Champagne Dreams

night and gale

Clark Gale and Zac Denham dance to The Way You Look Tonight; (inset) the newlyweds looking sharp.

2022

Champagne Dreams

AFTER MAKING SARATOGA THEIR ESCAPE DURING LOCKDOWN, CITY BOYS ZAC DENHAM AND CLARK GALE

CELEBRATED WITH SPECTACULAR FLAIR BOTH THEIR NUPTIALS AND THEIR SPA CITY FUTURE.

By Abby Tegnelia

photography by BRINDAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

2022

28, 2019 birthday, and then right past their original wedding date of October 4, 2020 (although they did throw a little party then, too, COVID notwithstanding); and straight to October 2, 2021, when a well-heeled crowd descended on The Adelphi for the happy couple’s welcome party. The band kicked everything off with rousing French jazz music, as guests snacked on tea party fare such as deviled eggs with caviar, tea sandwiches and petit fours almost too pretty to eat. ac Denham Tea sommeliers poured sophisticated and Clark Gale like to have a good time, selections, and of course, there was and they always knew they wanted enough bubbly on hand for the entire that vibe showcased at their wedding. town of Saratoga to toast the couple. Already longtime fans of Saratoga, Then there were the outfits. experiencing the Caroline “Everyone understood Street festivities on the assignment,” laughs Thanksgiving Eve for the Gale about his wellfirst time gave the New dressed guests. “We York City dwellers an idea. wanted the perfect garden

“We loved it,” Denham party as the pre-party, with says, and a few months a Kentucky Derby flair.” later they were back The fabulous event at The Adelphi. “We was all them. The music were talking about it and thought, ‘Wouldn’t The couple’s vows. was a nod to Denham’s Louisiana roots; Gale, on it be fun to get married here? When the other hand hails from Messena near we check out, let’s just ask.’ And we the Canadian border, and had been did. We weren’t even engaged yet.” coming to Saratoga since he was a kid.

Fast forward more than a year to Both work in the restaurant business, so Gale’s proposal on Denham’s January when it came to planning the tea party

fit to a tea (top left) This

commissioned illustration was the couple’s first wedding gift; (from top) grooms Clark Gale and Zac Denham with wedding guests Nick Williams and Steven Perry at the welcome tea party; Hilary Hancock and husband Chris Worley sipping tea selections curated with Saratoga Tea and Honey Co. owner Haley Stevens; four-legged guest Benny; Hot Club of Saratoga, which Gale and Denham discovered on Broadway a few weeks before the wedding.

put a pin in it (clockwise from

top left) Denham’s sister, Camryn, and her fiancé Daniel Fairley; the happy couple and their glamorous wedding party; George Deveney, Sr. and daughter Julie; Gale getting a hand with his boutonniere from Hilary Hancock; The Adelphi, preceremony; pals George Deveney, Jr. and Wyatt Ramos; Nick Williams and Marc Giosi; Denham and his parents, Alice and Thad; (center) Denham and Gale with Gale’s family: mom Kimberly Bollinger, dad Clark Sr., and stepmother Sandra Gale.

(and the sit-down reception dinner the next evening), they were very hands-on, not stopping until it was exactly what they wanted.

“Our guests are chefs and restaurant investors, and we were work in F&B, so it had to be right,” Gale says. “We were very involved. We had two tastings for the preparty alone, and the wines were just right. It was a beautiful collaboration.”

Because of Gale’s upstate roots, the couple had always spent time in Saratoga, but when COVID-19 hit, it became their sanctuary of sorts, where restrictions were less strict than at home in NYC. “Thank god,” says Denman, “for Saratoga,” where they could sit at a bar and have a drink, and spend more time outside with their dogs, Max and Marvin. Now they’ve taken all of their rich experience from their high-level jobs consulting on other restaurant openings and have chosen Downtown Saratoga as home to their very first establishment that’s all their own— Bocage, a boutique (you guessed it) champagne bar that will serve tea and light bites such as caviar, oysters and tea sandwiches. It’s set to open soon on Phila Street.

“Our end game is to be living here as quickly as possible,” Denham says. “We’re still based in the city but are looking for a second home here now. It’s city-adjacent, and there are good schools for when we have kids.”

Sounds like these newlyweds have a lot to clink together two champagne flutes for. Cheers.

2022

grin and bring it (clockwise

from top left) Ring bearer and security detail George Deveney, Jr., Denham’s then-2-year-old nephew; the couple say their vows with friend Lauren Haupt officiating; The Adelphi’s pastry chef, Serena, made the cake; Denham hitting the dance floor; (opposite) the newlyweds seal the deal outside The Adelphi with their two dogs, Max and Marvin.