Rolling Out the Red Carpet

By Lisa Arnett
December 2025 View more Better Together

This couple renewed their vows at an Oscars-themed soiree

What’s the secret sauce to a long-lasting marriage? Just ask Aubrey Davidson and his wife of 11 years, Patrice March-Davidson, who had their first flirty encounter over a side of barbecue sauce. Both students at Evanston Township High School at the time, they were having lunch at the local McDonald’s with separate friend groups when March-Davidson decided to creatively force an introduction. “I saw this guy with these beautiful brown eyes, and I thought he was so cute,” she says. “It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I grabbed his barbecue sauce.”

Davidson was stumped. “One second the barbecue sauce was there, and the next second it was gone,” he says. “I look over and I see her eating her food with barbecue sauce and I was like, ‘Is that mine?’ and she goes, ‘Yep!’ ” It wasn’t long before they got talking and hit it off. “She’s got the best smile—a huge grin, like she can’t control it, even if she wanted to. And she can take a joke,” Davidson says. March-Davidson can’t argue with that. “It’s true, he was always telling jokes, and it would always get me smiling,” she says. They enjoyed all of the traditional dates of high school sweethearts, including the homecoming dance, mall hangouts, and lots of nights at the movie theater.

A few years later, they welcomed their son, Aubrey Jr. “It amplified our love for each other,” Davidson says. “Patrice is such a good mom.” In May 2014, he surprised her with a proposal in the parking lot of their high school, in the very spot they shared their first kiss. “It held a lot of sentimental value for us—and I didn’t think it would be appropriate to propose at McDonald’s,” he says, laughing.

When they started talking about wedding planning, “we quickly realized we preferred to save for a house instead of spending the money on a wedding at that time,” March-Davidson says. They married on July 19, 2014, at City Hall in Chicago with Davidson’s grandparents witnessing their union. “At the time they were celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary, so we wanted them to stand next to us,” March-Davidson says. As a nod to their shared Jamaican heritage, they had a small family dinner after at De-Jred Fine Jamaican Cuisine in Skokie and hoped to host a bigger celebration down the road when the time was right.

The years that followed were busy as they welcomed their second son, Khalil, in 2015 and bought their first home in Bolingbrook in 2016. March-Davidson completed undergraduate and graduate degree programs and became an accountant, and Davidson pursued an apprenticeship with ComEd and now works as a crew leader. In 2023, they became a family of five with the arrival of their daughter, Kari. With their family now complete and feeling established in their careers, the time was right to plan that big bash they always wanted.

On their 11th anniversary—July 19, 2025—they gathered with 100 friends and family members for a vow renewal ceremony at The Farmhouse in Plainfield. “Three generations walked me down the aisle,” March-Davidson says. “My father started off walking me down, then my father handed me to my brothers…and they handed me to my two sons, and they walked me the rest of the way. That was actually one of my favorite moments, having all of them there.”

They showed off their shared love for movies at a reception inspired by the Oscars, complete with velvet ropes, a red carpet, and tables named after their favorite blockbusters, from Black Panther to Coming to America to the original 1978 Halloween. They even recruited a friend to play bouncer (complete with a headset and shades) and hand out VIP bracelets to guests. They kept the energy high throughout the night. “We had a grand entrance to ‘The Matrimony’ by Wale featuring Usher, and the DJ was setting off sparklers,” March-Davidson says. After the sun set, guests wandered outside to the garden to gather around fire pits.

Next they are turning their attention to planning the trip of a lifetime together. “We never did a honeymoon, so we are planning to do a little tour of Europe,” March-Davidson says. “We want to go to Nice, France, and go to some different cities in Italy.”

Wedding Details

Venue
The Farmhouse, Plainfield

Planning, catering, decor
Erica Steel of Queen Dinner Dash, Chicago

Bride’s attire
Alyce Paris gown from Couture Bridal Outlet, Elgin; Betsey Johnson heels

Bride’s hair and makeup
Dionna Nicole, Chicago; Beats by Ki Makeup Artistry, Bolingbrook

Bridesmaids’ attire
Bella Bridesmaids, Oakbrook Terrace

Groom’s and groomsmen’s attire
Indochino, Oak Brook

Florist
Scheme Artists, Chicago

Invitations
Zazzle

Cake
Carmie Cakes, Elmhurst

DJ
Jon P. Wise of JPW Productions Inc., Plainfield

Photographer
Rachael Watson Photography, Batavia

Videographer
Derrek Matichak Videography, Plainfield

Photos: Rachael Watson Photography/@rachaelwatsonphotography