The Halasz Wedding
Photography Keane Eye Photography
On an unseasonably warm December 2nd, 2023, New Canaan native, Catherine Bradley, daughter of Patricia and John Bradley, married Gabor Halasz, at St Aloysius Church in New Canaan, followed by a beautiful reception at Waveny House.
About meeting Gabor in 2021, Catherine says, “I definitely knew right away! I introduced him to my family on our fourth date! He’s such a sweet, loving, patient person. We just love spending time together!” The couple were engaged about a year-and-a-half later under one of the beautiful bridges of Central Park, during a romantic weekend in Manhattan. The engagement ring was passed down from Catherine’s grandmother.
Catherine and Gabor were married in an intimate ceremony, amongst about ninety of their closest friends and family, at St. Aloysius, where Catherine was walked down the aisle by her father, and the couple exchanged traditional vows.
About the Reception at Waveny, Catherine says, “I grew up in New Canaan, and Waveny Park was always a place that I loved going. I’ve always dreamed of getting married at Waveny! I love its history and classic charm. I actually didn’t even look at any other venues! I was set on Waveny from the outset.”
Talking about the flowers at the Ceremony and the Reception, Catherine smiles when she recalls… “Although it was a December wedding, we wanted to avoid holiday colors or theming, and I’m so pleased with how Earth Garden really brought the space to life with softer pinks and the most gorgeous arrangements. I was especially in love with how my bouquet turned out. Other than a few specific flower requests, I left pretty much everything up to Nancy Kline Gorkin and her team at Earth Garden, and I’m so glad that I trusted them completely. Though out of season, I requested my favorite peonies and dahlias, and Earth Garden made that dream a reality!” …And Nancy responds, “I’ve known Catherine’s mother, Patty, for thirty years - so it was an honor to be able to help make Catherine’s big day so beautiful! Bringing Catherine’s dream to life, we focused on soft to medium pinks as the dominant color scheme, and sourced pale pink peonies, dahlias, and roses, and a variety of snapdragons, astilbe, lisianthus, ranunculus, and bright green ferns.”
With all three of the oversized stone fireplaces crackling, the grand hall at Waveny was a romantic backdrop for a lively celebration. The couple were regaled with toasts and speeches from family and friends, followed by a first dance by the newlyweds, and then father-daughter and mother-son dances. As Catherine describes, “The evening really centered around an absolutely delicious dinner served by Carriage House Catering. Gabor’s family is from Europe, and our wedding was the first opportunity for our extended families to come together and get to know each other. We wanted everyone to be able to spend meaningful time together.”
“I worked with Carriage House,” Catherine explains, “...because of their food! It’s so rare to go to a wedding and actually like the meal, but at our wedding everyone genuinely enjoyed dinner, and it made it a little more like everyone was sharing a meal together than going through the process of just another affair. …And the cake was pretty tasty, too!” …Chris Angione, the owner of Carriage House, shares, “We served a baby field greens salad followed by a choice of: Black Angus Filet Tenderloin tournedos with a pink peppercorn bordelaise and garnished with fresh rosemary + potato au gratin dauphinoise, pan seared Chilean Sea Bass with a lemon, dill and caper sauce - served on black “forbidden rice” + sweet potato soufflé, or a vegetarian entree of wild Porcini mushroom pasta purses with a pink champagne Sauce. I’ve been in business for thirty-four years, and the key to success is meticulous planning, scrupulous attention to detail, and a commitment to the vision. There are no second chances or do-overs at a wedding…so we’re committed to getting it right every time! And we especially love working on weddings at Waveny House. It was a pleasure working with Catherine and Gabor, and a joy to help make their wedding a really great event!”
An after party at Uncorked in New Canaan, had guests dancing until two in the morning!
Catherine and Gabor now live together in New Canaan…and look forward to a life of happiness together…filled with lots of walks around Waveny.