Courtyard Ceremony

nicolemangi85 · August 2009

Hi everyone! I'm an oot bride and I'm trying to do most of my planning online. we are having our reception at Jax Brewery, but I really want to do a courtyard ceremony. Any suggestions? We looked at the courtyard at the pharmacy museum, but they haven't really gotten back to us. We have about 100 guests. Any advice would be great!Thank you!!!

jamielisac · August 2009

Broussards has a beautiful courtyard as do many of the hotels in the quarter - Royal Sonesta, St. Louis Hotel, Maison Dupuy. Good luck!

bcnoelle · August 2009

I am an OOT bride too and had the same issue. Most hotels want you to have your receptions there in order to have a ceremony. I am having my ceremony at Royal Sonesta and reception at Muriels though. At first Royal Sonesta said no, then they said ok when they realized all of my guests would be getting hotel rooms at their hotel. Plus I am having my wedding on a Friday so they were pretty sure they wouldn't book another reception that day. I would call around and see. Another place I was considering was Beauregard-Keyes (spelling?) House, which gave a decent ceremony price but they weren't open on my day. The French Quarter Market also would probably allow you to have your ceremony there if you got a minimum # of rooms. Good luck!

bcnoelle · August 2009

Actually I think it's the French Quarter Inn, not market.

meganfauer · August 2009

I had my reception at Broussard's and it was AMAZING!! I am not sure that they will do just a ceremony but attached to Broussard's is the Herma Grima house and I know that they do ceremonies and it is beautiful. www.broussards.com/grimahouse.html I would recommend taking a look at it. Also I recommend the Royal Sonesta courtyard. There was a wedding there the day of my wedding and we were staying there so we watched it from the balcony very pretty.

themegt · August 2009

I looked at so many courtyards for our ceremony, and I agree about Herma Grimma House. We looked at the pharmacy museum at it is beautiful and perfect if you just want a ceremony...their hours are random, so getting in touch may be hard. Another place I looked at is Madame John's Legacy...the courtyard could be really pretty for a ceremony. They dont have pictures on-line, but maybe they could send you some. One more suggestion is the Montegut House. They have a beautiful courtyard, but you may have to have a ceremony there as well. Oh, I just remembered one more...the courtyard at Le Petit Theatre. It is really pretty and will hold 100.

efelte1 · August 2009

ST Louis Hotel also has a beautiful courtyard.

mmfillinich · August 2009

Look into using Jackson Square. It's beautiful and practically right next door to Jax Brewery. I was MOH in a wedding at Jackson Square and it was great. You would need to contact the city's Park and Parkway's office. GL!

Lvandervort · August 2009

I am also a OOT bride, looking for a courtyard, and I'm about to do the 'recon trip' early next week (...I'm trying to think of this as work and not about how much I'm looking forward to oysters and beer with a good friend who is coming with me)We are having a VERY small wedding - under 20 people (we are older - 50/60's - but hey, this is my first wedding!), MID-week (we are from out of town, why not take advantage of mid-week availability) and we have NO interest in a reception, but rather plan to go out for a good sit down dinner somewhere. That's not to say I'm opposed to doing that on their property -- I just have no interest in stations and passed food, etc etc. No band, no DJ - just marriage, eat, wander the quarter in our finery.I started by going to experienceNewOrleans.com where I filled in the information section for prospective brides and requested information. I also requested that no one call me. (Kudos - none called) All responses came by email. Some did not read my information -- others clearly did, and responded with proposals that were a closer fit to my interests. I got at least a dozen responses, one third were not at all what I wanted, one third were to 'Dear Bride' and one third were to 'Dear Lynn' -- guess who I've been calling...(those places have an asterick *) I have the following courtyards on my radar -- and again, I'm focused on the ceremony; the option for a sit down dinner might pique my interest. Another important factor that no one ever talks about -- 'the bad weather option', which is something I'll be happy to follow up on after this excursion.*Hotel Provincial - the pictures look good (appointment set easily, already offered me a great hotel rate. This would be a ceremony only location.)*Bourbon Orleans - they have a cottage that has a courtyard, supposedly, time will tell - there are no photos on their website. (appointment set easily, Charlotte is friendly and wants to talk about food. I'm non-committal - I want to see the courtyard. Charlotte is taking me out for breakfast - a nice perk to be sure!)*The Bistro at Maison deVille - Check out the website - www.bistromaisondeville.com -- the gallery photos are promising. (appointment easily set, Jaydine is charming and she and her husband were married in this courtyard, husband called back to confirm a Sunday appointment - a plus by my standards - I am available, let's use the time! The Bistro is currently closed due to a fire next door, but they have a soft-open date of October 1. They said, it's ready to go right now - but the next door building still smells like smoke, so the neighboring building is being cleaned and re-painted. I'll report back on the status of this location - but it looks very promising. Since this is a restaurant -- the sit down dinner would be a breeze.)*Beaurgard-Keyes House - Website drew me in - www.bkhouse.org (Marion is the event contact - took me a couple of tries to talk to someone - mostly my fault for calling late in the day. Marion was already talking details, concerned about lighting etc in January -- Appointment was easily set once I talked to her. They do ceremonies or the large reception package -- so this would be ceremony only.)*Royal Sonesta - No one has called me - after seeing what others have written - I can guess this affair is just too small for them to care. To be fair, I called them earlier today -- I always figure someone could be on vacation or out sick.Princess of Monaco Courtyard and Carriage House -- Website is wonderful. I've left two messages. No idea just why no one wants my business.*House of Broel - Website photos are ok, email that was sent to me included a very appealing package. Again...I've left 2 messages. No idea why no one wants my business.*Dauphine Hotel - Dawn is out of town - I've left her a message that I'd like to meet her on Monday. I'm interested to see if she feels up to the task of meeting with me on very short notice. I have enough other choices that I don't feel short-changed if this gets scrapped.*Louis XVI Restaurant - Website is quite the splash - phone system was beserk the first time I called, but I got Rachel on the second try and made an easy appointment.I've been told that Muriel's has a nice courtyard. Plan to stop by there for a meal and see for myself if this is true. Will report back.The Hotel Soniat told me 'we don't do wedding ceremonies,' but I get the impression that if you planned to rent the entire facility they might be talked into it. Of course the rooms start - OFF season at $250 a night. Sorry gang, but that is just not part of my budget. Other places I'm checking out for other reasons...I need a small cake, and the groom wants "good chocolate cake" -- so I'm going outside the box and checking out "New Orleans Cafe and Bakery" in the Marigny. The cakes look good -- and I want good cake, not necessarily pretty cake. Steve is a little hard to get a hold of, doesn't read email. Cordial on the phone, suggested a good time to meet during my trip.I'm also checking out "Rue Balconies" - as they have rooms with balconies on Bourbon that could accommodate a small sit-down dinner. I'm not married to the idea, but I want to check out as many options as possible while in town. In particularly I'm looking at the Absinthe house balcony. All of this is easily googled. The appointment was made easily with Virginia -- note that the phone number is wrong on the website, and don't even try to fill out the form, it defaults to 2006 or 7 and won't complete now that it's 2009. The phone number for Marketing is almost the same as the one of the website -- just increase the last digit by one number. This planning from afar is taking me waaay outside my normal comfort zone when it comes to party planning. I am very grateful for the information provided by the fine ladies on this list. Thank you all for taking pity on those of us who are winging it from a couple thousand miles away. I'm also grateful for information geared toward SMALL weddings. I think there are probably plenty of us lurking out there trying to glean whatever we can from the various postings. When you have no family, or plan to come to town with a very small party - having info for the little weddings comes in really handy!Thanks all -- hope this helps.Lynn in MN...soooo looking forward to oysters - you have no idea!

roteki · August 2009

I saw a couple of courtyards when i was down a few weeks ago as well. The Pharmacy Museum has a nice set up, as does the W Hotel French Quarter. One that was a little different set up was the courtyard at Musical Legends Park on the 300 block of Bourbon Street. They apparently do receptions there as well. Lvandevort, Charlotte is very nice at the Bourbon Orleans, and there is a little courtyard next to the cottages that is nice, but small. I loved their ballroom. We had the same experience with the Royal Sonesta, they never returned numerous calls, and our wedding is around 150 people.

maccalovah · August 2009

Lvandervort, I am also having a courtyard ceremony, and met with almost all the same people you are meeting with! Great choices, you will definitely find something you love...I especially loved the Hotel Provincial, because the staff was just wonderful. We ultimately decided on the St. Louis, but Hotel Provincial was majorly in the running (as was the Maison de Ville- the chef made us a great meal). Way too many great choices!!Sarah

Lvandervort · August 2009

Following up after my 'wedding recon trip'.First off -- the oysters at the Acme Oyster House rock... augmented by the Abita Turbo Dog -- and my friend and I were happy!Please note: I have not made a final choice. Lots of reasons why (mostly because there are always trade offs -- and it's a question of what to trade...)But here is my take on what I saw and felt -- please note my earlier response in this thread on where I was going and why...*Hotel Provincial - It's quaint, lovely, and the bad weather back up photo shot allows for pictures that would catch the courtyard even if it was pouring. The courtyard is $300, and with that room rates drop to a level that makes you stand up and take notice. This is a real contender.*Bourbon Orleans - the St. Ann Cottage is not really a cottage, but rather a rather private section of the facility with private rooms, and a small courtyard. Not a lot of greenery - and the fountain is small. Nonetheless, the privacy is a real draw if you want to keep it small.*The Bistro at Maison deVille - The restaurant has its own private courtyard - with no fountain. The fountain is part of the Maison deVille Hotel. If you are planning a weekend -- this could be a real problem as the hotel has its own calendar of functions. Frankly, the fountain needed a cleaning. Not sure this was part of the fire aftermath -- but if just didn't appeal to me.*Beaurgard-Keyes House - Marion is wonderful, as is the gentleman who lives on-site in the back. The courtyard is gorgeous. The only potential drawback is that the fountain in the courtyard is pretty old, rusting out, and they have a replacement plan ready for when funding comes through. (If you are interested in the garden with box hedges, then this is not an issue -- that's the formal garden. The courtyard is a different area.) The greatest drawback is that the rental for a ceremony is limited to .5 hours -- yep, half an hour, for $350 (and some of that could be tax-deductible ---this is a nonprofit facility). It's just too little time for photos and a ceremony. If it was an hour - it would probably be at the top of my list. The courtyard made me cry!*Royal Sonesta - Not a surprise, but it appears that most of the folks at various properties read this list. I got a phone call from most of them within one day of my original posting! The Sonesta's courtyard is very nice, just the right size - but it didn't grab me the way some of the other courtyards grabbed me.Princess of Monaco Courtyard and Carriage House -- NO ONE from this place ever contacted me. Wierdly, I went out to dinner on Monday night to GW Finns (mostly because I've been there before, and I am still not settled on where to eat because of the various all inclusive and not at all inclusive options). The chef was at the door along with the owner -- and I commented that I was back because I had seen the Chef in '08 at a seafood fest at the Mint, and he was cooking for the event. The fiance and I booked dinner later that night and loved our meal... Well upon imparting that story, coupled with the fact that I may be looking for a private dining option as part of my wedding, the Chef drove by the Princess of M. Courtyard after finishing his night, and called back leaving a message that the name of the place was 'Cafe Amelie'. (There is a cafe on site which popped up on the website very recently)I knew that...but it does not negate the fact that NO ONE ever called me. Perhaps a Tuesday night just didn't do it for them.To GW Finns credit... When my guest didn't want a bread pudding with chocolate, which is what they offered, they suggested a location for finding a more traditional dessert with whiskey sauce. ....and now...I really want to go there for a meal in January with my wedding guests... *House of Broel - Bonnie is very personable. The house is absolutely beautiful. The facility is perfect for the no-fuss, no-muss couple -- but I want something that isn't 'cookie cutter', and after a photo book of different faces cutting the same, exact cake every time -- I just knew I didn't want my face added to the list.*Dauphine Hotel - Never heard back from Dawn, but that was OK. My feet still have blisters from walking the Quarter.*Louis XVI Restaurant - This is probably the BEST deal. The courtyard is lush, extravagant, weather protected, and for the 'minimum', you get to include food and bev - and a cake - in that total. That's very all-inclusive. It's high on my list because - for the price - you really do get great bang for the buck. The reason I'm not committing...probably because the 20 or less of us would not be alone in the courtyard (nor would I expect to be alone) - and I'm looking for more intimacy. It's a big courtyard for 20 people.Muriel's - the courtyard isn't really a courtyard. It's an enclosed seating area. Not much more to say.The Hotel Soniat - Hmmmm. While at the Beauregard-Keyes house, they mentioned that they are the 'bad weather back up' for a wedding at Soniat.Wow - I guess 20 people on a Tues meant we weren't the right stuff. Sorry gang, but I really have no respect for people who won't treat me the same as anyone else. This may be small, and it may be Tuesday -- but I'd rather people say that to me, rather than 'we don't do weddings'.As for other vendors: the "New Orleans Cafe and Bakery" in the Marigny... Steve likes to make appointments by phone. We set one up for Tuesday. I got in on Sunday, stopped by, and purchased a chocolate cupcake with some basic chocolate frosting. I put it in a styro container, and then let it ride around town on the floor of a Toyota RAV, with the AC off. After 4 hours of bouncing around, there were a few very small pieces of frosting that had fallen off -- but nothing melted in the heat. The cake was wonderful; the frosting was decadently chocolate. I went back on Tuesday and got a dirt cheap price for a 20 piece chocolate genache cake (which is what we want). If you are not convinced with the other folks -- check this guy out."Rue Balconies" - (sighs) The low point of the trip. I have seen a lot of grunge in my life, and this was up there with the memorable locations. My feet stuck to the floor. I grabbed the hand rail at one point going up the stairs, and deeply regretted it as my fingers contacted some sort of nasty goo on the railing. Frankly, the facilities are filthy. Can't say much more other than I surely am not going to eat there.........and then there are the unknowns...and frankly, both of them are at the top of my list.Place d'Armes - we had a room for this trip at this hotel and the courtyards are GORGEOUS. I called before going and the sales rep said "we don't do weddings, but we do receptions.' So while checking out, I inquired about information on receptions - hoping that I can just piggyback a simple wedding. The receptionist said we don't do receptions, but we will do weddings."(blink blink) I now have the owner's business card and will figure this one out. Will let you know what I hear.If this all fails -- I gotta say -- there is a fountain in city park that is absolutely gorgeous! Google up Chloe fountain New Orleans -- and you'll get a picture. If Place d'Armes fizzles, this is probably where I will go. While I had always pictured a courtyard, the oaks with limbs on the ground - are majestic and touched the earth mother in me. I just need to find out if the park is ok with flame contained in a lantern (they prohibit 'open flame', but a lantern isn't 'open'). #3 is a toss up between St. Louis and Provincial.If I go with an all-inclusive, it will probably be the St. Louis. If I don't, I expect to eat at GW Finns after the wedding. The night before the wedding - dinner is still a toss up. We know we want that meal to be very relaxed, with a focus on good times and good food. Could be a location in the Marigny or someplace with basic Creole fare - like the Gumbo Shop. (Your suggestions are very very welcome!!)As noted previously -- the trip was all good. I had oysters! (...and I got a pedicure today, so my feet are starting to come back to life.)Hope this helps the OOT bride in trying to figure out what to do. Most of these options are perfectly wonderful, it's just a question of what is right for you!Thanks everyone!Lynn in MN

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