The Fiftieth Anniversary of a Grand Old Tarrytown Wedding

Published 4 years ago4y ago • Bookmarks: 104

June 11, 2020

Cavorsi family circa 2019

By Barrett Seaman–

It was the right place and the right time to marry—if you lived in Tarrytown and if your choice of a wedding day happened to coincide with the 100^th anniversary of the incorporation of the Village of Tarrytown, June 11, 1970. On that day, Christine Ann Moro of 104 Stephen Drive, Tarrytown, and Costanzo Robert (“Chip”) Cavorsi of 102 Main Street, Irvington were treated by the village to a grand retro Victorian Age nuptial celebration as it might have happened on that day in 1870.

The erstwhile newlyweds are now comfortably retired in Lake Worth, Florida, where they plan to celebrate their Golden Anniversary over a quiet dinner with their three grown children. The “kids” will have their own surprise: a slide show of photographs, many of them seen here, depicting the elaborate festivities of half a century ago—and a chance to log onto The Hudson Independent’s website celebration of the event.

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The paper of record in Tarrytown then was The (Tarrytown) Daily News, which gave the Cavorsi-Moro wedding a full, above-the-fold spread the next day. The write-up would have given the old New York Times’ “Brides” section a run for its money. In exquisite detail, reporter Susan Colgan, writing for the News, described the bride’s Pique dress, a period piece “loaned from the collection of Mrs. Morrie Slifkin…fashioned in the princess style with mutton sleeves fitted at the wrist and trimmed with Madeira lace.” The groom wore a black cutaway with winged collar shirt and top hat, and he carried a cane, typical of the late 19^th century. (The couple would remember distinctly how much they suffered under the heavy cloth on a blistering hot June day).

The ceremony took place at the Marymount College chapel, high on the hill overlooking the village. The reception was held on the campus of Marymount, from which Christine had just graduated. The entire wedding party was shuttled about in horse-drawn surreys, loaned for the occasion by then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller. The Daily News said 500 attended the nuptials.

The wedding became the highlight of what was called Ladies’ Day, a portion of Tarrytown’s Centennial celebration. Settled by Europeans in 1640, the village did not attain its municipal independence until 1870. That would of course make 2020 its sesquicentennial year.

As for the Cavorsis, after earning a degree in electrical engineering from Westchester Community College, Chip, a Vietnam veteran, embarked on a successful career as an electronics engineer that took the couple—and eventually their two sons and daughter—hopscotching around the country. He retired in 2016.

And so, from all of us at The Indy to Chip and Christine: Happy Fiftieth!

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