CNN Favorite Finally Weds After Hurricane Delays Ceremony
She had to originally cancel her wedding 48 hours before the guests were to arrive.
Mother Nature could not stop CNN correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister's wedding. In October 2023, Wagmeister and her soon-to-be groom, Michael A. Sigall, originally planned to marry in Cabo, Mexico. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as planned.
While on location, the couple had already planned to say "I do" with their families. A fierce hurricane hit, cutting off their hotel's electricity and forcing nearby lodgings to evacuate. They canceled the wedding 48 hours before guests arrived and decided to postpone the event until March.
"In the world of breaking news, I always have to be ready to switch plans on a whim, so this wasn't totally unusual for me," Wagmeister told PEOPLE. "In fact, it gave us 5 extra months to look forward to the wedding and it was well worth the wait. It was truly the weekend of our dreams."
"They were both very calm and matter of fact and came to the conclusion that trying to force the wedding to happen amidst a hurricane wasn't going to allow for the entire outdoor experience they had been envisioning during the months of planning," their planner, Lynette Dow, owner of Lynette Dow Events, told the outlet. "Once the difficult decision was made, the stress dissipated, and everyone jumped into action to reschedule venues, vendors, hotel and guests – all was handled in three hours!"
In a small, private ceremony, the couple married in front of their families and a rabbi at their LA home before returning to Cabo for the celebration. On March 17, the couple tied the knot at the Acre Resort in Los Cabos in what Wagmeister described as a relaxed vacation atmosphere so their family and friends could have a good time.
"It was very important to us to have a fun weekend away with all of our friends and family. We both have such demanding careers, and all of our friends have such busy lives that we wanted to make the weekend count for everyone," Wagmeister shared.
After meeting on Hinge during the pandemic and getting engaged on Dec. 17, 2022, the couple said they got to do things out of order, as they had already honeymooned in November in the Maldives and Bali. Nevertheless, the pair said it did not matter how they accomplished things as long as they did them together.
"We both have very similar values, and nothing is more important to us than family. Even though I have a job that requires hair and makeup every day, I'll always choose a night at home in sweatpants on the couch over a Hollywood work event," Wagmeister said.
She added, "We love to cook dinner together and dance around to music in the kitchen and be silly. Now we get to do that for the rest of our lives, and it's comforting to know that when we come home from work, we get to be with each other."
Wagmeister told PEOPLE that she considers herself lucky to have Sigall as her partner.
"We both have very busy careers – myself as a journalist, and my husband as an attorney – so dating was not easy because neither of us has very much free time," Wagmeister said. "As a woman, it was always very important to me to have my own identity, and I'm glad that I did not meet Michael until I had enough life experience – both ups and downs – to really appreciate what he brought to my life, which is a supportive partner and best friend who complements everything that I already had. I've worked very hard for my career, my friendships and my financial independence, and the truth is, I had a very full life before getting married. Knowing that makes this moment that much sweeter."
Last year, Wagmeister joined CNN as a correspondent covering entertainment based in Los Angeles. The University of California Santa Barbara graduate most recently served as the chief correspondent at Variety. Before that, she was the Senior Entertainment Editor at HollywoodLife.com, overseeing the site's TV and film vertical.
This year, the Emmy-nominated journalist won two Webby awards for hosting Variety's Power of Women livestream event. She has won numerous National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and LA Press Club awards and was named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2019.