Meeting one’s true love on a New Year’s Eve seems like a grand way to start off a brand new year, but also seems very unlikely. Fortunately Jennifer Sevier Favrot and Philip Douglas Smith met on December 31, 2006, while enjoying dinner at Commander’s Palace. Shortly after that fateful evening, Philip moved to New Orleans and the two began dating.
The two married on June 27, 2009 at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, which is the same beautiful church that Jennifer attended while she was growing up.
The ceremony began when Jennifer’s first cousin and maid of honor, Liz Elkins, sang as the mothers of the bride and groom walked down the aisle. The bridesmaids wore short, ice blue, taffeta bubble dresses with an Ecru sash, purchased at Wedding Belles. The groomsmen wore white dinner jackets and black tux pants, rented from Perlis. The 14-member wedding party included Jennifer and Philip’s friends and family.
Jennifer appeared dressed in an exquisite off-white, strapless, all lace, A-line gown with a wide satin sash by Modern Trousseau, also purchased at Wedding Belles. Her long blonde hair was twisted up in and elegant up-do so she could wear a veil that her great grandmother also wore for her wedding. This precious memento has been in her family for many years and has been worn by all of Jennifer’s aunts and cousins.
She also wore a breathtaking, 150-year-old seed pearl necklace that has been in the family for many years. The necklace was given to her grandfather on his 40th birthday by his mother, and then passed on to Jennifer’s father for his 40th birthday. The next in line to receive this precious piece of family history will be Jennifer’s brother when he reaches his 40th birthday. Jennifer wore two garters beneath her gown, both created for Jennifer’s special day. The first garter was made from the lace from her mother’s wedding dress and the other from her old McGehee uniform.
The Smiths had Charlotte Latham photograph the wedding party; Jennifer made sure that Latham was able to photograph the entire family because it was very special to the bride and groom that the family was able to celebrate this commitment with them. The Smiths also hired Bob Eustler as the videographer for the ceremony and reception. Elisabeth Laborde, Jennifer’s good friend, was the wedding coordinator for the event and ensured that everything ran smoothly for this special day.
The reception shortly followed at the New Orleans Country Club, which had beautiful flower arrangements by Meade Wenzel. Wenzel decorated with multitudes of hydrangeas, white lilies and curly willow. There were also silver candelabras filled with lovely white arrangements. In the Country Club, Sha’on and the Girls with Success kept the happy couple on the dance floor all night.
The Country Club provided all of the bride’s favorites: a mashed potato bar, roast carving stations, turtle soup, mounds of boiled shrimp and the Club’s famous fried catfish. The wedding and groom’s cake were both created by Haydel’s Bakery. The wedding cake was a five-tier almond caked with butter cream icing, with two tiers composed of chocolate cake. Fresh, white hydrangeas adorned the top three layers. The groom’s cake, a surprise for Philip, was an almond cake rolled with fondant icing molded to form Tiger Stadium. At the end of the reception, waiters served mini hamburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches for guests to have a quick bite before dispersing.
Jennifer’s father’s 1920s Rolls Royce has been in Jennifer’s family for many years, and most of her family members have left at the end of their weddings in the classic car. Jennifer wanted to continue the tradition and her father made sure that wish came true. At the end of the night, Jennifer and Philip drove off in the Rolls Royce as a married couple.
