Trina Edwards and John Alario marry and celebrate with family and friends

After John Alario and Trina Edwards’ very public courtship, the two were married at noon Thursday in a private ceremony, with the only other people present being two photographers and state Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer, who officiated.

The short ceremony took place under the shade of magnificent oaks in a courtyard in the Louisiana Supreme Court building on Royal Street in the French Quarter.

Afterward, at a celebratory luncheon at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, the bride and groom were beaming as they arrived at the private patio where 60 guests were enjoying drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Once the party took their seats for lunch in a nearby room, the jazz trio paused the music and Alario, former president of the Louisiana Senate and Speaker of the House, proposed a toast. 

“You know, I was privileged to work with seven Louisiana governors,” said Alario, 79, of Westwego. “I appreciate each of the governors and the work they did. All of them tried to leave the state a better place. In fact, one of them left me a wife.”

The bride, widow of three-time La. Gov. Edwin Edwards (who died in July 2021), was flanked by friends and family to celebrate the big day. Her friends are fiercely protective of her and often voice their support for the couple to pursue happiness. 

When Edwards, 44, approached Alario’s family upon arrival at the luncheon, her new husband’s youngest son, Kevin, 47, quipped, “Hi, Mom.”

Kevin Alario said he has a standard response to people who ask him about his dad and the relationship with Edwards. “If he has a smile on his face, then I have a smile on mine,” he said. “And he has had a smile on his face and a pep in his step like I haven’t seen in a while since he met Trina. Plus, he’s eating better.”

All three of Trina Edwards’ sons attended the celebration, Logan Scott, 25; Trevor Scott, 23; and Eli Edwards, 9.

Kevin Alario said, “And I used to be the youngest son.” 

Weimer said the couple both smiled through the short ceremony — and both seem genuinely happy and at ease. During the luncheon, Weimer, who dabbles in art, drew a picture of a live oak on an envelope as a small gift for the couple to keep as a memento of the occasion. 

“I have known John since 1972 when he was elected to the House of Representatives,” Weimer said. “When I was merely a legislative assistant, he treated me exactly the way he treated me when I became chief justice.” 

Edwards said she could not be any happier with the day and life in general. She said she plans to hyphenate her name and will become Trina Edwards-Alario. 

The lunch menu included turtle soup, a salad of local produce, tournedos of Black Angus beef, Creole cream cheese cheesecake and Creole bread pudding soufflé.

Artist Alex Harvie live-painted the celebratory scene with the Commanders’ Palace courtyard in the background. 

“The wedding was beautiful. John cried. I told him he had to stop because if he didn’t, I was going to cry with him,” Edwards said.

Each of the newlyweds has a child who has special needs. In fact, John Alario wore special socks with his daughter Jan’s picture on them that Trina Edwards picked out for him to wear to the wedding. Both Jan Alario and Eli Edwards were on-hand to celebrate with their parents. 

Anna O’Quin, a wedding guest who was caretaker for Alario’s daughter for 19 years, said she couldn’t be happier for the couple and understands that some folks look at the situation and have questions.

“Mr. John is a smart enough man to know bull**** from sugar — and that means he’s smart enough to know what’s real and what’s not,” O’Quin said. “He deserves to be happy. Who are we to judge?”

Cheryl Gaudin and Kathleen Doming, also wedding guests, work with Alario’s accounting business. Gaudin has worked there for 51 years. They learned that their boss had a romance brewing via Facebook.

“Mr. John and I had a standing joke that I was going to find him a girlfriend,” Doming said. “After it all came out on Facebook, I said, ‘Well, it doesn’t look like I’ll have to find you one. You did well on your own.'”

Four of the bride’s friends, Lydia McDaniel, of Alexandria; Heather Civello, of Baton Rouge; Peggy Gautreau (a nurse who helped take care of Edwin Edwards in his later years); and Christa Maitland, of Gonzales; coordinated their outfits in pink and acted as self-appointed bridesmaids. 

McDaniel and Edwards met while Edwin Edwards was serving time in federal prison. McDaniel started a line of T-shirts that said, “Edwin Edwards for Governor 2011.” McDaniel was wearing one of her T-shirts in a restaurant one day when Trina Edwards approached her and asked where she could get one of the shirts. The two became fast friends.

“We all have been together in the dark and in the light. Today the sun is out and will stay out,” McDaniel said in a toast to the newly married couple. “As you and John enter this new chapter, we wish you all the happiness in the world.”