“I’m just looking for a happy ending. All I’m looking for is you.” Those Pat Green lyrics from his hit song “Wave on Wave” ring true for Elizabeth Reynaud Thibaut and Eric Lanning Laborde M.D., who met on a blind date at none other than a Pat Green concert at the House of Blues in New Orleans. Eric’s cousin, Scott Condon, who’s also a close friend of Betsy’s, set the two up. That night they instantly hit it off and have been together every day since.
Almost two years later, Eric knew he had found “the one” and decided to create their happy ending. On the last day of a vacation to St. Martin, Eric asked Betsy to marry him. On the way back from dinner, Eric had their driver stop. When Betsy got out of the car, in front of her stood a walkway, lit with votives, leading to a veranda that overlooked the ocean. The veranda was covered with a rose petal walkway and in the middle of it sat a bucket of champagne with two glasses. Enraptured, Betsy turned back to find Eric on his knee. But oops, when he opened the ring box, he opened it upside down so that the ring fell out and Betsy’s instantly thought he was playing a joke on her as she stared down at an empty ring box. He shouted, “No, no, I have a ring!” Realizing he was serious, she instantly said, “Yes!”
As soon as they returned from their vacation, Betsy’s mother began planning the elegant wedding. The ceremony was held at St. Peter Catholic Church in Covington on May 9, 2009. The bride walked down the aisle in a strapless, custom-made Priscilla of Boston gown of antique lace with appliqué flowers, intricate beading and satin ribbon wrapped around the gown’s tiers. She carried a bouquet created by Stephen Sonnier of Dunn & Sonnier made of acid green orchids, cream and fuchsia peonies and lavender roses. Her bridesmaids carried bouquets of blue and purple hydrangea and wore Vera Wang lavender floor-length gowns from Town and Country with tulle trimmed bodices and a satin ribbon at each waist.
Following the ceremony, the bridal party and guests gathered at Betsy’s parents’ home in Covington for the reception. Kenny LaCour, along with Dunn & Sonnier, decorated the backyard in a French Provincial theme. A giant oak tree in the backyard was decorated with enormous antique chandeliers and floral arrangements of hydrangea, roses, delphiniums, peonies, orchids and tulips. “The ambiance of reception created by the lighting was absolutely amazing,” the bride says.
The couple danced their first dance atop a bridge, over the pool lit with votives to James Brown’s “I’ve Got You.” The Drywater Band from Houston, Texas got guests dancing with a variety of songs. Guests also enjoyed a large buffet by Kenny LaCour, owner of Dakota, Rambla and Cuvée,. Guests were treated to grilled flatbreads, fabulous cheeses, a crêpe station with various fillings, as well as freshly made sushi by three on-site sushi chefs and a station that included brisket, crawfish cheese grit tamales and mini fried oyster poor boys.
The wedding cake, created by Two Sweet Sisters, was a six-tier creation covered with hundreds of individual fondant leaves, topped with sugar replications of lavender peonies. The groom’s cake was a replica of Betsy’s wedding gift to Eric, a Browning Belgian-made over-under shotgun. Two Sweet Sisters duplicated the gun, made out of chocolate covered Rice Krispie Treats, and placed it on top of a gun case made of cake. A “sitting duck” sat on the side of the gun, also made of cake.
The bride and groom had a photo booth set up for guests with crazy hats and props so everyone could take photos to remember the night. But one of the best features of the reception was the unbelievable fireworks display that lit up the sky signaling the end of the evening. The newlyweds left their reception down a walkway, lined with guests holding sparklers, and sped off to Hawaii for two weeks.
The couple resides in Covington temporarily, where Betsy is Vice President of Sales for Factory Sales and Engineering and Eric is a Urologist, having completed his residency with the Ochsner/LSU program in June. The couple will be moving to Chicago this summer for Eric to do a one-year fellowship with Northwestern, but upon their return Eric will be working for Ochsner.
