Lisa Beth Moses and Warren Joseph Smith met many years ago when Warren was the college roommate of Lisa’s friend from high school. They saw each other regularly during college, but never had the chance to get to know each other.
In 2007, Lisa returned to New Orleans and attended a White Linen Night party at a friend’s house. Warren was also at the party, and the two connected over a lengthy conversation. That night they went their separate ways and didn’t see each other until April 2009 during a Wednesday at the Square concert, after which the wonders of social networking soon brought them into more frequent contact.
Warren was looking for someone to accompany him on a trip to Vail, Colo., and updated his Facebook status to say “Warren Smith thinks there has to be someone willing to do some mountain biking in Vail this July. If for no other reason, the average temp is 65.” Lisa took Warren up on the offer.
Love at first Facebook status update it wasn’t; it was, however, the start of an extraordinary friendship between two travel addicts. Lisa and Warren eventually decided to take a Mediterranean cruise through Spain, the French Riviera and Portugal. After the two-week trip, they began dating and became inseparable.
On January 9, 2010, Warren proposed to Lisa at Dick and Jenny’s restaurant. She excused herself from the table and when she returned she found a box with her engagement ring on her plate. It was a special location for Warren because the restaurant currently occupies the building that his grandfather owned and operated as Smith’s Grocery. Following their engagement, the couple took a second Mediterranean cruise on the same ship.
Lisa and Warren were married on October 10, 2010, in the Lafayette Ballroom at The Ritz-Carlton. The date has special meaning to the Smith family because Warren’s grandfather Clifton Mitchell would have turned 100 that day.
The two married under a chuppah with curly willow, phalenopsis orchid sprays imported from Vietnam, hanging votive cups with candles and hanging stephanotis florets. Inside was a lighted Lucite pedestal with an encased vase of curly willow and phalenopsis orchids. Chairs on the aisle were decorated with bows, greenery and orchid sprays.
Rabbi David Goldstein, Lisa’s childhood rabbi, officiated.
Lisa walked down the aisle wearing an A-line princess style gown of ivory organza over Italian satin with appliquéd softly beaded flowers. The gown had a self train with a French bustle and she wore a fingertip length veil. Both the gown and veil were purchased from Yvone Lafleur.
She held a cascade bouquet of white roses, white alstromeria, white hydrangeas and white stephanotis created by Paul Norman of Thibodeaux.
Lisa’s bridesmaids wore strapless cobalt blue chiffon dresses with ruching on top and an asymmetrical bodice purchased at Pearl’s Place. Lisa’s sister, Julie Moses, served as maid of honor.
Warren wore a BCBG tuxedo purchased at Perlis. His groomsmen wore notched lapel tuxedos from Perlis. Lodovico Marziale III, Warren’s friend, served as best man.
The reception was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Ritz. Norman created arrangements of white hydrangeas, white roses and white alstromeria on each cocktail table to echo Lisa’s bouquet.
Guests chose among several food stations, including: ravioli; gumbo shooters; crêpes; barbecue shrimp; beef tenderloin and rack of lamb.
The Ritz created the wedding and groom’s cake. The wedding cake was decorated with a floral garland of soft pink roses, phalenopsis orchids with a pink center, blue delphinium florets and stephanotis spiraling down from the top to bottom of the five ivory fondant round tiers. The groom’s cake was a recreation of the ship on which the couple had taken their first two cruises together, the Silversea’s Silver Wind.
The Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra played a mix of standards, Motown and modern music at the reception. Lisa and Warren had their first dance to “The Best is Yet to Come” by Frank Sinatra. Darryl Schmidt Photography covered the ceremony and reception.
Lisa and Warren went to China where they cruised for two-and-a-half weeks from Beijing to Hong Kong.The happy couple currently resides in Uptown New Orleans where Lisa is a Study Coordinator with the Louisiana Tumor Registry for LSUHSC and Warren is a Real Estate Agent with Latter and Blum, Garden District.
