New Orleans Wedding Story
As I was formatting the photographs and the post for this incredible wedding, I tried desperately to edit down the bride’s text a bit, as it was longer than we normally have on SMP. But I seriously couldn’t! Every detail was so incredible and her words made me feel like I was there, experiencing it all for myself.
You already saw the stunning film that Chris Jones of Mason Jar Films put together, but now the bride is stopping by to share a little bit more…
photography by Zoeica Images
Planning a wedding from 4800 miles and 6 time zones away requires loads of patience and a generous supply of optimism. This NOLA bride was surrounded by a Parisian fiancé and loving parents with generous supply of patience and diligence when hers ran short. Born and raised in NOLA, as we affectionately call New Orleans, Louisiana, the wedding location was never a question. Paris exudes elegance, beauty and culture. New Orleans possesses some of that plus a healthy dose of southern decadence for its own special savoir-vivre.
The week-end started with Thursday’s Dads’ Jazz Jam night and Cajun cuisine, Cocktails on Friday in Muriel’s, a historic building off Jackson Square, and ended with Brunch at the Columns Hotel in the Garden District. Guests hailed from as far away as Angola, Africa to London and Paris and as close by as Thibodeaux, louisiana. Saturday, the Day, took off with a classic French Quarter carriage ride from the historic Faubourg Marigny district to the oldest cathedral in North America, the St. Louis Cathedral. The St. Louis Cathedral was named for Louis the IX, sainted King of France. French guests were quite pleased with that cultural reference! New Orleans is steeped in ready references to its French roots.
photography by Zoeica Images
The mass at the cathedral was accompanied by musicians from one of New Orleans’ most famous music families–the Jordans with Stephanie Jordan on the violin and big brother, Kent Jordan, flute. After the ceremony the bride and guests were accompanied to the reception site by the New Wave Brass Band and a ‘second line’ of wedding guests dancing in the street, striding, and stepping away from the Cathedral. The Restaurant Galvez, our reception site was a testament to our patience plus faith — our wedding served as the restaurant’s first post-Hurricane Katrina opening.
A touch of Paris kicked off the reception with a champagne toast and French gypsy jazz band by French native/ New Orleans transplant Pierre Pichon. The music never stopped. Pierre was followed by the Treme Brass Band, the Storyville Stompers Brass Brand. Jazz trumpeter extraordinaire Leroy Jones and Creole crooner John Boutte added a sensitive NOLA jazz touch to the dinner.
photography by Zoeica Images
Dinner included a five course meal completely Louisiana inspired [began with a Creole Crawfish Bisque, a zucchini and goat cheese Napoleon, Gulf Redfish with lump crabmeat and a Chocolate Pecan Tart finished with a French Cheese platter and] topped off by a “pièce montée” the traditional French wedding cake composed of a pastried tower of croquembouche.
With the live New Orleans jazz music and flavorful Creole cuisine, the wedding attire took a subtler route. A Monique Lhuillier lace dress (the Calista) with silk ivory sling backs by Christian Louboutin for the bride. The bridesmaids wore pale gray Vera Wang floor length dresses that complimented the men’s traditional charcoal grey morning suits. New Orleans had the food, the architecture, the music, the romance, the historic icons, the setting for a deeply French and deeply American wedding.
Our wedding expressed who we are. It was the perfect marriage of New Orleans and Paris. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
I adore that lace wedding dress! So perfect!
This wedding looks like it was a ton of fun.
Wow, I love the photo of the bride applauding. It's not the typical bride portrait, and she just looks so... in her element. Nicely done.
New Orleans, French Gypsy Jazz, one of the loveliest gowns I have seen in a very long time and a real croquembouche! My mother, grandmother and great grandmother each had them for wedding cakes. Makes me want to take the plunge!
It all just takes my breath away.
That dress is amazing....like it was custom made for the bride!!
New Orleans is an American Treasure. The style, food, buildings, atmosphere is unique to anyplace in this country. If you have not been there you are missing out. Great photos!
LOVE IT!!!! Thanks for featuring a wedding in NOLA, esp. on the anniversary of Katrina.
New Orleans has to be the city that has the most fun in America...The bride's guests really had a treat and well worth the effort to get to NOLA from around the world. Wish I had been there!
I love all pictures, great photographer and very sweet couple!
This bride just looks so happy and beautiful! I bet that smile was on her face all day, she's stunning!
I cannot begin to express how much I love this wedding. NOLA has a special place in my heart, having spent a great deal of time there with family and friends living there. It is so magnificent to see a true fusion of NOLA and French customs. The croquembouche was stunning, the gowns, the food, the carriage...all just amazing. Thank you for sharing this, and showing the world the New Orlens is still alive, kicking, and ready to celebrate!!
Happy to see a wedding from New Orleans!. Just got back from there on Thursday. Stayed in the French Quarter this time. Fell in love with place all over again. I feel so free and happy walking around french quarter especially in the very early morning hours its the best. The bride is gorgeous, the wedding is alive, it must have been so much fun. If I am ever blessed to remarry I will wear that dress-I have loved it forever.
Beautiful wedding
When it comes to men’s wedding rings, the choices that are available on the market today are more diverse with more intricate designs than ever before.
What a wonderful wedding and credit to the photographer for capturing it in such great images.
Simply beautiful, from start to finish. The cake..oh my! What a lovely celebration!
Great wedding here! I especially love the wedding gown! and the horse carriage and the band! But i can't get the wedding cake. I just don't get it. I am sorry.
That cake looks so good! And the horse and carraige is really cute!
These images are absolutely beautiful! I love the emotion in the trumpetist player... and what about that cake! OMG :P
I love the horse and carriage. What a romantic addition to the wedding!
Her smile is just contagious! All of the pics are just amazing and I'm totally in love with the bride's dress. Thanks for featuring this gorgeous wedding!
How do I sign up for the RSS feed? I usually just use the RSS feed url and view things via my mailbox. I don't see a link. What is the RSS feed url?
I love it, I have no french blood whatsoever, but this wedding made me want to go to NOLA and Paris.
Another amazingly beautiful wedding, with an equally tantalizing menu!
I can just heard the music and feel the Love and can taste the food!! Thats what it is all about.
P.S....I Jus love the bride dress,so pretty!
She has such a beautiful Smile!
Her day was a blast!
[...] Full Story [...]
I love this wedding. Maybe it's because it's beautiful and the photography is awesome, and maybe it's because I'm from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and just returned from a trip there on Sunday. Especially during the anniversary of Hurrican Katrina people need to remember NOLA. It's an amazing and unique place.
[...] loved last month’s feature wedding in New Orleans. The bride is simply glowing and you can literally feel the music coming from some [...]
This is just a stunning wedding. Stunning bride, very lucky groom! We are getting married in New Orleans this November...I may steal some ideas. Who made the gorgeous croquembouche?
our photographer (Chris from Zoeica) just posted these photos and they are lovely! I have a soft spot for Nola (esp. since we were married there, too) and this wedding was gorgeous.
Beautiful!
The photographer did a great job on these pics. Weddings are so awesome! Can't get enough of all the excitement and good feelings surrounding a wedding. Too bad there is such a thing as divorce. But let's all live like we'd get married to our partner a thousand times over!