Ann and william “Von” Trufant met at a cocktail party in Jacksonville, Fla. Ann had just made her debut in Jacksonville, and was getting ready to go to medical school after college.
Von Trufant, a life-long New Orleanian, was a marine underwriter at G.M. Marine and in the Navy Reserve, so he had business in Jacksonville. When they met it was “love at first sight.” Ann’s plans for medical school changed almost immediately. They dated for a few months before Ann went off to Skyland Camp in North Carolina, where she was a camper and then a counselor. She was going to stay and extra week, but Von asked her to come home early.
Von proposed to Ann at a dinner at the Ponte Vedra Bath Club in September and they were married in May.
Ann’s mother died when she was only 17, so her mother’s best friends helped with Ann’s debut and with her wedding. They were married at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on May 18, 1950, and the reception was a cocktail buffet for about 150 people at their home in Jacksonville.
Friends of the family had a seated dinner for 50 for the rehearsal dinner at the Timuquana Club in Jacksonville.
The wedding dress was white satin made by the family dress maker, the veil had been worn by two best friends who wanted Ann to wear it, and the bouquet was all orchids. The bridesmaids carried yellow irises that accented their pale blue dresses. The cake was traditional white almond with sugared flowers. Ann’s grandmother made the cloth for the cake table with pieces of vintage family lace.
The wedding was at 4:30 p.m., because in Jacksonville it was considered good luck to be married with the hands of the clock going “up.”
After the wedding they honeymooned at Sea Island and stayed at The King and Prince. Ann and Von moved to Atlanta for one year and then returned to New Orleans where Ann has been involved with Junior League, her Investment Club, Miss Aiken’s School and Trinity. This Jacksonville “girl” is a true New Orleanian.
