Chic New Orleans Wedding Celebration with Traditional Second Line Parade
The atmosphere was inspired by the vibrant 'spring in Nola' Maximalist vibe. I aimed for it to be lively and exciting, much like the spirited ambiance of Brennan's Restaurant as a venue!
We were en route to our favorite hotel in Stowe, Vermont (Edson Hill) for a chilly ski weekend when we made a stop at Daniel's aunt and uncle's house in Schenectady, NY to visit his grandma, aunt, and uncle. Daniel's aunt mentioned that her favorite nail salon was just a few minutes away, so naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to get my nails done. That evening, after enjoying a fabulous dinner at Edson Hill, in 8-degree weather, Daniel proposed with a two-stone ring I had designed with Lindsey Leigh.
I purchased my dress at Spina Bride in Manhattan during a Lihi Hod "feature" at the store. I knew I wanted a classic dress, and I had always loved a square neck, but I was also drawn to the off-the-shoulder tulle look. Lihi made a custom tulle off-the-shoulder topper for me, which I wore for the ceremony along with a large clip-on bow. For the second line, I removed the topper and the bow. My veil was my "something borrowed" from Daniel's first cousins, Christine and Danielle, who both wore the same veil. I designed my second dress with Mika Inatome in Manhattan, which was such a fun experience! Mika custom-made the rosettes, and it fit like a glove!
Daniel donned a Zegna suit paired with a Tom Ford bowtie and Ferragamo patent loafers from Bergdorf's.
Working with Brennan's Restaurant was an absolute dream. No guest left unsatisfied or thirsty! Our menu featured classic New Orleans barbecue shrimp and filet as the main course, followed by bananas foster for dessert. During happy hours, guests were greeted with oysters upon arrival. As the evening drew to a close before heading to the after-party, Brennan's staff served espresso martinis to everyone.
Angle Events did an amazing job with the decor! I told Anna and Adrienne that I wanted a lot of block print patterns, colored wine glasses, patterned plates, and texture – anything but simple! Brennan's is such a unique, colorful place, and I knew we had to go all-out on the tablecloths, napkins, plates, candles, etc. The watercolor menus, designed by Angle, were such beautiful detail. We also had custom oyster shells with our guests' names on them for our place cards. Several of our guests still have them as keepsakes! Leaf & Petal Nola and Luminous Events did an incredible job with the flowers and candles. Daniel and I both love hydrangeas, so we had to incorporate those into the design. Something that was important to me was that I wanted to make sure people could actually speak at dinner, so we did smaller arrangements on the tables with lots of colored candles in hurricanes and large flower arrangements in chinoiserie vases in various gathering places throughout the restaurant. At the after party behind the band, there was a greenery wall with a "Galvez" sign and lanterns hanging from the top of the clear tent which made you feel as if you were outside.
I aimed to integrate the baby blue theme into the main cake, as it was a unifying color in our decor. Bittersweet Confections of Nola crafted a stunning Funfetti cake adorned with blue flowers sprinkled all over. They also designed the Groom's Cake, which a special surprise for Daniel. Bittersweet Cakes created an extraordinary chocolate cake themed after Jackson Hole ski runs, featuring a sign for Corbet's Couloir, the most infamous run at our favorite resort.
One of the most cherished moments of our wedding day was the second line and the journey to it! This was undoubtedly the highlight of our wedding day. Angle Events coordinated a police escort to transport our guests in buses from Uptown New Orleans (where St. Charles Presbyterian Church is situated) all the way to Canal Street. Daniel and I enjoyed a magical "just married" ride downtown in a vintage Rolls Royce where we met up with our guests. As our guests disembarked and began the second line to Brennan's with Kinfolk Brass Band, we closed down Canal Street. It was an incredibly joyful experience, and for that day, we felt like celebrities!
Sit-down dinner weddings aren't the norm in New Orleans, where receptions are typically more casual. However, knowing our east coast parents and their guests would appreciate the full dinner experience, we opted for it. Brennan's went above and beyond, allowing Angle Events to decorate early and seamlessly accommodating our 235 guests across all the restaurant's rooms. Each room at Brennan's boasts its own unique theme, so we took advantage of this by incorporating different dinner table decor themes to match.
