jacqueline bouvier first met united states representative, john f. kennedy at a dinner party in may 1952 after journalist, charles l. bartlett helped the two meet up. the two had many things in common. they were both catholic, they both wrote, both liked reading and both had lived outside the united states during college. john was busy running for the united states senate in massachusetts when they first met. their relationship became more serious and he asked her to marry him after he was elected senator. bouvier took some time to accept, because she had been asked to report on the coronation of queen elizabeth ii in london for the washington times-herald. after a month in europe, she returned to the united states and accepted kennedy's marriage proposal. their engagement was officially announced on june 25, 1953.