REAL WEDDING:: Allison Simoneaux + Patrick Gallagher {Love is in the Air}

Bride and groom smile beside their elegant white wedding cake decorated with blue beading, gold fleur-de-lis accents, and masquerade-inspired details.

::FEATURED IN THE 2026 SPRING PRINT EDITION OF NOW WEDDINGS MAGAZINE::

Photography by Ragin’ Imaging Photography

allison + patrick’s story

Allison and Patrick’s love story began at 30,000 feet. While Allison, a flight attendant, was working a flight from Boston to Las Vegas, Patrick, traveling with his family, struck up a conversation in first class and didn’t let it end when the plane landed. Long-distance commutes between Boston and Mystic, Connecticut followed, then a move closer, and eventually a proposal and an intimate Las Vegas wedding. Wanting to include their family and friends, the couple decided to host a formal celebration in New Orleans.

Bride and groom wearing ornate masquerade masks toast with champagne while posing inside suspended gold picture frames at their reception photo booth.

Bride and groom wearing ornate masquerade masks and carrying decorative parasols lead a lively second line parade through downtown New Orleans at night.

Black and gold wedding invitation suite styled with masquerade masks, wedding bands, and elegant ribbon details on a patterned tile floor.

Groom’s cake decorated with the Boston Celtics logo displayed alongside ornate silver masquerade masks and candlelight accents.

Bride in an off-the-shoulder satin wedding gown and pearl necklace holds a bouquet of vivid blue roses beneath a softly draped veil in an editorial bridal portrait.

For Allison, choosing New Orleans was written into her heart. “Being originally from New Orleans it was always my dream to go back there and get married and experience the Second Line tradition, so that’s what we did,” shares Allison.

Bride and groom kiss beneath glowing chandeliers in a dramatic blue-lit corridor lined with stained-glass-inspired panels at their masquerade-themed wedding celebration.

Tall reception centerpiece overflowing with blue roses, hydrangeas, white blooms, and peacock feathers rises above candlelit reception tables.

Bride and groom share a kiss behind white feathered masquerade masks beneath glowing string lights during their rooftop wedding portraits.

Blue, white, and gold floral arrangement with peacock feathers displayed in a metallic gold vase beside black masquerade masks.

The couple immediately fell in love with Hotel Fontenot, selecting it as the backdrop for their destination celebration and embracing a cocktail masquerade theme that felt both elegant and playful.

Three-tier white wedding cake adorned with blue bead detailing, gold fleur-de-lis accents, draped icing details, and a dramatic masquerade mask topper with feathers.

Bride and groom share a quiet moment alone on a rooftop wedding terrace framed by café lights and modern city buildings.

Groom poses with two groomsmen in coordinated navy blue suits during rooftop wedding portraits framed by blue and white ceremony florals.

With PK Events coordinating every detail, the planning process was seamless despite the distance. The highlight came after the reception when the couple and their guests took to the streets for a joyful second line, brass band leading the way from the hotel to the House of Blues Foundation Room for the after party. “It was amazing to experience the streets closed down and all of us from the reception parading thru NOLA with the brass band accompanying us,” Allison says.

From heartfelt vows to dancing through New Orleans’ streets, Allison and Patrick’s wedding day was nothing short of magical.

Princess-cut diamond engagement ring displayed atop a vivid royal blue rose in an elegant macro wedding detail portrait.

Silver masquerade masks and glowing candle votives decorate black linen reception tables with tall gold centerpieces at an elegant evening wedding reception.

Passed shrimp hors d’oeuvres served on a black tray during cocktail hour at an upscale wedding reception.

Newlyweds celebrate in the middle of a New Orleans street with guests, masquerade masks, and a brass band during a festive second line wedding parade.