Mary Lou and Bill Christovich met on a double-blind date in the summer of 1948. Bill had a date with the Urchin Beauty Queen of the Newcomb Class of 1948 and his friend Milton Janssen had a date with runner-up Mary Lou Mossy. They all went to the St. Regis on Airline Highway and danced the night away. Bill and Mary Lou danced more that night with each other than their respective dates. That night Mary Lou heard that Bill was playing tennis the next day at the New Orleans Country Club and, of course, showed up wearing the cutest short shorts with her friend to play alongside the boys. Bill asked Mary Lou out and never dated anyone else again.
They were married the morning of February 18, 1950, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral with five priests officiating. Bill’s best man was his brother Dick Christovich and Mary Lou’s maid of honor was her sister-in-law, Jane Potts Mossy. Mary Lou had been to Europe the year before with friend Hazel Amelia Muller (who later became Mrs. Frederick Stafford) and while in Brussels they found the lace veil and beautiful satin cap that Mary Lou wore the day of her wedding. She wore a dress of ivory satin, made by a lovely women who lived near Broadway and Freret streets. The bridesmaids’ dresses were white peau de soie with light blue collars. The flowers were tulips and snapdragons and the cake was created by Swiss Confectionery.
After the reception at the New Orleans Country Club, the bride and groom left for their honeymoon at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Ala. Everything was perfect until they got lost in Mobile because of Mardi Gras. There was no Interstate 10 at the time and it was dark by the time they reached the pandemonium in Mobile. When they finally reached the hotel, it was late; there was no room service and dinner was over; all they had was a basket of fruit and a bottle of champagne; at least they had each other.
This month they will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary!
