Man Alive, but how are they doing, career-wise?

A: Wellll . . . since John Jr.’s done so well with his political / celebrity magazine George (circulation’s up to about half a mil), it’s easy to forget that he had a bit of a struggle with the New York bar exam after law school. OK, he failed it twice. But hey, he threw great parties at the national conventions this year.

Carolyn, a doctor’s daughter who grew up in Greenwich, Conn., studied education at Boston University and did a bit of modeling. After graduation she worked for a nightclub chain, where she did marketing and special promotions. She left that to do publicity for Calvin Klein in New York, a job, through which, evidently, she met her Mr. Right. She has since left her job at Calvin Klein.

Q: Has JFK Jr. had as many girlfriends as Cher has had boyfriends?

A: Gosh, that’s a brain buster! Let’s see. . . . She’s 50, so that’s about two boyfriends every three years, divided by the time she was married to Sonny and Gregg, carry the 3. . . . Anyway, they’re both up there.

But here are the highlights of John’s girlfriendography:

* Daryl Hannah (she and John shared a deep love of roller-blading).

* Madonna (a match almost too weird to be real).

* Actress Christina Haag (fodder for the marriage rumor mill).

* Sarah Jessica Parker (hmmm . . . another actress . . . do we smell a trend?).

* Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Ashley Richardson.

* Model Julie Baker.

Q: Do you really think these two will live happily ever after? Will other women ever have a chance with His Hunkiness?

A: Never say never. After all, we thought Charles and Diana would last at least as long as those commemorative wedding mugs.

John and Carolyn seem like a happy couple, but let’s not forget that spat they had in Central Park in February. You know, the one where they were intruded on during a very private moment by a nosy snitch with a video camera? Wasn’t that too much fun to watch? So girls, don’t throw away those Modern Bride magazines. Anything can happen.

* Times staffers D. James Romero and Candace A. Wedlan contributed to this report.