This Couple Said “Oui” to a Parisian-Inspired “I Do”

By Riley Lindsey

Elissa Evanich & Patrick Magistrado
November 13, 2021

Elissa Evanich and Patrick Magistrado seemed to hit it off when they were introduced by mutual friends on a trip to California, so Elissa was disappointed by Patrick’s lack of follow-through when they returned home. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘Why is he not asking me on a date?’ ” she recalls. As it turned out, Patrick was set to enter seminary school. A few years later, after deciding his path led elsewhere, Patrick left the seminary—and took Elissa on a date the very same day. During the height of Covid, Patrick surprised Elissa by driving from Texas to Wisconsin, her home state, and dropping to one knee on the ice-covered ground. On November 13, 2021, they wed in a Parisian-inspired celebration, where tables were named after favorite locales in the City of Love, before jetting off for a month of newlywedded bliss in (where else?) France.

Elissa Evanich and Patrick Magistrado on Vintage Trolly

All Aboard

“We opted for a white trolley to tie in that vintage moment for the couple and their wedding party,” says wedding planner Crystal Frasier. “You could feel the bond that they shared.”

Elissa Evanich and Patrick Magistrado Wedding Cake

Piece of Cake

Though Lauren Kitchens of Fancy Cakes by Lauren is used to creating confections with extreme degrees of technical difficulty, in this instance, the challenge was in the need for a gluten-free cake to satisfy the bride’s dietary restrictions. The understated two-tiered cake, accented with fresh florals, delivered beautifully.