Photos: Yaritza Colon
Lauren Carlson and Alex Lambrinos were married at The Congregational Church in New Canaan on July 20, 2024.
Though their romance began as freshmen at Wake Forest, Lauren and Alex grew up together in New Canaan. Lauren explains, “My ‘Irish twin’ brother, Grant, was friends with Alex and played on the soccer team together at New Canaan High School, and our parents have known each other forever. We share a lot of the same friends from high school, and now college too. Our families started doing Christmas Eves all together when we were still in college! …It seemed like all our guests were already friends with each other, and that made the whole weekend feel especially celebratory for me and Alex.”
Friday evening rehearsal dinner was held at the Roger Sherman Inn. “I had my Baptism there as a baby, and we both did pre-prom at the Roger Sherman in high school,” Lauren smiled. “So it felt like a really full circle moment for us to be back there toasting our impending nuptials.” Grant gave a speech that left the crowd in tears, and the afterparty brought together shared high school and college friends.
“The Congregational Church was the only place I ever wanted to get married,” Lauren declares. On Saturday morning of the wedding, Lauren gathered with her bridesmaids, including New Canaanites Cali Brannan and Maid of Honor, Carey Callahan, and got ready in the parlor room overlooking the memorial garden. Alex spent the morning with his groomsmen, who included New Canaanites, Chris Harte, Hugo Potter, his brother, Nick Lambrinos, and Lauren’s brother Grant Carlson. Alex shares, “I was in tears as Lauren’s Dad, Dave, walked Lauren down the aisle.” The pair exchanged traditional vows, administered by the same Pastor who led Lauren’s youth group, and the ceremony was followed by a flower petal toss as the couple exited the Church.
The reception followed at Woodway Country Club, in the Noroton Room overlooking the golf course. “Alex and I took a lot of dance classes before the wedding so we could nail our first dance,” Lauren beamed, “and we danced to ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’, and toasted to some amazing wedding speeches by close friends and family.”
The couple settled in Charleston after graduating from Wake Forest and, as Alex says, “We brought a little bit of the South up with us for the party!” …As the wedding party turned into the afterparty, the couple had cowboy hats and some Chick-fil-A waiting to fuel the late-night revelers!
As featured in the November/December 2024 issue of Bedford & New Canaan Magazine