Inside a Texas Bride’s Long Dreamed Of Paris Wedding — a Historic Church, a Beloved Fort Worth Choir & an Exclusive Private French Club

Fortunately, Mack Abbot of Greenwich, Connecticut was as enamored of Paris as his bride, Maggie Phillips of Dallas. Long before they met in New York in 2019, Maggie Phillips had dreamed of being wed in The American Cathedral in Paris, a historic 19th century gem.

Her affection for the City of Light blossomed during the 2001 to 2003 tenure of her mother, Jeanne L. Phillips, as U.S. ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The Dallas bride and her mother tapped one of Paris’ leading event planners: Lucas Somoza, a Houston native living in Paris who’s become a much sought-after party guru on two continents.

His 2023 roster of events included three nights of gala parties for 100 Brazilian business people and spouses, this three-day wedding celebration, a birthday party for a client from Los Angeles, and a special Paris birthday celebration for a Houston super lawyer John Eddie Williams.

Among the distinctive details of this Paris wedding, the Texas Boys Choir of Fort Worth performed, lending a Lone Star note to the dreamy ceremony. The celebration concluded with a four-course seated dinner and dance at Cercle de I’Union Interalliée, one of Paris’ most exclusive private clubs, located on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

Officially, Maggie Phillips and Mack Abbott were wed in a small private ceremony in New York in September to avoid complicated French marriage laws, but for this evening in Paris all was French elegance.

Wedding planner: Lucas Somoza

Elizabeth Anthony

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Flowers: Vella et Bret

Wedding gown: Monique Lhuillier

Ceremony venue: The American Cathedral in Paris

Invitations: Ellis Hill, Dallas

Reception and caterer: Cercle de I’Union Interalliée

Wedding cake: Bastien Blanc- Tailleur

Jeweler: London Jewelers in The Hamptons

Photographer: John Cain, Dallas Music: Les Cigales

Hair: Kamal Fayad

Makeup: Chynara Kojoeva