Louisiana-New Orleans — The Knot Community

First Pro Pic...

Queen Jane — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:50:43 +0000

May I just say that Tim Pham at Ardent Studio is absolutely amazing. I haven't seen him get a lot of love on here, so here it is.

This pic is from our day after shoot. We walked all around Frenchman. As we called it a wrap, we passed by 601 Esplanade where the owner graciously offered for us to take pics inside the courtyard gates of his house which used to be a Catholic church. Although our session was "over", Tim jumped on the opportunity and got some amazing shots....

Suzy Marks Videography

bestra0129 — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:06:09 +0000

Any feedback on Suzy Marks Videography would be greatly appreciated.

Non-Catholic Church Ceremony

luckycurl84 — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:38:03 +0000

I'm having alot of problems finding a ceremony venue and hoped you ladies may be able to help me out. My fiancee is Catholic, but we decided against a Catholic wedding due to the red-tape (since I am not and he doesn't go). We're more-or-less open to any other Christian church that would have us. (FWIW, I'm a Methodist) We both went to Tulane, so anywhere in Uptown, the Garden District, or the Quarter would be awesome with bonus points if it's on a streetcar line. Double bonus points if it's relatively small (There will be only 12 people at the ceremony). I've called Zion Lutheran, only to be told that one of us had to be Lutheran. :( I would go to St. Mark's on Rampart, but since it's a reconciling congregation, I know my family would have a fit. Any other churches to call?

share the deal

Cate80 — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:25:29 +0000

Hey Brides I just wanna share a deal that I heard of. If you a e looking for a photobooth Blink Booths is running a 3 hr special for like $400 I think. Thats pretty cheap!!

Garter

a80Lady — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:26:07 +0000

Hi, I was really hoping to get a fleur de lis garter, but am not sure where to look. Where did you ladies get your garters? Thanks!
Ashley

Second Line & Southern Oaks Plantation Wedding

Brklyn2LA — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:47:32 +0000

Hello Everyone -

I am having my wedding ceremony and reception at Southern Oaks plantation which is easier logistically. However, my fiance REALLY wants to do a second line and thinks it is only fun to do a second line if it is from ceremony to reception site in FQ. Is that true? Is there a way for me to incorporate the 2nd line at SOME point in the evening? I am not totally familiar with the second line so I really want to know.

Vendor Review October 8th

aniadenver — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:22:09 +0000

I don’t even know where to start.
The wedding was amazing and everyone had a great time. Since I am a little bit of a control freak I was afraid that it may ruin my wedding day experience if some even little thing won’t go as planned. Well, I did great and didn’t stress about a thing. I’m proud of myself ! hahaah
We had a small , on a budget wedding and I planned it all myself. All my vendors came together and it was the best day of my life!

Ceremony and Reception
House Of Blues A+++++
Our ceremony took place in the Voodoo Garden at the House of Blues. And the reception was upstairs in the Parish room.
Cali, the coordinator from the HOB was amazing! She was super helpful, very organized and if it wasn’t for her I don’t think the whole day would go without a hitch.
I made my own decorations for the courtyard - aisle runner etc; centerpieces and decorated candle holders. Cali and her stuff decorated the room and the courtyard exactly the way I wanted.
Food was very tasty. My guests still talk about various items from the buffet.
Even though it was a daytime wedding, the reception room which is pretty dark, made it feel like late at night.

Music: Omega Sound & Entertainment A ++++
Mark Steel was our DJ. We didn’t have any special requests for music. We asked him to play music that will get people on the dance floor. He chose a perfect combination of tunes and everyone was dancing thought the reception.

Photographer: Sabree HIll A++++++ I don’t even know where to start. She was amazing! Although I haven't seen the pictures yet, I loved the way she was working. We took tons of pictures that were posed and tons that were journalist style. One the way to the venue we stopped to take pix in French Quarter. I cannot wait to see the sultry pictures I took in the Foundation room in HOB :)
Sabree is very easy going, great to work with and amazing at her job. I felt like we have known each other for a while.

Cake: Haydel’s B
Cake was very tasty. It was very easy to communicate with the vendor. I designed the cake and email them my drawing with color samples. Unfortunately in the middle layer our initials were missing..... just a plane white space :(

Horse and Carriage - Mid City Carriages A
We rented the big, 8 people carriage to take me and the bridesmaids to the venue. We didn’t have to wait for the carriage since it arrived 10 min early and just waited for us to get ready without any rushing. Carriage was decorated with red flowers and ribbons. The driver was very patient and didn’t mind stopping every few minutes and wait for us to take pictures. Did I mention the price? 120 dollars for 30 minutes!!!!

Room Block
We reserved two hotels for two different budgets.
Frenchman Hotel A++
Very affordable. Very unique. All guests loved it and I was told that stuff was very pleasant and helpful. When I dropped off my welcome bags I was greeted with a huge smile by receptionist who didn’t mind dropping all the bags to my guests for free.

Bienville House Hotel B-
Location was great, just across the HOB. Unfortunately all my guests rooms were ready till after 5pm!
When they finally got in, the rooms where nice and clean.

We rented a condo through VRBO vrbo.com/316012 A+++++
We have always stayed in hotels and never thought of renting a condo. Because we were getting married during our week stay, I wanted to have a lot of space for me and my bridesmaids to get ready on the wedding day. Also I didn't want to leave our dog behind for such a long time. The place was better than we have expected. Very elegant and beautifully decorated, we felt better than at home! Beds were super comfy and allow us to sleep in after long nights out on Bourbon... Cam (the landlord) was amazing, super helpful and very accommodating. She even helped me coordinate a few things with my vendors that were stopping by the place on the wedding day. The area of the French Quarter is safe. Just a couple blocks away from partying on Bourbon St and other local attractions.

Flowers Erin Steen A+++
Erin did amazing job. I told her my favorite flowers and colors and she just put together beautiful bouquets and boutonnieres for my whole wedding party . She was very easy to work with. She delivered the flowers to the condo.

Reverend Coco Robicheaux A
Everyone loved him. My friends and family still talk about him. During the rehearsal and during dinner he was the star of the party. Ceremony was very unconventional - just the way we wanted, and very spiritual. I would recommend him for sure!

Hair and makeup
I had my hairstylist who is my friend do my hair and makeup.

Rehearsal dinner Ralph and Kacoos A+++
We had 24 people at our dinner. We had great service. Our waitress Elizabeth was very entertaining. Food was very tasty. Even though we booked dinner for 26 people, 2 didn’t make it due to too many Hurricanes earlier on.... the manager charged us only for the actual head count, even though the contract said that were supposed to pay for the reserved amount of guests.

I think I mentioned everyone. I had a lovely wedding. I can’t wait to go back to New Orleans.
Good luck to everyone!

Room Blocks

CathyNOLA — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:27:26 +0000

Hey Ladies!

I don't know if you guys already know this, but I wanted to share it with you anyways. When I first started looking into hotels for our wedding I had no idea where to even begin until a friend told me to contact the CVB.

It's amazing!! You just have to fill out a form online or contact Leslie Straughan at lstraughan@neworleanscvb.com or (504) 566-5018. And tons of hotels will contact you directly with their offers. I also talked to Leslie and she was super helpful with everything and she even sent me a nice little wedding packet with a ton of information. The best part of it is that it's totally free!

This is the link I used to submit my info
http://www.neworleanscvb.com/travel-professionals/weddings/need-hotel-rooms-/

OLYWILLIS

Queen Jane — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:23:51 +0000

Crap. Posted on the wrong board.

Kiss and Makeup Beauty Services *LOVE

ashleymvee — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:14:04 +0000

Hello, I need to rave about Kiss and Makeup to other brides out there...I'm married now and used them for my wedding and now call them when I have a special event and such. I remember when I was planning, reviews really, really helped with my decision making so I figured I would post about this company since I still use them. Super nice girls and they really pay attention to what you want and are looking for. :)

Photography: Corinne Tran (Studio Tran) vs Matthew Foster

salamin23 — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:20:39 +0000

I keep going back and forth between these two photographers. Has anyone had personal experience with either of these? Thanks!

New Orleans/Mardi Gras Bridal Shower ideas

leesa623 — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:50:39 +0000

HI,
I am new to the boards and can use some help. My BF is getting married in New Orleans in April. I will be her Maid of Honor. I would like to have a New Orleans/ Mardi Gras themed bridal shower in February. It will be at another bridesmaids house and it will be relatively small (about 30 people). I would like for it to be fun and different. This will, hopefully, be a do-it-yourself shower. I would appreciate any ideas to make this special. Decorations, food, music, etc... thank you in advance!

Vendor Reviews 10/23/11 (amazingly long and with PIPs)

Queen Jane — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:35:34 +0000

Our wedding was nearly perfect.

Week of accomodations - HH Whitney House on Esplanade - A
Glenn and Randy were very accomodating of us, our 17 month old and my parents.Their breakfast is amazing and the pricing was reasonable.

Bar Crawl stops - Molly's at the Market, El Gato Negro, R Bar, The John - A+++
This was the best idea ever. We got all our OOT friends together and they mixed so well. Pineapple Cilantro margaritas from Gato Negro to go for everyone and the bartenders at The John were the highlights.

Rehearsal Brunch - Commander's - A-
Of course the food was amazing, but they were slow to bring extra chairs and bar drinks. They were crazy busy though.

Planner - Carolyn Arthur at All About Events - A++++
She rocked the week of. Seriously on top of every detail. Made sure the caterer had Pimm's Cups To-Go immediately after the ceremony for our second line. AND she made me the most amazing umbrella ever. She's not super fake and is awesome at what she does.

Venue - The Benachi House - B+
I'm so torn on this because the venue is seriously amazing. Our guests loved it. It's downfall is the damn noise ordinance. The owner of The Bombay Club lives next door and is apparently opposed to music. Not only did Rebirth have to play softer after the second line was over, our DJ was decibel monitored and the music really should have been louder. If it weren't for that, it would be the perfect venue. r

Caterer - Capdeboscq - A+++
I was slightly worried about this after talking to the owner a few times (he's really "old school"), but we were very pleasantly surprised. Their staff was superior, the food was awesome, they nailed our signature drinks, and we had someone checking on us all night long to see if we needed anything. At $42 a head including bar, I have no complaints.

Ceremony Music - The Courtyard Kings (string trio) - A+
They had good suggestions for our music and we liked what they played. I asked them to transcribe one song for my entrance and it came out beautifully.

Second Line and Cocktail Hour Band - Rebirth Brass Band - A+++++++++
I don't think a review of Rebirth is necessary. They are amazing.

DJ - Top DJ Ron Folse - B+
He was really kind of awkward. Luckily we made our own playlists and we literally just needed his PA system and for him to hit play, and for that purpose, he and his price (340) worked well.

Photographer - Ardent Studios Tim Pham - A+++++
Tim and his brother were awesome and really nice guys. We did a day after shoot for more formals and walked all around Frenchman taking photos. He was really great and I haven't seen any teasers yet, but I'm confident they will turn out amazing.

Decor - Luminous Events - A
Our centerpieces were awesome. There were candles and rose petals everywhere, and it looked amazing. There was one specific spot I had requested candles for and they were not there. Not sure what happened with that, and no one re-lit our sweetheart table candles when they went out, but in the grand scheme of things it really didn't matter. Lisa and her husband were nice and I barely saw them all night.

Flowers - Crystal Vase - A++++
Our flowers were gorgeous. End of story. I was incredibly pleased.

Cake - Royal Cakery - A+
Our cake was moist, delicious and looked flawless. Shirelle is really good NOLA people and we were happy to give her our business.

Make-up - Kelly LeBlanc - A++++++++++++
She had either food poisoning or morning sickness that day and made me look amazing. I was extremely pleased with my makeup. Worth every penny.

Hair - Melissa Maia of Salon Maia - A++++++++
I have short hair. She made it look long and purty. Love her.

Guestbook - The Spirit of New Orleans by Bruce Keyes - A+++
coffee table photography book of the 70's and 80's NOLA. It was a HUGE hit.

Linens - Weddinglinensdirect.com- A+++
I had cheap, beautiful linens the very next day at a reasonable price

Hotel Blocks - Hotel St Marie, Best Western FQ - A
I never heard any complaints so they must have been alright.

DIY'ed hankies, favors, escort cards and holders, and STDs

Etsy for my veil and hair accessories.

And now here's some pics!

Reception Venue research - long!

nola2006 — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:09:52 +0000

My daughter is getting married in Nola next weekend (whoo hoo!), and I was clearing out all the old notes and files, and found my list of venues. We booked in January, so my info might be out of date. We were looking for an indoor/outdoor space for 100-125 people, all OOT, so that colored my "reviews". Hope this helps someone!

New Orleans, wedding reception sites French Quarter:

Omni Royal Orleans (Garden Terrace 2^nd floor) Ballrooms are beautiful but Garden Terrace fits the bill perfectly – but would recommend for 100-125 people, no more. Celeste (wedding specialist) is a dream to work with. www.omnihotels.com/hotels/weddings/17/main.html">http://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/weddings/17/main.html

Royal Sonesta (was under construction when we looked). Lovely courtyard and inside rooms. Coordinator was impossible to reach – didn’t want that hassle. www.sonesta.com/RoyalNewOrleans/index.cfm?fa=weddings.home">http://www.sonesta.com/RoyalNewOrleans/index.cfm?fa=weddings.home

St Louis Hotel ($20,000 minimum Saturday nights). Really beautiful courtyard, but adjoining rooms a bit chopped up and dark. For this price, I would go with LaTrobe’s instead. www.stlouishotel.com/french-quarter-weddings.html">http://www.stlouishotel.com/french-quarter-weddings.html

LaTrobe’s on Royal ($20K min for Sat nights Oct-July) Pricey but beautiful space and their customer service is really good. www.latrobesonroyal.com/">http://www.latrobesonroyal.com/

5. Broussards (restaurant). Really gorgeous courtyard but I felt like they put their restaurant guests over their brides. Band volume might be a problem. www.broussards.com/weddings.html">http://www.broussards.com/weddings.html

6. Maison Dupuy. Lovely courtyard; unattractive inside rooms if weather is bad. Their wedding coordinator is really on top of things and you probably wouldn’t need an outside coordinator. www.maisondupuy.com/">http://www.maisondupuy.com/

7. Montegut House (private events only) Beautiful courtyard. All inside rooms are upstairs; not great flow. No website, but link shows the space

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6bS3uxo3So">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6bS3uxo3So

8. Pat O’s on the River

Nice space but not what we're looking for www.patobriens.com/patobriens/NO-private_parties/default.asp">http://www.patobriens.com/patobriens/NO-private_parties/default.asp

9. Musee Conti (Wax Museum) – upstairs room. Many great reviews of this place, but xx doen't like. www.neworleanswaxmuseum.com/weddings.html">http://www.neworleanswaxmuseum.com/weddings.html

10. Muriel’s (right on Jackson Square). xx doesn't like. I thought it was nice. www.muriels.com/html/privateparties.html">http://www.muriels.com/html/privateparties.html

11. Riverview Room. Great view, but low ceilings makes the room look institutional. www.riverviewroom.com/weddings.html">http://www.riverviewroom.com/weddings.html

12. Galvez Restaurant. Great view & patios, but the owner is sketchy about responding; don't want the headache. www.galvezrestaurant.com/events.html">http://www.galvezrestaurant.com/events.html

13. Bourbon Orleans. Ballroom, no courtyard www.bourbonorleans.com/weddings.php">http://www.bourbonorleans.com/weddings.php

Central Business District:

Board of Trade (walking distance to the quarter). Cool! Loved it. www.neworleansbot.com/">http://www.neworleansbot.com/

2. Le Pavillion (hotel, gorgeous ballroom, no outside spacewww.lepavillon.com/"> http://www.lepavillon.com/

Warehouse District:

Rosy’s Jazz Hall. Easy to work with, good prices. Casual, laid-back feel www.rosysjazzhall.com/Home.html">http://www.rosysjazzhall.com/Home.html
The Foundry. www.thefoundryvenue.com/">http://www.thefoundryvenue.com/

3. The Chicory (warehouse district). Beautiful space – exposed brick, etc.

www.thechicoryvenue.com/">http://www.thechicoryvenue.com/

Other

City Park – Pavilion of the Two Sisters. Really lovely and budget friendly. http://neworleanscitypark.com/pavilion.html

City Park – Parkview Terrace. Great patio wraps around 2^nd floor, but bathrooms are downstairs. http://neworleanscitypark.com/parkview.html
New Orleans Museum of Art (in City Park) $6k rental, plus food/bar. Gorgeous spot for a large, formal reception

Audubon Park Tearoom. Nice space but really big – you’d need a big guest list to make it feel full! www.auduboninstitute.org/events/private/venues">http://www.auduboninstitute.org/events/private/venues

Audubon Golf Clubhouse. Love this one – so charming. Lovely inside space, wrap-around porch, up-lit oak trees. Fits around 100 people comfortably. www.auduboninstitute.org/events/private/venues/clubhouse-photos">http://www.auduboninstitute.org/events/private/venues/clubhouse-photos

House on Bayou Road (B&B off Esplanade, 10 minutes from quarter). They no longer do wedding but if they start again, it’s beautiful! Need to rent a tent though. www.houseonbayouroad.com/">http://www.houseonbayouroad.com/

Best Planner Ever

citybayougirl — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:14:45 +0000

I've been a little under the weather lately mainly due to overworking myself so imagine my surprise when I got a care package from my PLANNER, cake pops, wine, cheese, a book, a lovely note, bubble bath and a spa certificate for the week of my wedding. I feel real special right now.

.

robertkate — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:05:28 +0000

Rentals

egammo3 — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:38:40 +0000

I am looking to rent roman columns to put down my aisle. Could anyone suggest any places?

Happy Halloween

citybayougirl — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:06:17 +0000

I've been super busy with work, family, wedding etc, but wanted to stop by and wish you guys a Happy Halloween!!!

Live Wedding Artist: FRENCHY

heatherw1 — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:56:31 +0000

If anyone is looking for a cool and unique idea, check out this live performance artist Frenchy out of New Orleans http://www.frenchylive.com/gallery/corporate/weddings/.

Check some of his work below....

Out of State Officiant in NOLA??

Brklyn2LA — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:43:51 +0000

Hello Everyone -

I live in Los Angeles and would like my minister to perform the wedding ceremony in New Orleans. I know that this can be done but I have been having the worst time getting someone on the phone to guide me on what needs to be done. Can someone PLEASE advise who I can talk to in the Orleans Parish that would actually return my phone call? This is starting to worry me.

slight change in plans but still searching for a resturant

Supernova985 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:29:09 +0000

we are "eloping" in early january along with both sets of parents. Any ideas for a nice resturant around the french quarter where the family can go to eat after we say 'i do'? was thinking lunch time but any suggestions are appreciated!

Thanks again ladies you are always such good help!

Bezlu

egammo3 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:55:11 +0000

Vendor Reviews - April 16, 2011 - REALLY LONG

[Deleted User] — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:50:03 +0000

Better late than never! I have been meaning to post these reviews forever, feeling very guilty for waiting so long. I found the Knot reviews really helpful during my planning, so it's only fair that I should contribute too! Our day was absolutely perfect - and I do mean that. I was so happy with my vendors. There were one or two speed bumps along the way, but the end result was perfect. Sorry in advance for the extremely long post.

Wedding Coordinator: NOLA BASH: A+++++

One of the absolute best decisions we made! We hired NOLA BASH for the weekend of our wedding, but they really went above and beyond. Danielle was available throughout my wedding planning process to offer advice & tips, and in the weeks leading up to the wedding, she was absolutely invaluable. She reconfirmed all of our vendors, sorted out the last minute details, and offered to take on any other things I needed help with. Also she was really helpful in making me feel comfortable and organized, reminding me to relax, not to worry, and to focus on enjoying my day. She was so calm and in control - I was not concerned about a single thing. She knew many of the vendors we had selected, so it was great that she had existing relationships with them and knew how they worked. When it came down to the weekend itself, both Danielle and Melissa were there for our rehearsal & dinner (which was a crawfish boil in the park), as well as our entire wedding day (a LONG one) and our day-after brunch (where they brought all of the items that had been left behind at the reception by friends & family :). Throughout the weekend, but especially on the big day, they ensured that everything ran smoothly - nothing was out of place at all. Our day was absolutely perfect in every sense. I know that took some behind-the-scenes magic from Danielle & Melissa, but to us & our guests, every detail was in place. Our wedding day was everything we had planned for and dreamed of. I would hire them again in a heartbeat. Highly recommend!! http://www.nolabash.com/

Welcome Party: The Davenport Lounge at the Ritz: A-

We had a large number of out of town guests, so we hosted a little welcome party with drinks in the bar at the Ritz. When I called about reserving a table (they didn't answer my emails), they told me it would be $2000 just to reserve the table (no drinks included in that number!) so we just decided to wing it and tell people to meet us in the bar. Maybe a little risky, but our party was just for a couple of hours before dinner. We got there early and grabbed a few tables and ordered a few bottles of champagne and snacks. Everything went super smoothly - the bartenders & waiters were really nice and efficient.

Hotels: The Ritz and Iberville Suites: C

We tried to get a hotel block, but they told us they were unable to offer us a block due to being in an oversold position. This was a year before our wedding so I thought it was a bit weird. But we both really liked the Ritz and we had a lot of people who were coming to New Orleans for the first time and wanted to make a nice trip out of it. So we decided to recommend the Ritz and the Iberville Suites (same building, same management but a lower priced alternative). Most of our guests were able to get rooms through the Ritz website at a lower rate than block rate anyway. We probably had about 30 rooms across the two hotels. The reason they get a C is because when I brought all of my carefully constructed out of town gift boxes, they informed me that there would be a charge of $5 per box to deliver them to the rooms or hand them out to guests. They were the ONLY hotel that charged for this - we also delivered gift boxes to the W Hotel, Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, Omni Royal Orleans, Hampton Inn, Hilton, and probably 5 others that I can't remember - no one else charged us for giving them to the guests. And more importantly, no one else LOST the gift boxes. Half of my guests at the Ritz/Iberville did not receive their boxes. This was much more upsetting to me than the $5 per box - my sister & mother & I spent so much time putting them together and I was so excited for everyone to get their little NOLA-themed treats. When we checked out, my husband spoke to the front desk about it and they took the charge off our bill. But like I said, I was much more upset about the lost gift boxes than the money. They seem strangely disorganized for such a nice hotel. There were a few other things too, but this is not the place for nitpicking, so I'll just say that we probably won't stay there again even though I think it's a beautiful hotel.

Bridesmaids Luncheon: Commander's Palace: A+++

I hosted a lunch on the Friday before the wedding for my bridal party. Commander's is always one of my favorite places to take guests. Their lunch prices are actually a really good deal. They gave us a beautiful private room on the second floor looking out into the oak trees, and did not charge anything extra for room rental. And they had balloons and flowers on our table. It was all really lovely and the service and food was just as great as ever. My girls loved it!

Rehearsal dinner:

We did a crawfish boil so that our out of town guests could have the experience. Also I thought it would be fun to have a more casual event. We did it in Audubon Park, across the street from the church, so it was really handy - we just walked over after the rehearsal. Our guests came with their kids who played on the playground nearby. I downloaded a bunch of zydeco music from iTunes and my sister set up her iPod stereo system and we hit play and the music was taken care of. We bought our own alcohol (beer & wine) which worked out really well too.

Catered by Southern Hospitality Catering: A++

Southern Hospitality did a great job!! They brought all the food, tables & chairs, everything. Everyone was super nice and friendly throughout the planning process and on the day itself. We had crawfish as well as a seafood pasta and a chicken/andouille jambalaya. All of the food was delicious, and a lot of people went back for seconds and thirds, until it was all gone!

Snoball Stand from Plum Street Snoballs: A

I loved Plum Street Snoballs and having the snoball stand was a great idea for dessert - a big hit with the kids. Plum Street Snoballs brought everything and set up their stand with all the different flavors.

Church: Holy Name of Jesus

I always knew I would get married here, so I never considered another church. This was the first call we made (after telling our families of course :) It is a beautiful church and they do a lot of weddings. Everything is very well organized and the lady in charge of weddings, Liz, is very helpful and replies to emails very quickly. They also do wedding music recitals in case you are in town - you can go and hear a lot of different options for your wedding music in advance. If you are considering having your wedding here, you should call ASAP because they get booked really far in advance. We called 16 months in advance and were lucky to get our date. My friend booked 18 months in advance and could only get a Friday night.

Church Music:

Organ: Jonathan Szymanski: A+ Jonathan is the organist at Holy Name. He was excellent. Organists are amazing musicians - such coordination required! Super nice guy and also very prompt with the emails.

Trumpet: Ronald Benko: A+ I hired Ron based on recommendation from Jonathan the organist. We wanted the Trumpet Voluntary as a bridal entrance song, which is why we needed a trumpet. Mr. Ron did a wonderful job.

Cantor: Givonna Joseph: A+ Another recommendation from Jonathan. She has a website where you can hear excerpts of her music. A beautiful voice - several of my guests mentioned to me how lovely it was. Her Ave Maria was just what I had in mind.

Guest Transportation: Hotard: A-

Hotard supplied 2 nice big 55 passenger buses that were clean and comfortable. They were organized and replied quickly to emails. The only reason I put A- is because the bus drivers weren't given the correct instructions and drove our guests 20 minutes in the wrong direction toward the reception instead of the church, before one of our out of town guests realized it and alerted the driver. Our guests barely made it to the church on time. I only found about this weeks after the wedding from one of my guests, so it wasn't something I had to worry about.

Bridal Party Transportation: Celebrity: A+

Celebrity provided a minibus for the groom's party, a limo for the bride's party and a vintage Bentley for the bride & groom. The drivers were on time and courteous and the cars were all perfect and clean. My groom is really into cars so he loved the white vintage Bentley.

Hair & Makeup: Just Face It: A+

Jessica is another great vendor that I found on the Knot. We did a trial run for my bridal portraits and she totally got it perfect the first time. I didn't ask for any changes on the wedding day, and I don't know how she did it but it was even more perfect for the big day! She and her team did all the hair and makeup for my bridesmaids & my mother. Everyone looked great and they were all happy with their hair/makeup. I went with the airbrush makeup, which I was a little nervous about at first, because I normally have a very natural look and while I wanted to be a little more glamorous, I still wanted to look like myself. Jessica was able to make the airbrush makeup look natural and perfect, without looking weird or fake. It lasted the whole day (from 10am to after midnight). She also does normal makeup if you don't like the idea of airbrush (although I would recommend at least trying it for your trial run). Also Jessica did a great job of putting my hair up in a way that stayed up the entire day, and yet did not give me any headaches (I get headaches really easily from ponytails or headbands etc). I felt beautiful on my wedding day and a big part of that was Jessica's great work.

Photographer: Matthew Foster Photography: A++++

Matt gets booked up far in advance, and I can certainly see why. Yes, he really is as good as everyone on the Knot says. And everyone says how nice he is, which is absolutely true. Actually, he is even better than everyone says, and even nicer! Mat is a great guy, extremely talented and super friendly and relaxed and fit right in with our crowd without seeming intrusive. Our pictures were ready a few weeks after our wedding - I think it was the week after we came back from our honeymoon actually. And they are stunning photos. I can't say enough good things about him. I am so glad we made the investment in such beautiful photos that we can look back on forever.

Videographer: Studio Vieux Carre: A+

I booked them based on recommendation from my photographer Matt Foster. I asked him for recommendations because I had read about how important it was for photographers & videographers to work well together. And they did. It was so fun to have all these great vendors who knew each other and enjoyed working together. I haven't seen my video yet, but based on their work, I expect it to be great and I feel very confident in our decision to choose them.

Reception Venue: Nottoway Plantation on River Road: B+

We had our hearts set on a plantation reception & we knew it would be a big hit with out out of town guests. We chose Nottoway over two other plantations - one of which did not have an indoor option in case of rain, and the other which did not have any staff members dedicated to working on weddings (plus they would have had up to 3 weddings at the same time unless we bought them out). Nottoway is a bit further away than the other two, but it is absolutely gorgeous. It was renovated recently, and the whole place is in fantastic condition and they have a whole team of people dedicated to running the wedding receptions that take place. The reason for the B+ rating is that we were assigned 3 different coordinators from the time we chose the place until our wedding took place and things just weren't as organized as I expected. Also towards the end of our planning, I felt like they kept trying to charge us extra for no good reason - this really seemed greedy because we were already paying for an extra long 6 hour reception. For example, somewhere along the way, they forgot to order the specialty wine & champagne (as per our contract) and tried to charge us a lot more per bottle because the price had gone up. The general manager ended up sorting out the problem, but I ended up having to source the wines/champagnes myself and had a hard time finding them. They only arrived a few days before our wedding, so that was a bit stressful. In the end, the girl in charge of our reception at Nottoway was on the ball and everything was just perfect. But I was really happy that I had brought in my own coordinators Danielle and Melissa from NOLA BASH to ensure everything was set up properly. The reception went very smoothly - the time flew by even though it was a long day. The weather was perfect - we had a beautiful outdoor cocktail hour and then dinner and dancing in their ballroom.

Cocktail hour music: Dr. Jazz & the New Orleans Dixieland Sounds: A+

I really really wanted jazz music at our reception, but my groom wanted music that everyone would recognize and dance to. So we compromised and had a jazz band for the cocktail hour only. They did a fantastic job and played all the songs I asked for. Then they did a second line for us around the outside of the plantation and into the ballroom, where they played our first dance. This worked out great and we were really pleased with the music. They were so nice and really easy to work with by email and even sent me a CD of their music in the mail before I booked them.

Party band: Groovy 7: A++++++++

Oh my goodness, how do I even begin to describe how good they were?! Almost 4 months later, and I am still getting compliments from guests about how great our band was. They were AMAZING musicians and extremely friendly and nice people as well. They played softer music through the dinner, then a 2 hour hardcore party set for dancing. I danced the entire time - didn't miss a single song. I thought their fee was very reasonable - they were worth every penny and more. I am so glad we booked them so far in advance - I didn't realize how popular they were until I started reading the Knot (we had already booked them after hearing them play). I don't know what else to say except that if you are considering hiring them, don't even think about it anymore. Pick up the phone and book them RIGHT NOW.

Florist: Christina O'Malley: A-

Christina was great, although the flowers were not exactly what I wanted and I did feel like we spent a lot of money. I was pretty clear about what I wanted, but the arrangements were not as full or with as many blooms as I wanted which was a nature issue, not the fault of the florist. I was going for a lush all white look using flowering branches, and what I got was more of an earthy, all natural look because there weren't many blooms on the branches. However, the arrangements still looked nice, and none of my guests would have know the difference, and it didn't take away from the perfectness of my day. Plus Christina was super nice to work with, very kind and patient throughout my planning process, and came up with loads of ideas to help us stay within our budget. If I had known how it would turn out, I would still choose Christina, but I would ask for different flowers to be sure that I could get the look I was going for.

Wedding Cake: Royal Cakery: A+

Expensive but they did a great job. Their cakes are absolutely delicious and they have about a zillion different cake/filling combinations to choose from. All very yummy. They can make pretty much any cake. I showed them a picture of the cake I liked - from a Martha Stewart magazine, and they said no problem. In fact, they had made that cake design several times already. So my choice wasn't as original as I thought, but they did a great job. It was even better than I expected. We also rented a beautiful silver cake stand from them (I think it was something like $30 - very reasonable). The cake was so delicious that our guests ate the whole thing, even though we had ordered more than 1 slice per person (and we had the groom's cake too).

Groom's Cake: Cal's Bakery in Gonzales: A+

I really wanted to surprise my groom with a special cake, but the quote i got from the Royal Cakery was very expensive (half as much as our wedding cake even though that was way bigger and much more elaborate). So I found Cal's Bakery in Gonzales, LA which is near our reception venue. I sent them a picture and they made a perfect copy, with a few changes that I requested. All at a very reasonable price. My groom was thrilled with the cake and our photographer caught his surprised & delighted expression on camera which made me even happier :)

Day after Brunch: Hermann-Grima House & Courtyard: A+

We wanted to do a farewell brunch with our guests the day after the wedding and a courtyard was just what we had in mind. Hermann-Grima is a great historic place - would also be nice for a ceremony if you are have a smaller guest count. Bacco does all the catering for the Hermann-Grima House and the food was really good. My guests were going back for seconds. We had mostly breakfast foods and then we were able to do a bar on consumption basis for people who wanted a bloody mary or mimosa - most people didn't drink much since they partied so hard the night before, so a consumption bar worked out best for us. We worked with Aimee at Ralph Brennan (which owns Bacco) and she was very nice and really helpful in planning our event.

Invitations: Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence: A+

I really wanted to get my invitations locally, but couldn't actually get any responses from the two local places I contacted. Then I found Lucky Luxe online and they are located in Mississippi which is local enough for me. Plus they do invitations for brides across the country. The girl who runs it is super sweet and quick to respond to emails and very patient with my many changes. I am obsessed with paper goods, so the invitations, save the dates, menus, programs etc were really important to me. We got a beautiful suite of mostly letterpress paper goods (some items had to be digitally printed) - it was all custom made and gorgeous. And a very reasonable price. She has a lot of different options for all different budgets so if you are interested in some beautiful and unique invitations, check out her website.

Other recommendations:

The Big Book for Your Big Day by Mindy Weiss: This was the best book I used during my wedding planning. It covers EVERYTHING in great detail. No useless pictures or forms. Just lots and lots of very good info. I am recommending it to all my friends who are getting married.

Etsy: Holy cow, I had no idea how great this site was until I started planning my wedding!!! I bought so much stuff from Etsy sellers that it's impossible to list them all. Here are just a few of the Etsy sellers I recommend: lizmpetro, dinkybug, MaisonStGermain, kellylynndesigns, JulieHananDesign, puck513, kaleidoscopebyerin. I keep going back to Etsy and finding all kinds of other stuff for our home & great gifts. Highly recommend.

Sorry for the long post - I hope this was helpful for some of you. Good luck - I wish everyone a wedding day as perfect as ours was :)

Oak Alley or elsewhere

FlipzRB — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:10:42 +0000

Has anyone had their wedding here? I want an outdoor ceremony and an outdoor tented reception (seated dinner) for about 250 people. Is this a good place for that? (or do you have another suggestion)I am an OOT bride and trying to decide which places to look at on my recon trip.thanks!

Rehearsal Dinner Suggestion!

MG888 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:53:48 +0000

I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion for a location for our rehearsal dinner? We are trying to find a place that will allow outside catering/alcohol, but still a great location in NOLA. Our wedding is in August, so we would prefer to have something indoors, just because of the weather. Any ideas or other suggestions for a rehearsal dinner location for around 60-70 people?

Thank you for the help!!!!

Photobooths

egammo3 — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:42:43 +0000

Who is supplying the photobooth for your reception?
I am looking for one that is not too expensive.

Second Line Umbrellas

aebock — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:13:08 +0000

Hello NOLA Knotties!

I'm helping my former-BM (now her sister's MOH) create second line umbrellas for her sister's Oct. 22 wedding. Any links or ideas for decorating ideas OR supplies?

When I got married in '08 I opted for a plain one from Gem's and have NO Idea where to start! lol

TIA!

wedding night

jessicalsmith1986 — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:42:38 +0000

Where are/did you stay on your wedding night? Any good hotels with nice honeymoon suites in new orleans? Thanks for the help

Anyone planning on wearing a coat with wedding dress?

Tango19 — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:31:15 +0000

Getting married in Dec and I plan on taking pics around the city, should I bring a coat? My dress is strapless.

Fleur de lis / Mardi Gras Reception Centerpieces

[Deleted User] — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:21:59 +0000

Hey everyone! I know a many of you may have had Fleur de lis or Mardi Gras Reception themes and I'm looking for some ideas for the centerpieces. If you have any awesome ideas that incorportate a combo of Fleur de lis and Mardi Gras (I'd like the focus to be on a Fleur de lis theme more with Mardi Gras small details thrown in) then please let me know. Of course, if you have pics from your wedding that would help a lot too. I'm also willing to purchase your centerpiece if you still have it You can also shoot me a personal email at chamauli_buffy2000@yahoo.com. Thanks all!