November Wedding in New Orleans. Ceremony venues???

[Deleted User]

 We're planning our destination wedding in New Orleans and we have no idea where to hold our ceremony. My ultimate wish is to have our ceremony by the fountain in Jackson Square. Not sure how to go about doing that. I have the form and have emailed a request but I wanted some actual reviews from people who have been married there or have witnessed/been part of other wedding ceremonies. I wanted a specific song to play as I walk down the aisle but I'm not sure if that will be allowed. 

   Also,  early November in New Orleans, how is the weather? Should I worry about anything?

Thank you!

tigerlily2559

I am from the area and although I haven't actually "attended" a wedding there, I have witnessed a few, just as a passerby. I also am still on the fence about holding my ceremony in the park, rain being the only real drawback.

At least you have the right idea for time of year! November is one of the best (and busiest!) months for weddings in NOLA. The weather is pretty unpredictable - it's a toss up as to if your Halloween/Thanksgiving will be spent in shorts and tank tops or jeans and hoodies! Mostly though, the humidity is cut WAAAAAAAAAAY down, and rain is much less expected... although always a possibility.

Being that time of year is so popular, venues and vendors book up REALLY early. I see your post is from June - have you already made your decision? book it asap!

 

As for Jackson Square, you can't get much more beautiful, or iconic. There are so many options for receptions close by as well... restaurants, courtyards, hotels, all within walking (second line!) distance, or even a fun pedi-cab ride! (Side note: EVERYONE in Louisiana does some sort of second line at their wedding. Fiance and I are SO over them taking place inside the reception hall/venue. Traditional second lines are a party meant to happen from the ceremony to the reception! So we are not going to do it unless we did the ceremony in JS then second lined our way to the reception... which would likely be Muriel's for us if we decide to go this route!)

So anyway, some things to know about JS...

1) depending on how many people there are, it can get kind of awkward for the setup. Chairs are only allowed on the concrete, and most of the area is grass. Just something to know if you have more than 50-75 people.

2) no amplified music is allowed. I think acoustic musicians are allowed 3-4 songs max during the ceremony.

3) NO TENTS. NO PORTABLE HEATERS. Again, it is unlikely that you will need either of these, especially if you keep the ceremony short, just be mindful. I am second guessing my plan to have mine here just for these reasons.

4)you will need to have a planner execute the timing, setup and breakdown of everything. This is your responsibility and you can be fined for not adhering to the rules.

5) it is not "closed off" to the public in the traditional sense... We were planning on just having a few guy friends act as security to at least block off the "aisle" or path for the me to walk down without having some idiot standing in my way. That being said, I have never actually witnessed this problem, and for the most part, people are respectful when they see the obvious wedding happening. In fact, I kind of liked the idea of so many tourists stopping to witness my wedding! They will be taking pictures and whistling and clapping along with your guests, so you will feel like a celebrity

6) last but not least - photo ops are INCREDIBLE but make sure to check sunset times! It may get chilly if it gets too dark and you lose the opportunity of the amazing natural light and background.

If I think of anything else I will come back to post again! I don't want to ramble on too long especially if you have already made your decisions!

 

Good luck!

 

tigerlily2559

One more thing - I don't think I stressed enough how wonderful this time of year is. I didn't mean to make it sound like bad weather! it's just the opposite really, and everyone is really excited for my (sometime between October-December) wedding! The air is usually crisp and clear, not too cold and not too hot. It will be great as long as the rain and super extreme conditions stay away!