Louisiana-New Orleans

Venues! Advice, Suggestions, Reviews Appreciated!

I think I have narrowed down the venues I'm interested in down to 5:

1. Broussard's
2. Il Mercato (very new, so I doubt there are any reviews)
3. Riverview Room
4. The Cannery &
5. Audubon (either Tea Room or Clubhouse).

I have read and read reviews on the above, but if anyone has ANY information that they think would be helpful, please let me know!

We are planning a Fall 2015 wedding (moved up from April 2016) and obviously need to book ASAP.

Broussard's is my #1 choice, but I guess I'm just looking for a little more insider info on all the venues before I commit.

Thanks ladies, you all have been super helpful thus far!

Re: Venues! Advice, Suggestions, Reviews Appreciated!

  • Even though I've planned my wedding 3x in NOLA I don't have any info on the places you are considering.  But if you are still looking here are the places that I looked at and would recommend.  Ours is a spring (JazzFest) courtyard wedding.

    Hotel Mazarin-  They have an absolutely gorgeous courtyard and a great restaurant space at La Louisiane.  Their food options are really good as well.  It's very affordable ($85/pp) because the price includes the bar and cake.  I was very close to using them but it just wasn't in the budget.

    Chateau LeMoyne-  This is where we are actually holding our wedding. Incredible menu options, and really great value.  Their catering is by the former Bombay Club which was a highly regarded NOLA restaurant.  What I have found with LeMoyne that really pushed the decision over the edge is that they are so EXCITED to host our wedding.   Emily and Margaret are absolutely amazing!  I did hear that they are closing down their courtyard for renovations next fall though, so not sure if this is helpful.

    Rosy's-  This place is incredible if you are going for a music vibe for your wedding (which we are).  They have an incredible atrium that is attached to their bar/event space.  The food options and reviews were great.  But there is no room for DIY here in that you have to have a licensed florist do all the decorating, they don't have a PA, their guest minimum is 75 and they charge at a premium for extra time past 3 hrs.  But it is a great spot.

    I know that someone else on this board is holding their wedding at the Paris Room which I wish I knew about sooner.  In my searches I also came across Tomas Bistro which looks incredible (just too big for us), Board of Trade, Pharmacy Museum, Marigny Opera House, and Maison.
  • I've been to a wedding at Broussard's and it was totally lovely! Beware though: Almost exclusively outdoor space, so if you pick a rainy month you may need to spring for a tent. 

    I went to a wedding at the Riverview Room and thought it was extremely blah. Like it was a hotel ballroom anywhere. The balcony faces the Westbank which is a big view of nothing at all at night. 

    The wedding I attended at the Tea Room was very nice too... good food and beautiful ballroom. All indoors so would be good for a hot/rainy date. 
  • I don't know much about the other venues, but we seriously considered Broussard's for a while, and even went there on a Saturday night when there was a wedding to see what the vibe was.  For what it's worth, all the brides who have reviewed their weddings there seem to be VERY happy.  Other pros for us:

    1) When we were eating dinner I ended up speaking to a guest at the wedding, and I asked her how the food was, and the first words out of her mouth were "unbelievably good".  She said the food was incredible.

    2) It barely needs any extra decorations - you could get away with just using the candles they have, and being fine - that's definitely an expense savings.

    3) Caroline seems incredibly well-organized - I felt like I'd have no trouble leaving her to handle everything and trusting that it would run very smoothly.

    Ultimately, the deciding factors for us were the event minimums - we didn't want to be stuck paying such a high fee if we got less RSVPs than anticipated, and also the lack of indoor space - we couldn't possibly fit all the guests we'd need to fill the minimum in the indoor space that we'd get in the case of inclement weather.  I know you can get a tent, heaters, air-conditioners, etc ... but on top of a high event minimum, that seemed like a lot.  I think if Broussards had included those extras, or if we'd known we could guarantee 100+ guests, we might have gone with it in a heartbeat.  
    Given your list, have you considered the jaxson?  It's a new venue that's opening up in April - you may be able to get it at a lower rate, since they haven't had many weddings there yet - the downside is that you have to visit it in person and 'visualize' what it might be like... there are no photos anywhere, just some architect's renderings... 
  • Like you said, Il Mercato is so new, I doubt there are any reviews yet.  But it does look lovely! 

    As @littledarlinnikki said, I am having my wedding at the Paris Room on Halloween.  Great prices, everything included except for music, cake, photographer, and flowers (if you're having any).  It maxes out at 120 guests, but I like the appeal of that.  I'm actually hoping for less!  55/person for my wedding and Jessyca has been great!  Even let me pop by one night as she was getting ready for another wedding, so I could see it all set up.  Then let me pop by another night when my parents came to town.  There is also free use of the upstairs apartment from 10:00 am until midnight if you have your ceremony there.  Its a perfect little bridal suite! 

    The River Room seemed lovely, but as stated above, the balcony isn't ideal.  And the minimums were pretty high.  I also looked into Pat O'Briens, which is decently priced, but higher minimums on Friday and Sat (as most places). 

    And as the poster above said, the Jaxson is brand spanking new and will open in April.  I had been hoping for more competitive prices due to it being so new, but, for my budget at least, it wasn't up to par with some other places.  I went on a hard hat tour and got to meet the owner, who seems nice.  However, for the rental fee alone is between 4000-6000 dollars, and that is not including food/beverage.  What it does include is tables, chairs, linens, lounge furniture, china, silverware, glassware, and in-house sound system.  Although there is no minimum amount of guests, which is a plus.  The menu packages start at 50/person.  Bar packages start at 18/person for house brand.  I guess I had just found other places with similar pricing that included more (like Pat O's including a cake allotment and centerpieces), so for all that PLUS rental fee, it didn't seem worth it.  Although, they will let you hold your ceremony outside on the walk area and would accommodate my pup, who is the ring bearer.  LOVED THAT!

    Good luck!  I hope you find what you're looking for!  One thing I learned, never dismiss a place without looking into it!  I received a card in the mail from the Paris Room months ago and never looked into it.  I guess it just didn't catch my eye at first.  Now, it's the venue for my wedding!
  • We are having our wedding at Broussards. We are doing a brunch wedding so the minimum is not as high. Caroline has been great and the space is beautiful! I am really excited for our day! I can definitely give you more information later
  • Not totally helpful, but we happened to drive by II Mercato last Saturday night while a wedding was going on, and I was completely swooning. It looked gorgeous!!
  • If budget is not a problem for you  go tea room.  My finance was actually upset we couldn't afford it because it's SO beautiful!  How many grooms are actually upset about something?!
  • nolanoelenolanoele member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment First Anniversary
    edited December 2014
    Thank you all for the input!

    We are 99% set on Broussard's.  The courtyard is so beautiful and we really want an outdoor area.  Plus, it is so pretty that we won't need to do much in the way of decorating. 

    We both did really like Il Mercato, but the rental is $5000, plus a Saturday minimum of $15,000 and only seating for 30% of your guest list.  At 100-150 people, it seems a bit high for our budget. The space is beautiful but the inside area would need some extra decor/centerpieces. Another huge plus is that they offer free valet, which is a necessity for that area. 

    Ultimately, when we visited Broussard's we both fell in love with it, so much so that we changed our original date to an evening Broussard's had available. 
  • FWIW, I have heard Broussard's is a great venue and we are hoping to have our rehearsal dinner there.  I've also heard the food is very good and it's got a really fun bar.  Sounds like you've made a perfect choice!

    I echo all the Tea Room comments.  Gorgeous, dudes like it too, pricey.  I also found that they don't have an adequate rain plan if you choose to get married in the garden (a beautiful spot).  You will need to spring for a tent.  Also it tends to be booked years in advance for Saturdays.  
  • My name is Jazmyn and I am looking to transfer over my wedding deposits with Eiffel Society (wedding reception), the Chateau LeMonye (courtyard ceremony), and Firefly Ambiance (decor). This is a value of almost $4,000 which I am willing to transfer over at a discounted rate (best offer). My wedding date is scheduled for 09/18/15, but I am sure these vendors are willing to work with date changes. I hand selected each as I happily planned my dream destination wedding. However due to my mom's lung disease she is unable to travel to New Orleans and I just can't imagine getting married and her not being there. If you are interested please email me at teamporter2015@gmail.com.

    Congrats to all of you and happy planning!

    Jazmyn
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