Patricia Simmons Gregory, chief brand officer for Amazon luxury stores, and David Hartwell Morse, a private equity investor, met through mutual friends in early 2020. After a whirlwind year, he proposed in St. Barths on New Year’s Eve at Shellona on Shell Beach. “The sun was setting, we were enjoying a bottle of Champagne, as we were toasting this incredible year that had brought us closer together, and he asked me to marry him,” Trisha recalls. Dave had worked with her sisters for months on the vintage Cartier London emerald cut ring.
During the pandemic, the couple spent a lot of their quarantine in Savannah, Georgia. They fell in love with the city, as they fell in love with each other. Forsyth Park was the perfect location for their ceremony, followed by a reception at the Armstrong-Kessler Mansion. To help bring their vision to life, the two hired Van Wyck & Van Wyck. “I have known Bronson and Mimi for years—I’ve worked with them on events and count them both as close friends,” Trisha says. “I’ve also long admired their breathtaking and innovative work and knew they would bring our vision of the weekend to life in the most unique and fun way.”
As a fashion industry veteran, Trisha wanted to wear designers that she’d worked with throughout her career and Over The Moon head stylist Anny Choi helped to curate the bride’s wedding wardrobe. “I worked with Anny Choi, who might have the best taste and most patience of any human I know,” the bride shares. “Anny knew I wanted to celebrate [the] romanticism and revelry of Savannah during Halloween weekend, and her mood board alone was pretty incredible. She pushed me to think outside the box—an Ann Demeulemeester black lace capelet worn atop my gold sequined dress for dancing, when it got chilly, is the perfect example—and I pushed her to think outside the bridal box as well. We had a lot of fun!”
For the rehearsal dinner at Garibaldi’s, the bride wore a multi-colored Paco Rabanne chain link dress with a beauty look that referenced the ’60s spirit.
Trisha’s wedding gown was a custom Carolina Herrera creation. “I had fallen in love with a resort style, and they were able to create something similar in ivory tissue taffeta for me,” she shares. Anny helped source the romantic cathedral-length Monvieve veil.
Later on, the bride changed into a custom Elie Saab gold sequin gown with a black lace masquerade mask by Monvieve for dancing. And hours after that, Trisha exited the party in an Elie Saab white sequined pant suit with a pussy bow blouse. Her footwear for the weekend was all Manolo Blahnik from The RealReal, while her jewelry was rented from Beekman NYC—a nod to Trisha’s former luxury rental business, Armarium.
For beauty, Trisha hired Andrew and Kyle from Nashville, who are the founders of Bea Rose Salon and frequently work with country music stars. “I rarely have my hair and makeup done, so they struck a fine balance between ensuring I looked quite natural and adding some necessary drama to the masquerade-themed weekend,” Trisha explains.
The bride’s three bridesmaids were her sisters, Caroline and Susannah, and Dave’s daughter, Ashley, who all wore Erdem gowns, curated and sourced by Anny. Trisha adds, “They were accessorized by a wreath made of baby’s breath, inspired by the Spring 2018 Rodarte fashion show.”
On October 30, 2021, Trisha and Dave were married beneath 150-year-old oak trees and in front of the park’s fountain. The pastor from Tupelo, Mississippi, who also married Trisha’s sisters, performed the ceremony. The bride walked down the aisle with her father to “May the Lord, Mighty God,” which is a sentimental song for her family and was also played at her sisters’ weddings.
After exchanging vows and being announced as husband and wife, the newlyweds and their guests were led via a Second Line parade to the historic home and Savannah landmark for the reception. Trisha put on a custom golden headpiece by costume designer and stylist Erin Schultz.
Bistro lights covered the center lawn, filled with dinner tables covered in jewel-tone silk tablecloths and crystal candelabras. Four large English garden urns were filled with magnolia branches in honor of the state flower of Mississippi, Trisha’s family’s home state. Other centerpiece florals were inspired by the old Masters Dutch still life paintings.
Dancing was held under a teal silk-satin tent on a black dance floor with a white center. The space’s mirrored bar, disco balls, hanging butterflies, and other design elements were inspired by an Armani fashion show in Milan that took place years prior. Murano crystal chandeliers hung near the staged area, above the musicians from The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra.
The new mister and missus had their first dance to Frank Sinatra’s “All of Me.” And at the end of the evening, the two departed through a show of sparklers and fireworks and hopped into a Van Wyck-decorated rickshaw. They biked to the home they were renting downtown. Trisha recalls, “It was probably the most magical part of the night as we enjoyed the midnight air and took in Savannah, recounting the night and pinching ourselves that it had all come true.”
