LP and DB: Wedding Day!

At 11am on Lizzie and Doug’s wedding day, all eight bridesmaids and both mothers gathered in the bridal suite at the JW Marriott in downtown New Orleans. All dresses were steamed and ready to go (thanks to Ashley working hard the night before), a fabulous spread was laid out on the dining room table by Janessa, and the bride appeared well-rested and relaxed.

 

 

The photography, videography, and beauty crews started arriving around 11:30. The suite then became a flurry of non-stop activity for the next four hours, with everyone getting prettied up and flashes continuously going off, ensuring the day was properly documented. Lizzie wouldn’t have had it any other way!

Before we knew it, the time to depart for official pictures was upon us. Lizzie looked absolutely radiant in her wedding dress, and Doug had no idea what was about to hit him. The bride and groom did a first-look shoot in Jackson Square, and then they were joined by their families and finally by the rest of the wedding party. Pictures went really well, even though it was hot outside that day. I can’t wait to see everything that Collin captured!

We arrived at the church about a half hour before the ceremony was scheduled to start, plenty of time for beauty touch-ups and necessary trips to the restroom. (It was a full Catholic mass, after all.) A quick trip down the aisle, an hour-long, beautiful wedding ceremony, and Lizzie and Doug were officially declared husband and wife!

Next came one of my favorite parts of the day: second lining from the church to the reception at the hotel, including stopping traffic to walk down the middle of Canal Street. I’m sure we are now part of many strangers’ vacation photos and videos, especially considering how many tourists were lined up with their phones and cameras out. Such a cool idea, LP and DB!

 

I also can’t even begin to express just how many personal and festive touches Lizzie sprinkled throughout the reception area. She truly did a fabulous job in keeping with the Cinco de Mayo theme, although her ideas were very subtle and elegant. From the framed photos of the happy couple to the delicate paper flags and lanterns strung across the lobby to the all green and white candy bar to the flip flops provided as “dancing shoes” to the photobooth to the ten (TEN!) total wedding and groom’s cakes, this was such a unique celebration.

 

But then there was something else, something that impressed the heck out of me. Lizzie and Doug hired local artist Alex Harvie to paint a scene from their wedding reception, as it was going on. Alex was set up at the back of the ballroom and painted from the start of the party until the very end. And now Lizzie and Doug will have a truly one-of-a-kind work of art to remember their night forever. SO. COOL.

 

 

Full reception recap coming up tomorrow, including the bridesmaids’ awesome flash mob tribute to the bride and the guys’ attempt to be as cool as us.

(Spoiler alert: they totally failed, even with the luchador masks on.)