Belle Soiree' Events, New Orleans Wedding and Event Planner: Lauren + David | Real New Orleans Wedding, Belle Soiree Events

Well hello! Happy New Year (again!) It's a very chilly day here in New Orleans and we are actually expecting a few inches of snow. This is a rare occasion here in the big easy, so we are all "hunkered down" as if a major hurricane is on its way. With some down time and this beautiful wedding FINALLY live on style me pretty, I couldn't wait any longer to share one of my favorites from 2013. Lauren originally hired us on for just "month of" wedding planning. In the middle of the planning she contacted us for an upgrade to help design and execute her vision- and we are oh so glad she did! This wedding was truly spectacular. I somehow accidently ended up in the room during the private ceremony for the Ketubah signing and I am so glad I did. I have never witnessed something more intimate and special than this. Take a moment to read a few words from the bride herself..then enjoy the breathtaking pictures from Maile Lani.

"David and I were married in the amazing city of New Orleans, where we have been living for the last few years. He is British, and my family is French/Jewish, so needless to say this was not your traditional Southern Wedding!

We wanted to bring in our European roots for a romantic courtyard affair, while realizing that most of our guests had never been to New Orleans. There were too many amazing New Orleans traditions to ignore, so we picked our favorites and voila!

We were married in the stunning courtyard of the Maison Montegut, a historic house in the French Quarter. My now husband built the wedding canopy (chuppah) with New Orleans architecture in mind. We wanted a soft Parisian garden feel with lots of ivy and cream colors that our florist captured incredibly well. We loved the asymmetric flower arrangement on the canopy, and the intimacy of the smaller courtyard space. The entry to the courtyard was an original carriageway and was the aisle I walked down. We designed and printed the wedding programs ourselves, bundling them with pieces of lavender and white handkerchiefs.

Just before the wedding, we signed our wedding contract, which was a really small and special ceremony with only our parents and the officiant. We had our Ketubah (jewish wedding contact) custom-made with a papercut lacey design, backed with gold foil. Following this small gathering, everyone took a shot of Bourbon which was exactly what we needed to start the night!

Following the traditional wedding ceremony, we took to the streets in a New Orleans Second Line. We danced and waved our handkerchiefs in the narrow tourist-filled streets of the French Quarter with the brass band, Dr. Jazz, leading the way. David and I stayed at the front and danced with our umbrellas while our guests had Mardi Gras beads on their necks and camera phones in hand. This was by far the highlight of the wedding!

We arrived at Galvez Restaurant and spent the next hour cooling off with amazing cocktails on the balcony overlooking the Mississippi River and the French Quarter. David and I then had our first dance followed by the Jewish tradition of the hora! Looking at everyone smiling and dancing from a lifted chair was amazing.

For the reception, we really wanted it to feel like a large dinner party. The food was served family style with large serving plates floating above the tablescape. And to give our guests an authentic N’awlins feel, plenty of seafood, wine and cocktails were served. It was important to us to have a real restaurant for our wedding with a full bar, and not the type set-up just for events. Turns out our guests agreed, and the expansive restaurant bar was the most popular spot! The Chef at Galvez Restaurant is incredible and people raved about the Steak au Poivre and New Orleans Blackened Fish.

My favorite aspect of the reception was the tablescape that Nola Flora and Merideth from Belle Soiree put together: Revere bowls and julep cups overflowed with baby’s breath, white hydrangea, white ranunculus, and ivory majolika spray roses. The tall candlesticks looked fantastic against the ceiling-height windows overlooking the river. Another fun touch to our reception was the table runners. My grandmother made these from a toile de jouy fabric we picked out together in Paris! This is something I will never forget–being at the foot of Sacre Coeur in Paris shopping for my wedding with my French grandmother.

My husband made two wooden boxes out of reclaimed wood for the escort cards (sitting on a bed of baby’s breath), as well as the wooden table number holders. He also designed and printed personalized dinner menus for each of our guests at their assigned seat.

For dessert, we had three delicious cakes. The first was the bridal cake, the second was a birthday cake for my sister and the last was a traditional southern Groom’s Cake. My husband builds houses, so I requested a cake in the form of his favorite nail gun, and it turned out wonderfully! Our wedding planner even asked someone to move the tool from the cake area before our reception!

Overall, we loved the blend of traditions and our visitors from England, France, and Spain were thrilled to be able to experience New Orleans with us. It will always be a city we hold close to our hearts."