Hope this helps some of you in your planning!!
Venue - Latrobe’s on Royal - A+++++: I think Latrobe’s is one of the most unique places to get married in the French Quarter. We had our ceremony in the covered courtyard area, followed by a second line down Bourbon, and by the time we got back the courtyard was converted into an area for the cocktail hour, which was followed by a seated dinner in the main banquet room. We had a few hiccups along the way and on the day of, but, overall, our experience was great. One thing that is great about Latrobe’s is that it has so much character and old world charm that it really doesn’t require too much “dressing up” with flowers or other decorations. Another thing is that the food is amazing. We love chef Nathaniel (Boucherie). We are foodies, so food was important to us and I was really happy with the way the menu turned out. Overall, it is a magical place to get married.
Flowers - Erin Steen - A++++: Erin was a dream to work with and really reasonably priced. I got some ridiculous florist quotes before I met with Erin. Even though I had a specific budget in mind which I made clear, one florist quoted me more than double my budget (Urban Earth), and the other florist’s response to my budget was that she would have to push me about 1-2 thousand dollars more than my budget (Fat Cat)!!! Erin worked within my budget and the result was absolutely amazing. The flowers were super fresh and the colors were on the money. My MIL also used Erin for the rehearsal dinner and the results were also amazing!
Photography - Matt Foster - A+++++: All I can say is that Matt 200% deserves every rave review he gets on this board. He is just so freaking talented! His photos perfectly captured our wedding. He also used Liz King as a second photographer, and she was fantastic as well. We ended up getting almost 1000 photos with the two photographers. We elected not to use a videographer, and after seeing all of Matt’s photos, I don’t regret that decision one bit!! Message me if you want to see the pictures.
Cake - Flour Power - A+++++: I knew I wanted a simple but elegant wedding cake that most importantly tasted good. Flour Power perfectly executed my vision. We went with a traditional wedding cake flavor with buttercream frosting. So delicious (I think the secret is multiple layers of cake and frosting)! The groom's cake exceeded expectations. I had them do a design which copied an album cover from my husband's favorite band. They did an excellent job and the filling (chocolate mocha hazelnut - yum) was also a huge hit!
Music - A+++++++ We didn’t go with traditional wedding music, and we had a lot of different music throughout the night. We were lucky enough to get some incredible musicians through some family/friend connections who don’t normally play weddings. However, we also used and would highly recommend the Treme Brass Band (second line) and the Marlon Jordan Trio (playing throughout the seated dinner). Marlon is an amazing horn player and we highly recommend his group. Also of note, during the cocktail hour at the rehearsal dinner, we had a jazz trio featuring the trumpet player Kid Merv who sounds EXACTLY like Louis Armstrong. Very cool. Let me know if you are interested in their contact info.
Candles, Extra Help - Luminous Events of New Orleans - A+++++: Loved Lisa and Jason. They were really easy to work with and really came through for me. I wanted Latrobe's to be drenched in candelight, and Lisa really did an amazing job. She also was a life saver with making sure that all of my extras were setup before the wedding (e.g. guest book, favors, second line umbrellas, sparklers, etc). I would highly recommend Lisa's services!
Favors - BlueFrog Chocolates - A. We almost decided not to do favors, but in the end we wanted a little something extra to give our guests. You can’t go wrong with chocolate and BlueFrog was great. We selected two chocolate truffles which came in small silver box with a bow to match my colors which we placed at each place setting.
Dress and Bridesmaid Dresses- Wedding Belles - A+++++. Best experience! I really dreaded buying a wedding dress, but it turned out to be so easy! Wedding Belles is such a cute little boutique, especially at their new location, and the ladies who work there are super sweet and helpful. My dress came in early, and I did all of my fittings at the boutique with Vinnie, one of the seamstresses recommended by the store (she is terrific if anyone is looking for a seamstress). Also, we ordered all of the bridesmaids dresses through Wedding Belles and saved my girls a little money on tax and we ordered to coincide with one of the designer’s discounts. Now, the store does not have a huge selection, BUT there is a variety and all the dress are high quality. I think having fewer dresses makes the whole process soo much easier and more pleasant. I hated every minute being in Pearl’s Place.
Rehearsal Dinner - Galatoire’s - A+. My MIL handled everything for the rehearsal dinner and I thought it was really wonderful. The only drawback is that you can only have about 60-70 people for a seated dinner upstairs, so we could not include everybody invited to the wedding. But food and service was great and it is a super fun atmosphere.
Hair & Makeup - Gwen Asaro/S.W.A.K - A+: Gwen did a fantastic job. I was a little worried after my hair and makeup trial, since I wasn’t sure that she got my vision for the hair. In the end we went in a different direction totally, and it was lovely. I thought I looked fabulous on the big day, and so did my bridesmaids and my mom. She stressed me out a little by being late, however. But no harm was done and she was helping out a friend who needed last minute help for another wedding.
Invitations - Ives Printing - A+ - We ordered our invitations through my husband’s family printing company. Obviously, I am biased and we got a family discount, but I really really loved the way my invites came out. I actually *borrowed* a design from a invitation company that I found online and we were able to replicate it. We also used Ives for our table numbers and menus.
Miscellaneous - Etsy - I used Etsy alot. I might have developed a little Etsy addiction. I used etsy for vintage stamps (Verde Studio), second line umbrellas (Liz Petro), gift card box, the brooch for my dress, calligraphy for my invitations (artfulcelebrations), personalized bridal clutch (Cadybriar). I would highly recommend all of these vendors!