Carol Vidacovich graduated from Loyola University with honors and worked at Touro as Assistant Chief Laboratory Manager in the Pathology Department. . John Wilton Hall had graduated from Mississippi State in accounting and worked in New Orleans at the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an auditor. John lived with four friends: Tom Smith, Jack Dent, Preston Wailes and Herbert Thigpen. They worked all week but came home on Friday nights where the “Friday Night Gang” would celebrate at famous steak houses like Tucker’s – no girls allowed!
Carol and John went on a blind date for New Year’s Eve, set up by Jack Dent’s dad and Carol’s boss, Dr. Jack Dent. They had a ball and dated exclusively for about a year. John asked for Carol’s hand from her father and proposed to Carol on Valentine’s Day with a diamond ring from Adler’s. Of course she said yes, and they were married a year later on January 27, 1968, at St. Raphael Catholic Church at 10 in the morning. Following the wedding, there was a reception for about 300 at the Metairie Country Club. Farley’s Florist did all of the flowers for the reception as well as Carol’s bouquet and bridesmaid’s bouquets.
Orchids were abundant in the bouquets and flowers all over the club. Carol’s dress, custom designed in New York City and purchased through Kreeger’s on Canal Street, was of candlelight peau de soie with appliques of French Alençon lace on both the dress and the veil that were encrusted with seed pearls. Bridesmaids’ dresses came from Town & Country.
The bridesmaids included Marilyn Dittman as matron of honor, Sherry Weidert, Lynne Hotstream and Babs Adams, and the groomsmen included the Friday Night Gang as well as other good friends. The reception guests were treated to a beautiful luncheon and wedding cake by Mr. Wedding Cake himself, Lawerence Aiavolasiti.
After the reception, Carol changed into her going away outfit and they were off to Atlanta at the brand new Regency Hyatt Hotel and then to Mobile, Alabama for their honeymoon.
Everyone knows Carol from her volunteer work, including the opera, ballet, American Cancer Society, Longue Vue, the LPO, Men and Women of Fashion –which she just chaired with her sister, Marilyn Dittman – and so many others. Before her volunteer jobs she worked in sales and was the regional manager of the LabCorp Biomedical Lab for 27 years. John, her fearless partner, retired as the Director of the National Finance Center after an amazing career. They just celebrated their 50th anniversary!