Lauren at Lovegood, here today to bring you this adorable New Orleans wedding for Emily and Joel! We loved being a part of this wedding for this amazing couple that are so in love.
Lovegood Collection : Penelope Table and Wooden Backdrop Arbor
Lovegood Lounge - Francesca Settee, Ashli Rose, Diana Twins, Off White Coffee Table with Mirror Top, Gold Side Tables, Patti Rug, and Assorted Pillows
What were your highlights of the day? Were there any surprises? Highlights of the day for me were a few things: 1. The ceremony: My brother officiated our wedding which was so special and important to me. Joel and I chose to write our own vows, which I was hesitant on because it is was so personal, but I am very glad we ended up doing them. Our different personalities came through our vows and Joel had a majority of our guests tearing up with his Shakespeare like words. We also had a harpist who did an amazing job and played our favorite songs on the harp! 2. Having one day where all your friends, family, and co-workers – really everyone that is important or has had an impact on your life – travels and gets together in one venue to celebrate you and your fiancé was spectacular. 3. Including loved ones in some aspect of our wedding festivities that could not be there – We used my grandfather’s Military sword to cut our cake and used my dad’s 1920s Ford Model A that he restored as the backdrop for our engagement photos that were scattered throughout our wedding ceremony and reception the day of our wedding. 4. The Reception: From having our friend dress up in a blow-up T-Rex outfit, to passing out various fun hats (firemen, astronaut helmets, pirate hats, unicorn headbands, etc.) and beads for the guests to wear, to the amazing New Orleans second-line band to conclude the night – our reception was lively and everything we wanted and more! We love New Orleans so much and we wanted out guests to truly feel the New Orleans culture. 5. And last but not least – getting to marry my fiancé!
How did you meet and how long have you been together? We met on a high school summer trip to Greece when we were 17 & 18. The of us both went to the same school, but did not know each other until this trip and where we learned we had mutual friends (and last names!). Sporadically we kept in touch during my Senior year of highschool, while Joel was away at LSU, but after a semester our friends thankfully brought us back together and we have been together ever since! We dated for a total of seven years before getting engaged and married at 8 years.
Ceremony Location | What made you decide to get married there? Originally we had The Tree of Life in Audubon Park picked out as our main Ceremony space because I always dreamed of getting married outside with a beautiful backdrop, and nothing is more beautiful in Louisiana to me than ancient Oak trees. In the event that Mother Nature had other plans, we picked The Chicory to have our ceremony since the interior space fit our style (exposed brick, gas lamps, etc.) and it would be in the same building as our reception. Ultimately, mother nature did have different plans the day of our wedding so we ended up moving our Ceremony to The Chicory. Our Wedding Coordinator (Mise En Place Events), The Chicory staff, Florist (Duia & Jean), Lighting Team (Firefly Ambiance) and Love Good rentals did such an amazing job quickly turning around our ‘Plan B Option’, and I absolutely fell in love with it! It fully exceed my vision!
Reception Location | What made you decide to get married there? The Chicory – We both fell in love with this space due to the exposed brick, gas lamps, balcony, and multi rooms for our quests. We loved the amount of character this venue had and it felt very New Orleans to us which we love (can’t beat a balcony on Fulton). We did not have to do much sprucing up to make it fit our style. Also, we enjoyed how so many various aspects of a great reception were already packaged together for couples planning a wedding (so MANY food choices, late night food surprises, onsite coordinator, linens, tables, plenty of space for different guest types) which was convenient! The Chicory team was very fun and informative from the beginning so it made our decision very easy. We would have our reception here 10 times again!
Lovegood Lounge - Francesca Settee, Ashli Rose, Diana Twins, Off White Coffee Table with Mirror Top, Gold Side Tables, Patti Rug, and Assorted Pillows
What advice would you give to other couples planning their day? [Can I say take bada*% pictures, get eloped and save all the money for a sweet vacay? JK] 1. Enjoy the process and do not get caught up in the small details! The planning process goes by so quickly and everything will work out! I had a tendency to get overwhelmed in the small details or the amount of outstanding items, so I set aside certain wedding to do’s for myself to accomplish each day or week. 2. Talk with some of your vendors on other vendor referrals, it helps a lot and is great to have a team of people that work well together 3. Get your Fiancé (and even family) involved in the planning process – even if it is in the small details or tasks. Dividing and conquering was the best and something we could work on together 4. Get yourself a wedding planner or even a day of coordinator if you can fit it into your budget. I knew that planning a wedding from a different state with a job that required me to travel a lot was going to make the wedding planning process a bit trickier for me. It was so nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of, help me prioritize important to do’s, and to be my P.I.C. during such a huge day. Christie, my wedding coordinator, worked miracles the day of my wedding and I was so fortunate to have her – she really gave me peace of mind!
Vendor Love:
Event Planner – Mise En Place Events – Christie Chopin Videography – Wildfire Cinema Florist – Duia & Jean Wedding Cake – Frosted Fantasies by Nikki Wedding Dress Designer – Watters Bridesmaids’ Dresses – Watters Getting Ready Attire – The girls got PJ’s from Target and my Romper Bride’s Hair Dresser – Chelsea Navarre Makeup Artist – Melissa Vaccaro Groom & Groomsmen Apparel – Tuxedos To Geaux Reception Music – Aaron Lane (DJ), Ceremony Harpist (Ashley Toman), Second Line (Kinfolk Brass Band) Event Rentals – Lovegood Rentals Other decor elements if you had them – Firefly Ambiance (Lighting) Wedding favors – Roman Candy, His & Her Spice Blends (Red Stick Spice), Zapps Chips Invitations / Stationary – Minted Signage – Simply Handlettered (Sara Rogers) Programs / Bridesmaid Favors – Designed by Dandelion