Patrick Kennedy, the son of the late Senator Edward Kennedy, today married his school teacher sweetheart in a small, private ceremony at the family's legendary Cape Cod compound.
His new wife, Amy Petitgout, beamed shyly as she joined one of America's most famous dynasties.
Most of the Kennedy clan gathered at the family's historic compound for the outdoor ceremony this afternoon, presided over by Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
Mr Kennedy described himself as the 'luckiest guy', and said he was sure his late father was watching over him.
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Happy couple: Patrick Kennedy with his new wife Amy Petitgout at their wedding this afternoon. He described himself as the 'luckiest guy' before the ceremony in Cape Cod;
But the day of joy provided only a brief respite from the family's bitter divisions over the future of the property, known as Camelot-by-the-Sea.
Senator Kennedy's widow, Vicki, and his three children plan to transfer the main house at the compound to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, most probably for use as a scholarly retreat.
Some Kennedys are upset about the plans, as they are worried about protecting the privacy of family members who will continue to live in the grounds - and about losing the history of the iconic property.
But those disagreements were put to one side today and the happy couple looked happy and carefree as they posed for photographs after the service, embracing in the beach grass on the oceanfront.
Joining a dynasty: Patrick Kennedy kisses his new wife Amy Petitgout during their wedding ceremony today at the family's legendary Camelot-by-the-Sea compound in Cape Cod'
Around 200 friends and family members watched the couple exchange vows at 5pm today, including Miss Petitgout's daughter from a previous marriage, Harper.
Shortly before the ceremony, Mr Kennedy told reporters: 'This is a day that's a beautiful day, not only in weather but just for my family.
'And I'm the luckiest guy. She's the best I could have ever imagined and I'm lucky to be able to share this day with her.'
Mr Kennedy, a former eight-term Rhode Island congressman, smiled joyfully as his stepmother congratulated him after the service, while his new wife spoke to Mr Kennedy's mother, Joan.
Happy couple: Patrick Kennedy and his new wife Amy Petitgout embrace playfully as they walk together through the beach grass at the Kennedys' Cape Cod compound after their wedding;
Legendary family: Patrick Kennedy is congratulated by his stepmother, Vicki Kennedy, while his mother Joan Kennedy walks with his new wife, Amy Petitgout'
The couple met in New Jersey last year, where Miss Petitgout teaches. Mr Kennedy was in the state to speak about his aunt Eunice Kennedy Shriver's work with the Special Olympics.
The celebrations are due to end with a fireworks display on the beach at 9pm.
Joining the clan: Patrick Kennedy with Amy Petitgout
Earlier in the day, Mr Kennedy, 44, beamed as he told reporters he felt 'lucky' to be able to share the day with his family and his bride.
Mr Kennedy, who has not been married before, said he felt his late father would be watching over the ceremony, and had already blessed the day with good weather.
He said: 'I feel like my dad's kind of orchestrating everything from up above and he's doing a great job so far and he's telling us to get out on his sailboat and enjoy the ocean like he always did.'
He spent the afternoon before the ceremony sailing with relatives including his brother, Edward Jr, who acted as his best man.
For the Kennedys, the family compound has long been a place to relax, to celebrate and to grieve.
Members of America's most glamorous political dynasty have played touch football on the lawn, walked the beach and sailed the sound.
The cluster of white-clapboard homes on Cape Cod served as the summer White House when JFK was president.
It was there that the family retreated after his assassination.
And it was there that Caroline held her wedding reception and Ted spent his final days.
A statement on Thursday from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, of which Vicki Kennedy is a co-founder and trustee, said the compound's future use will be in line with what the senator wished for the property.
The main house: Largely untouched since Ted Kennedy's death, plans are under way to transform it into a Senate institute study centre '
The statement said: 'Senator Kennedy understood the historical importance of the family home, as well as its cherished place in a small residential community.
'He addressed all of those issues in giving his immediate family the rights to the property for their lives and a remainder interest in the property to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
'Any future plans for the family home will be consistent with the wishes of Senator Kennedy. However, no changes are imminent.'
The Kennedys' presence on Cape Cod began in 1926 when Joseph Kennedy Sr. and his wife, Rose, rented a summer cottage with sweeping ocean views. A few years later, the Kennedy patriarch purchased the property and expanded it to suit his growing family.
Twenty years after that, JFK and his brother Robert expanded the family footprint when they bought homes nearby.
The big day: Patrick Kennedy, left, and his brother Edward Kennedy, Jr, enjoy the Friday morning sunshine ahead of Patrick's wedding'
Dynasty: Edward Kennedy Jr stands up on a launch as he and other family members sail back to shore for his brother's wedding'
Edward Kennedy made the main house his home for decades and Ethel Kennedy, Robert's widow, still keeps a house next to the main residence.
The 21-room home and 2.4-acre waterfront lot at the heart of the Kennedy compound has been largely unused since the senator’s death two years ago.
Family associates said Vicki Kennedy has little interest in keeping the house for herself.
Her friends say it evokes sad memories of her husband and their times together at the home he loved most.
A younger family member who frequents the compound has referred to it as 'the haunted house.'
A centre for family and politics: A gathering for a family party at the main house in 1990, but plenty of policy decisions were mulled there too'
When it is taken over by the institute, the main home will be turned into a study centre where scholars and public figures gather to ponder policy issues, the Boston Globe reports.
The main property is a political landmark, where the family planned political campaigns, celebrated a presidential election, and mourned assassinations.
'Politics is the family’s business, and the compound was the place for that business,' said historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who chronicled the rise of the Kennedy clan in her 1987 book 'The Fitzgeralds and The Kennedys.'
Mrs Goodwin said Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. chose the seaside estate in Hyannis Port so it could serve as a place where the family would be able to gather, grow, and bond - and eventually, through its cohesion, become a major force in Massachusetts and national politics.
'It became the country’s image of the Kennedy family,' Mr Goodwin said.
A place to relax: JFK with Jacqueline sit on a lounge chair reading a book to daughter Caroline in July, 1960'
Much of the problem with converting the property to a study centre lies with the complicated transition issues, according to associates.
For example, if the non-profit, tax-exempt institute takes title to the property, the town will lose the $56,000 annual property tax.
In addition, neighbours in the exclusive summer resort are concerned about any changes to the property’s use.
Other family members who live near the main house are looking for assurance about the potential intrusion on their privacy and their access to the beach.
Still, Mrs Goodwin said that using a property that is so steeped in political history as a study centre could be a great inspiration for those who gather to consider the great issues of the day.
Chance to unwind: Bobby Kennedy with Jackie on the beach at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, United States.
'Having scholars working in that house makes a lot a sense,' she said.
Whatever becomes of it, the compound remains a link to the Kennedy legacy.
It's where John F. Kennedy learned to sail and played football with his brothers, and just down the road is where he delivered his first speech after winning the White House.
It was there, 12 years ago next week, that the Kennedy clan retreated to mourn the death of John F. Kennedy Jr. in a plane crash.
And it is also where Edward Kennedy, Patrick's father, succumbed to brain cancer in 2009.
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