Classic Black & White New Orleans Wedding

Second lines are part of the New Orleans wedding tradition ééò it celebrates the newlyweds as they embark on a new life together. And it’s a tradition that I think is so fun ééò much like in Europe how the wedding party does a village walk after the ceremony. The main line leading the parade for a wedding is made up of the married couple, the brass band and usually a grand marshal. The second line is the wedding party and any passersby who want to join the celebration. So naturally when St. John & Kelly decided on New Orleans to tie the knot in, including this tradition was a no brainer, and they had planner SAPPHIRE EVENTS to help them pull it all together. AUSTIN GROS captured these beautiful images of the day.

Valerie from Sapphire Events tell us, ééòSt. John went to Tulane and fell in love with New Orleans. After introducing Kelly to the city, they both knew this was the place for them to tie the knot! Kelly, being a very detailed and organized person, made sure everything from the floral decor to the welcome bags was cohesive and perfectly designed to represent them as a couple. They said their I Do’s in the gorgeous courtyard at the Pharmacy Museum and then took their guests on a traditional New Orleans Second Line to another quintessential New Orleans courtyard at the Montegut House. Here, she completed the look with lounge seating from Mrs. Vintage under chandelier and candle light from Luminous Events, which hung from the gorgeous Magnolia Tree. Upstairs, she tied in the southern magnolia theme by having magnolia leaf garlands on the banister overlooking the courtyard and on each fireplace inside the house. The whole night was filled with an old time southern charm.ééò

WHAT INSPIRED THE LOOK OF YOUR WEDDING? I instantly fell in love with the Magnolia tree at the center of the Maison Montegut courtyard and wanted to carry that romantically classic southern feel throughout, while also staying true to my very black + white New York aesthetic.

I studied Architecture and am a designer by trade – Creative Directing experiential retail concepts for fashion designers and big brands. I’ve been at the same firm in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan for almost a decade, so I’m definitely not afraid of commitment. My days are spent telling stories that make consumers fall in love, so when it came to planning our wedding, I knew I had to find a way to tell our story.

My Husband is Scottish and English (by way of New Jersey), and I’m from the Mid-West so family had to travel from all over the globe to be with us. We chose the French Quarter of New Orleans because it held a special place in our hearts – we both love to travel, spent our first-year anniversary exploring the city together, and he had spent his 4 years at Tulane working as an EMT and was a volunteer during Hurricane Katrina. His Scottish roots were channeled at our rehearsal dinner, where a bagpiper greeted guests – many of which were wearing tartan!

Never a girl to imagine her wedding day, all I knew for certain was that I wanted to be married outside. We chose both the Masion Montegut and the Pharmacy Museum for their historic significance and romantic charm. In lieu of a traditional sermon at our wedding ceremony, we asked family and friends we consider to be ‘relationship role-models’ to speak at our ceremony, gifting us with some of the wisdom (and humor!) 30+ years of marriage brings you.

TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU MET: We were set up by a mutual friend – a girl I had met through the art world who had attended University with my husband in New Orleans. We met on a typical cold March night at a fancy mixology bar in TriBeCa he had carefully selected. I arrived first ééò which is rare because I’m dependably 10 minutes late for everything. His attempts to impress me with a complicated libations order were met with disappointment – I drink bourbon…neat. We had our first laugh and with that, what was meant to be a casual first (blind) date over drinks turned into friendship, dinner (and eventually) the rest of our lives.