How did your passion for jewelry grow into dejarnette new orleans?

dejarnette new orleans is the name of my company (dejarnette is my middle name). I design and create handmade jewelry. I’ve been designing jewelry for myself and close friends for many years. I began selling my pieces at local boutiques in 2004. I then decided to launch a website and offer my jewelry to those outside of the New Orleans area in May 2006.

What kinds of pieces do you just love?

I love super girly pieces with a little bit of quirky. I get so excited when I find unusual vintage bits or things that I can transform into a necklace -everything from vintage mardi gras doubloons to antique hardware to delicate lace. I love being able to throw on some jeans and a t-shirt and add a statement piece of jewelry to make my outfit special.

What is your favorite part of a wedding?

For my wedding it was the ceremony. I walked up the aisle with my Mom and Dad and the aisle was lined with candlelit lanterns. To see all of my family and friends as I walked down the aisle and then see my handsome groom was a magical moment. When I’m a guest at a wedding, I appreciate all of the little details. I know first hand the time and effort that is involved in each and every aspect of the planning process.

Does the city of New Orleans every influence your work ?

Absolutely! Mardi Gras is just around the corner, which is my favorite time of the year in New Orleans. The costumes, floats, themes – it is unbelievable the intricate details involved in every aspect of this holiday.

What advice to you have for brides & grooms to be?

To relax, have fun, and enjoy your special day-it goes by so quickly!

How about any advice for our readers with Valentines day just around the corner?

I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t like jewelry!

Jewelry: dejarnette new orleans / Photography: Jennifer Zdon, Twirl Photography + Elizabeth Ray Photography + dejarnette new orleans

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Post tags: dejarnette new orleans, Louisiana, New Orleans, Vendor Spotlight, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Jewelry
Post categories: Jewelry, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Fashion

Thanks to my orange shoes, a beautiful love story, the support family and friends, and a whole lot of luck, we were the 2011 grand prize winners of the Crate & Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest. The contest enabled us to have our dream wedding in New Orleans, Louisiana. In mid-2011, we relocated to Beijing, China and our guest list spanned 41 states and seven countries. We wanted to give our guests a destination wedding in America that had a unique local flavor, worthy of at least a weekend visit. There is no better place to host a celebration than the French Quarter in the Big Easy, and our wedding mantra was “laissez bon temps rouler” (let the good times roll). Julie Gibson, founder of Studio Grace, designed our save the date and passport like-invitations that reflected both NOLA and our ever-traveling careers.

Romantic, old New Orleans was brought to life thanks to Yifat Oren & Associates, our wedding planner, courtesy of Crate & Barrel. Stefanie Cove, Managing Partner, was with us every step of the way to choose the best local vendors (neither Michael or I are from NOLA) that would bring the vision of Southern charm, cajun comfort, and French elegance to life. Laura Kleinhenz of Docuvitae, our photographers, captured each moment in their authentic photojournalist style. They produced images that were more than just photographs – they were art! Welliver productions shot our wedding video and stayed with us throughout the entire evening.

The day began at the Aveda Paris Parker Salon where the bridesmaids, mothers of the bride and groom, and me had our hair and makeup done. The stylists and artists treated us like old friends, did beautiful work, and gave us a relaxing morning. We returned to our hotel to change; the bridesmaids wore long, ivory Two Birds Convertible Dresses (purchased from Bella Bridesmaid DC), which gave them fifteen different ways to wear their dress. The thick, high-quality jersey fabric was comfortable to wear all day and photographed beautifully. I wore two dresses: for the ceremony, a Pronovias lace gown and for the dinner and at the reception a silk with tulle overlay gown by Vera Wang. I purchased the Vera Wang dress from the most lovely Bridal Boutique I had ever been to: Mimi NOLA. Gail and Mimi, two of NOLA’s finest ladies assisted me and theirs is the only VW bridal boutique in New Orleans. They gave us the most personal attention, service, and advice for hosting a spectacular local wedding. They are the place to go bridal shopping if in New Orleans, hands down. As a nod to how we met, I wore orange pumps and my bridesmaids and flower girl did too. The groomsmen changed into a Calvin Klein classic tuxedo from Men’s Wearhouse and my handsome groom wore his own tuxedo by J.Crew. To give the groom distinction, we had him be the only one in a white bow tie and the rest of his men in black.

We wanted to maximize time with our guests, so we decided to take pictures before the ceremony at one of the most iconic parks in New Orleans, Jackson Square. It sits before St. Louis Cathedral, which provided a stunning backdrop for the portraits. Next, we asked our guests to meet at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, which tucked in the 140 friends and family for an intimate and cozy view of our ceremony. Pastor Stephen Aguillard gave what my Grandfather called, “the best wedding ceremony I’ve ever seen” as he preached about men’s and women’s needs in marriage. We wrote our own vows; Michael read his from a neatly folded piece of paper, me from my iPhone, which caused a few chuckles. It added to the interesting quirk of our young Pastor reading from his iPad, too. Our florals for the ceremony were by Ambiance Flowers and added to our mostly white with a few pops of orange in our bouquets. Harry Hardin’s string trio played Air on the G String for the family procession, Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley for the bridal party procession, and then my father and I entered with Mascagni’s Intermezzo. After a tearful vow exchange, we recessed to the traditional Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.

Joyfully marching out of the church as husband and wife, we were greeted by the brass instruments of the Storyville Stompers, one of the most decorated second line bands in New Orleans. Orange handkerchiefs and white feather boas were handed out to the guests and to their surprise, we began marching down the French Quarter. Michael and I briefly followed the parade in a horse and carriage, but we soon joined the crowd, not ones to miss out on any fun. Locals took pictures from their balconies and some even threw beads! We marched and danced with the brass band about eight blocks to the reception site, Galvez Restaurant, located in the French Quarter on the bank of the Mississippi river.

As the sun was setting, the second line band played for our cocktail hour outdoors in the Dutch Alley next the French Market. White lights streamed the alley, and specialty New-Orleans-inspired drinks and delicious Spanish-Cajun hors d’oeuvres were passed around. When it was time, guests were invited to walk up the votive lined stair case, up to the dining hall where five long king’s tables were set. I remember hearing my mother gasp, “Wow!” Each of the tables had no fewer than 100 candles illuminating the room; some in candelabras, some in candlesticks, and small votives. The room needed no other lighting, and the hundreds of candles were my favorite signature touch. The tables also were decorated by Ambiance Flowers vases with white flowers and baby’s breath. Each place setting contained a hand-written note to each guest, from either Michael or me, thanking them for coming.

Dinner was led by Chef Laura, of Galvez. Even though our event was black tie, we served our five courses family style to make for a more personal meal. Our guests passed around their incredible spanish, american, and french inspired dishes: ensaladas, crab cakes, grilled rack of lamb, paella valenciana, and shrimp and grits. It was cooked to perfection, thank you Chef! Our toasts broke up the courses, and our best man and maid of honor gave memorable and touching speeches. My father went last, and after his invited the guests to the dance floor, in the neighboring room.

The dance floor at Galvez is surrounded by French windows and doors that lead to a wrap around balcony. It’s one of the most romantic views in New Orleans, and our guests could watch steamboats chugging along the river as they sipped cocktails on the Crate and Barrel designed lounges outdoors. Or, inside they could get footloose with us to the incredibly talented, seven piece band, Taboo. They were a show stopper and played everything we asked, plus the favorites that even kept my Grandparents dancing way past their usual bed time.

We served two cakes: our wedding cake was by a local favorite sweet shop: Sucré, and they did a buttercream, three tiered wedding cake and our Groom’s cake (we’re in the South, after all!) was by Courtney Schmidig, a family friend and pastry chef at the French Laundry. I insisted on taste before appearance, so there was no fondant, only delicious butter cream and natural ingredients, they both were outstanding, but Courtney’s took the cake to another level!

We danced until midnight with Taboo and their incredible band arrangement and ended the night with a stellar performance that had most guests ready to continue their evening onto Bourbon street. In the morning, we relived the night over beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe Du Monde and bid a final farewell to our guests. We’re still hearing stories about how amazing strolling down the French Quarter with a second line band was, and the awesome jazz ensemble during cocktail hour, and the candlelit views of the Mississippi at night. Thank you Crate & Barrel, and thank you New Orleans, you gave us all an event to remember.

Wedding Contest: Crate & Barrel / Wedding Planners: Yifat Oren & Associates / Church: St. Mark’s United Methodist / Pastor: Stephen Aguillard / Reception, Catering & Bar: Galvez Restaurant / Invitations: Studio Grace / Photographer: Docuvitae /  Videographer: Welliver Productions / Flowers: Ambiance Flower Shop / Second Line Band: Storyville Stompers / Reception Band: Taboo / Bridal Gown (Ceremony): Pronovias, from Designer Loft, New York / Bridal Gown (Reception): Mimi NOLA / Rings: Blue Nile / Tableware, Lounge, and Decor: Crate & Barrel / Rentals: Your Event Delivered / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Two Birds, from Bella Bridesmaid / Hair & Makeup: Aveda Paris Parker Salon New Orleans / Groom’s Tuxedo: J.Crew / Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Wedding Cake: Sucre / Groom’s Cake: Chef Courtney Schmidig / Farewell Breakfast: Cafe Du Monde

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Post tags: Ambiance Flower Shop, Aveda Paris Parker Salon New Orleans, Baby's Breath, Bass Brand, Bella Bridesmaid, Big Bands, Blue Nile, Cafe du Monde, Candles, Chef Courtney Schmidig, Classic, Color Palette White Orange, Crate & Barrel, Designer Loft, Docuvitae, French Quarter, Galvez Restaurant, J. Crew, Louisiana, Men's Wearhouse, Mimi NOLA, Mississippi River, New Orleans, NOLA, NOLA Weddings, Pastor Stephen Aguillard, Pronovias, Silhouettes, St. Mark's United Methodist, Storyville Stompers, Studio Grace, Sucre, Taboo, Traditional, Traditional Elegance, Two Birds, Vera Wang, Wedding Photography, Welliver Productions, Yifat Oren & Associates, Your Event Delivered
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here for the highlight film from Your Day Productions!

After considering having the wedding at Rachel’s family property on the Northshore, the couple realized that New Orleans was there home, where they met, and would be the most meaningful place to get married. Because there would be a majority of out-of-town guests, they decided to play up the “New Orleans” theme and what could be better than a courtyard wedding? After interning at the Gallier House in undergraduate school, Rachel knew just the place – the sister property: the Hermann-Grima house on St. Louis Street in the heart of the Quarter.

Because the majority of the guests would be traveling in from out of town, the couple decided to make a whole weekend celebration of the wedding and invite all guest to all the events. They really wanted their family and friends to see many sides to the region and have a variety of experiences. Therefore, on Friday evening, the weekend began with a “Laissez le Bon Temps Rouler!” champagne and dessert Welcome Reception at the Martine Chaisson Gallery in the Warehouse District. A string trio, featuring top musicians from the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (an organization that both the couple and Rachel’s father are passionately involved with), entertained the guests while enjoying desserts and champagne from Joel’s Catering.

On Saturday, all guests were bused to Lacombe (a small town located north of the lake) to enjoy a Rehearsal Supper at the Chotin Residence on the bayou. Mary Garrett, the Chotin’s long-time house keeper graciously catered the event and cooked her famous Red Beans and Rice, along with Shrimp and Chicken pastas. Guests gathered under the ancient, moss-filled oaks and listened to Bluegrass music by Otis Hurtz & The Cry Babies (Spider Murphy, John Malcovich and Dave Talmage) while sipping on Jason’s favorite drink from the Bloody Mary bar. Praline Bread Pudding and Pecan and Apple Pies (baked by Rachel’s mother) rounded out the menu for the afternoon.

The wedding ceremony and reception were both held at the Hermann-Grima House in the French Quarter on Sunday, October 9th, beginning at 5pm in the afternoon. Between the two, guests were entertained by the same ceremony gypsy jazz band, Zazou City Quartet, in the adjoining Stable Courtyard for a “happy half-hour”. Passed hors d’oeuvres and signature cocktails (“Jason loves New Orleans Sazerac” and “Rachel loves Texas Margarita”) were enjoyed by the guests while the main courtyard was transformed from ceremony to reception.

The bride carried a solid cotton bouquet and the softness was complemented by the bridesmaid’s pop of color with the orange  carnations. Rachel borrowed two large vases from her father’s extensive McCarty Pottery collection and filled them with cotton to flank the altar for the ceremony. Orange roses in vases with sliced oranges were placed on tables at the reception. Not only was orange Rachel’s grandmother’s favorite color, but also orange roses were her favorite flower. Along with the orange color theme, oranges held special meaning to the couple because (as the story goes) the Lincolns, several generations ago, lived in New Orleans on an orange plantation before settling in San Antonio, Texas.

Although what may appear to be an over-the-top, extravagant wedding – Rachel prided herself on cutting corners and being cost-conscious by creating a majority of the details herself and shopping around for the best prices. She designed all invitations/graphics herself and printing at home on recycled paper, borrowed as many family heirlooms as possible. She also designed the flower arrangements herself and therefore used a small neighborhood florist to implement her designs. Rachel’s mother helped tremendously: assembled welcome bags for the guests, sewed the flower girl’s dress, made the ring bearer’s pillow, made the favors. Rachel handled all the planning herself until two weeks before the wedding when she realized she would need a little help in executing the plan! 

We both agree that two of the most special moments were when we were alone and able to soak it all in. After our “first look” on top of the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, we went down into the Quarter and took pictures on Pirate’s Alley. This was a great experience for us. We were able to calm our nerves, spend a little time together and capture some great shots.

Photographer: Eau Claire Photographics / Videographer: Your Day Productions / Floral Designer: Audubon Flowers / Day Of Coordinator: Old.New.Blue / Rehersal Planning & Design: Charlotte Weil Event Design / Invitation Designer: Rachel Chotin Lincoln, Printed on recycled paper from Paper Source / Stickers: Sticker Mule / Save the Dates: Smartpress / Cake: Gambino’s Bakery / Wedding Gown Designer: Alyne Bridal / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Ann Taylor Loft / Band: Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra String Trio, Otis Hurtz & the Cry Babies / Ceremony & Happy Half-Hour Music: Zazou City Quartet / Reception Music: Jayna Morgan and the Sazerac Sunrise Jazz Band

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Post tags: Alyne Bridal, Ann Taylor Loft, Audubon Flowers, Birds, Charlotte Weil Event Design, Cotton, DIY Projects, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Eau Claire Photographics, Flower girls, French Quarter, Gambino's Bakery, Jayna Morgan and the Sazerac Sunrise Jazz Band, Louisiana, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra String Tri, New Orleans, Old World, Old.New.Blue, Otis Hutz & the Cry Babies, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Paper Source, Rachel Chotin Lincoln, Ring Bearers, Smartpress, Sticker Mule, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Your Day Productions, Zazou City Quartet
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Tying the Knot Wedding Coordination…While I love a bride who is completely into personalizing their wedding day designs, I know that not all brides are ready to commit to that trend- especially our more traditional brides who are born and raised in New Orleans! We wanted those brides to know that there was a way to have the best of both worlds and prove to them that personalizing your event doesn’t mean that it has to be a “theme.” I designed and personalized this rehearsal dinner to show couples that it is okay to bring their heritage, passions, and personalities into their wedding parties! I based the designs of this rehearsal dinner on my own family’s heritage of oyster fishing. We named each of our dinner tables an oyster dish, incorporated oyster shells in the table decor, and even built an oyster chandelier!  We also incorporated burlap, which oyster sacks are made out of {and a huge trend right now, as you know}! All small touches of the family without coming off as super themed! While oysters and burlap are very raw elements, we added the wedding glam by incorporating mercury glass and sequins–the perfect marriage where rustic meets chic!

We chose the beautifully unique backdrop of Race and Religious, a venue in New Orleans that has so much character and personality in itself! The messy clay, exposed brick, and gas lanterns exuded the unique Nola vibe that we were going for!

By using a bunch of DIY things {the chandelier, burlap and jute wrapped candles, pearl wrapped champagne flutes, banner, pool monogram, and bench swag}, we created a perfectly attainable and unique rehearsal dinner. My incredible team of vendors, and fantastic photographer, helped immensely to bring my vision to life and capture it perfectly! We hope to have given brides some ideas and inspired them to take a chance and add some of themselves to any of their wedding parties! It will separate their wedding from every other wedding! Enjoy!

Planning + Design: Tying the Knot Wedding Coordination / Photography: Greer G Photography / Floral Design: Bee’s Weddings and Events / Lighting Decor: Luminous Events / Invitation Suite: Tupelo Honey / Venue: Race and Religious / Make-up: Ashley Melzer Sievert / Hair: Ginger Dickey at Color Bar Salon / Sweets: Sucre / Dress: Alice + Olivia via Saks

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Post tags: Ashley Melzer Sievert, Bee's Weddings and Events, Color Bar Salon, Greer G Photography, Inspiration Shoot, Louisiana Wedding, Luminous Events, New Orleans, Race and Religious, Rehearsal Dinner, Rustic Chic, Sucre, Tupelo Honey, Tying the Knot Wedding Coordination
Post categories: Photo Shoot, The Blog, Wedding Style

Photo courtesy of Bray Danielle Photography.

butterfly. // cayden + kevin + bridgette from // BRIDE FILM // on Vimeo.

From BRIDE FILM … We had the great pleasure of becoming friends with Bridgette and Kevin. Bridgette is a special events coordinator in New Orleans and Kevin is anathletic trainer at a local high school.

When we first met to do their “how we met” piece for the rehearsal dinner, I was really impressed by how well they knew each other.  Each question I asked, similarly phrased, was answered with remarkable accuracy to the other.  They really understood and knew everything about each other because of how they communicated before actually dating.

They had exchanged emails.  Kevin would write from Mississippi and Bridgette would respond.  This cycle of countless email exchanges and no phone interaction proved somewhat puzzling until finally Bridgette replied per email, “Hey are you gonna call?”  And so this initiated a their first date.

Naturally, I thought their story of love would be pretty apparent.  Equally as important as Kevin and Bridgette’s story is our other main character, Cayden, Bridgette’s son.  This 5 year old, supercharged with energy, was the real star of the show.  This little guy was tearing up the dance floor the entire night.

Lastly, you will see on the film that a butterfly attaches itself to Bridgette’s dress during the ceremony.  She immediately burst into tears and smiles.  All of her programs were marked with butterflies in remembrance of her brother.

Cinematography: BRIDE FILM / Event Planning: Dakota-Cuvee Events / Photography: Bray Danielle Photography / Ceremony Venue: Sculpture Gardens, City Park / Reception Venue: New Orleans Museum of Art / Band: Rockin Dopsie & The Zydeco Twisters / Floral: Dunn & Sonnier / Cake: Zoes Bakery / Lighting & Fireworks: See-Hear Productions / Rentals & Furniture: Your Event Delivered / Makeup: About Face of Mandeville / Hair: Urban Retreat / Music for Video: “Stones” by PlainJane Automobile / Music Licensing: Song Freedom

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Post tags: About Face of Mandeville, Bray Danielle Photography, BRIDE FILM, Butterflies, Classic Color Palette, Color Palette Green White Black, Dakota-Cuvee Events, Dunn & Sonnier, Fireworks, Highlight Film, Louisiana, New Orleans, New Orleans Museum of Art, PlainJane, Ring Bearers, Rockin Dopsie & The Zydeco Twisters, Sculpture Gardens City Park, See-Hear Productions, Urban Retreat, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Film, Your Event Delivered, Zoes Bakery
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography

More, more, more? Check our the great video from Prodigy Media Group!

I really wanted to get married outside while still incorporating New Orleans and the South into the vibe of the day. We went to visit Destrehan Plantation and I knew driving up that the huge live oak trees covered in Spanish moss with the historic plantation in the background was the perfect place for our ceremony. And what was even better was the rustic mule barn on the property that we could use for the cocktail hour and reception.

After discovering Style Me Pretty and the world of wedding blog’s I soon found myself drawn to the same images over and over, and easily came to the conclusion that I wanted my wedding to look like Anthropologie threw a wedding at a barn, everything rustic and natural but still clean and crisp.

I wanted my bridesmaids to be able to make their own dress choices, so I chose an array of purples and corals from J. Crew and let them go to town on their dresses and accessories. My Dad and I ordered the flowers online from the Flower Exchange and he and a good friend put together all the arrangements and bouquets like experts. I enlisted everyone I know into collecting jars and bottles, ordering and finding things on etsy, ebay and in flea markets, put bridesmaids to work crafting reception decor items, and forced my brothers and best friends to come help me decorate the day before the wedding.

I wasn’t really falling in love with any wedding cake pictures, so my amazing mother stepped up and baked and frosted all of the different cakes and cupcakes for the desert table and John’s mom even made his favorite mint brownies and brought them in with her from St. Louis. We provided to go containers and there wasn’t a desert left at the end of the night!

Picking favorite photos is impossible. Sandra of EAU Claire Photographics blew us out of the water with her work. We knew from looking at her previous weddings that she was going to be great, but we never thought the pictures would be as amazing as they are. I never once saw her the whole ceremony and reception, yet she and Sam managed to capture a perfect picture of everything! All the details that were so special to me, all the guests candid faces, the emotions on our faces and the excitement vibrating throughout the whole barn.

Photographer: Eau Claire Photographics / Videographer: Prodigy Media Group / Floral Designer: The Flower Exchange / Event Designer & Planner: Emily with Get Polished Events / Invitation Designer: Meredtih with RE Style & Design, Printed by Mercurio Brothers / Cake & Desserts: Brides Mom / Wedding Gown Designer: Allure Bridals from Ventura’s Bridal / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: J. Crew / Flower Girl Dresses: Lesley at Homemade Grits

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Post tags: Allure Bridals, Barn Wedding, Color Palette Pink Purple, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Eay Claire Photographics, Get Polished Events, Homemade Grits, J. Crew, Louisiana, Mercurio Brothers, New Orleans, Outdoor Wedding, Plantation, Prodigy Media Group, RE Style & Design, Southern Wedding, The Flower Exchange, Ventura's Bridal
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… The design choices for our wedding celebration were inspired by our venues. For our ceremony, my husband and I chose St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, a historic building with incredible Gothic architecture and beautiful stained glass windows. Our reception was held at the Artista Restaurant, an elegant two-story edifice with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the downtown Houston skyline. While I loved the idea of an outdoor wedding, it was clearly not an option for Houston in August. To incorporate that outdoor feel, I transformed the restaurant balcony into an outdoor lounge space. Our wonderful florist, Melanie Tipton of Last Petal, brought my vision to life by accenting the lounge space and restaurant with simple, chic floral arrangements. Once our venues were selected, everything from our color scheme to our invitation style came into place.

After looking at numerous wedding invitation websites, we decided nothing in our budget really inspired us. My husband, a self-taught graphic designer, decided to take a stab at creating our wedding invitations. As a nod to our hometowns, my husband placed images of the Houston skyline and the Baton Rouge, LA Horace Wilkinson Bridge on the invitation suite. We then had the invitation suite letterpress printed. The end result was AMAZING!  My husband went on to design all of the stationary elements of the wedding–programs, menu cards, signage, etc.

In addition to getting the design elements just right, we infused our wedding with elements that would reflect our love (we decided to write our own vows in addition to citing traditional ones), family (my uncle married us) and sentimentality (I surprised my husband with a traditional New Orleans Second-line band for our exit as he always wanted one for his wedding day). And when our wedding day came, we let everything else go and decided to bask in the blessedness of the day–we laughed, cried (okay, I cried) and danced the night away. There were definitely bumps (okay, mountains) along the road in the planning process, but when we sit back and look at the wonderful images captured by Rebecca of Docuvitae (whom I found right here on SMP and cannot say enough positive things about), they bring a smile to our faces every.single.time.

Wedding Photography: Rebecca of Docuvitae / Second Shooter: Juli of Docuvitae / Wedding Ceremony: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church / Wedding Reception: Artista Restaurant / Wedding Cinematography: Aaron of 31FILMS / Flowers: Melanie Tipton of Last Petal / Wedding Invitation Design: Timothy Perry (The Groom) / Invitation Printing: Studio on Fire / Event Design & Planning: Kourtney James Perry (The Bride) / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Dress: Angel Sanchez via Maison de Mode / Hair: Albert Dominguez of Solution for Hair & Makeup / Makeup: Your Beautiful Face / Jewelry: DIY, The Bride (Created from Talbots‘ Necklaces) / Second Line Band: New Orleans Hustlers Brass Band / Vintage Rolls Royce: Jordan Limousines

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Post tags: 31 Films, Artista Restaurant, Bronze, Cream, DIY Invitations, Docuvitae, Gold, Houston, Jimmy Choo, Jordan Limousines, Last Petal, Maison de Mode, New Orleans, New Orleans Hustlers Brass Band, Solution for Hair & Makeup, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, studio on fire, Talbots, Texas Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Vintage Cars, Your Beautiful Face
Post categories: Houston Weddings, Texas Weddings, Traditional Elegance

We are going to start things off with the absolute cutest day held in good ol’ New Orleans. The perfect combination of historic beauty and fun-filled whimsy, this wedding is an absolute charmer and we just can’t get enough of that perfect, perfect calligraphy by Jenna Hein. See the full celebration, NOLA style, in the gallery.

see all of the details here!

From the Bride…

Dan and I live in New York City. His family is from California and mine is from New Jersey, and so for our wedding, we decided to have everyone meet somewhere in the middle: New Orleans! New Orleans is one of our favorite American cities and holds a special place for us as a couple because we got engaged there. Everything we love about the city—its casual vibe, amazing food, vibrant music, fun, energy and magic—basically described the kind of wedding we wanted to have. There was no other place to have our wedding but New Orleans. About sixty-five of our closest friends and family joined us in New Orleans for our wedding, coming from 10 different states and three countries! (Not one person was from New Orleans!) To have all of our favorite people from all over the world in one place (just for us!) made the entire wedding feel so special. We had a very traditional Catholic ceremony at the Holy Name of Jesus Church, followed by a fun-filled reception at a historic building/event space called the Board of Trade. Dan and I were both equally involved in the planning and were super into it. We have the excel spreadsheets and millions of tearsheets to prove it! But the things I remember the most about our wedding day are the things we didn’t plan for: The street performers who played “Here comes the bride” when we walked by; hopping on a street car before our ceremony and having all the strangers onboard cheer applaud, the moment before we walked down the aisle and Dan was trying to make me laugh so I wouldn’t cry, eating leftover wedding cake together, with one fork, in our hotel room when it was all over.

Here is my advice for any bride planning their wedding from afar:

I highly recommend visiting your location to choose your venue in person. Places looked A LOT different on the internet than in person, and so I am really glad that we made a trip out there to check out venues. You can do a lot of things on the phone/internet, but it’s hard to do this one without someone being there in person Go with the local customs. Where I live in the Northeast, a traditional wedding reception is about 6 hours long with a sit-down dinner. We found out in New Orleans that they tend to do 3-hour long receptions with a buffet dinner. We opted to do it how the locals do it, and I am so happy we made that decision. Not only does it make it easier for your vendors to do what they’re used to, it will actually make your wedding more memorable and different for your guests. Then again, don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path. Since our wedding reception was so short…we didn’t do any of the typical wedding stuff: Cut the cake, throw the bouquet, etc. I am glad that we didn’t because it would have felt like we just had to cross things off our to-do list rather than enjoy our day. We did do a first dance—only because we took some swing lessons and wanted to show off our skills. But even that was not super choreographed and planned. We also walked down the aisle together which felt so special to me. It felt like we were walking into this thing called marriage together. When it comes to finding vendors, do a ton of research. Don’t always rely on web sites. Sometimes they look a little cheesy, but when you speak to the people on the phone, you get a better vibe. Trust your instincts. When I found a vendor I trusted, I often ended up asking them for recommendations for other vendors. When the photographer we wanted was booked, they recommended me someone who they worked with in the past who ended up being more affordable and just as great!  If you are doing any DIY stuff you want set up beforehand, do everything before you arrive to the location. You don’t want to be tying bows the night before. Ship everything (with tracking number!) to the location or your wedding coordinator a few days ahead of time. And if you can afford it, hire a day of coordinator to set everything up. Even though it was an added expense, I am so happy I did that and didn’t have to worry about it the day of the event. (The only this is that you SHOULD bring your wedding dress on the plane with you as a carry on. Don’t ship it) • Learn to let go. Not everything is going to be perfect. It’s a destination wedding. Things are bound to go awry. Focus on the stuff that is important. You are getting married! All your family and friends are there. This is freakin awesome! If you keep this in mind, you will have the best day of your life. We did!

Ceremony Location: Holy Name of Jesus Church / Reception Location: Board of Trade / Food: Pigeon Catering / Photographer: Ooti Billeaud / Second Photographer: Brittany Mitchell/ Florist: Nola Flora / Cakes: Flour Power / Band: Some Like It Hot / Second Line Band: Jazzmen Brass Band / Hair and Make-up: Glam Therapy / Veil and Hairpiece: Bridal Veil Falls / Invitation and Save the Date: Michele Lee / Calligraphy: Jenna Hein / Cake Topper: The Small Object / Praline Favors: Southern Candymakers / Day of Coordinator: Taylor Quintini / Wedding Dress: Melissa Sweet Reverie / Bridal Shoes: Stuart Weitzman (heels)/ J. Crew (flats) / Bridesmaid Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Groom’s Suit: Perlis / Groom’s Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger

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Post tags: Board of Trade, Flour Power, Glam Therapy, J. Crew, Jazzmen Brass Band, Jenna Hein Calligraphy, Louisiana, Melissa Sweet Reverie, New Orleans, Nola Flora, Perlis, Pigeon Catering, Priscilla of Boston, Some Like It Hot, Southern Candymakers, Stuart Weitzman, The Small object, Tommy Hilfiger
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Destination, Real Weddings, The Blog, Vintage Chic