The PEOTUS left Blair House at 8:45 a.m., boarding into the back seat of a black, Cadillac limousine with a blue license plate bearing only the number 1. The limousine had been backed the entryway of Blair House, so PEOTUS only needed to walk about five steps. He wore a black suit and a red tie and walked out of the house with Michelle Obama, who wore a yellow dress that sparkled silver in the morning sun.
Obama held open the door for his wife and then entered after her.
They were accompanied to the church by, among others: Reggie Love (PEOTUS personal assistant), Maya Soetoro-Ng (PEOTUS's sister), Marian Robinson (Michelle Obama's mother), Craig Robinson (Michelle Obama's brother) and Kaye Wilson (friend and godmother to Obama daughers). Those who did not ride in Obama's limousine rode in an identical one with the same No. 1 license plate.
The motorcade navigated down streets lined with green bleachers set up for the afternoon parade and then past a series of security checkpoints en route to St. John's Church on Lafayette Square. They arrived two minuyes later for the private prayer service that has become an inaugural tradition. Five other presidents have attended services at St. John's, a historic Episcopal church, on the morning of their inaugurations.