Why did you choose to get married where you did?
We visited New Orleans for the first time in 2021, and instantly fell in love with the city. We love the rich blend of cultures, the delicious food, and the historical architecture. It truly feels like stepping into a different world when you’re there. We knew that our friends and family would fall in love with the city like we did. We had our eye on our venue Race and Religious as an option for a few years before getting engaged. We couldn’t have dreamt up a more perfect space for our day. (I am also a huge fan of the Disney movie Princess and the Frog, which takes place in New Orleans!}
How many guests did you have?
We kept it on the more intimate side with close family and friends, our final count was about 95 people.
Tell us about your outfits.
We focused on keeping our outfits classic and timeless to compliment the character of the venue.
I found my Kyha Studios dress when scrolling on Pinterest long before I was even engaged. As soon as I saw it I knew that there was something really special about it. I loved the corset shape of the top paired with the a-line shape of the bottom. I’m a huge Bridgerton fan and it reminded me of the dresses on the show. I wanted the dress to be super romantic and classic, but with a bit of a modern twist. It was the first dress that I tried on, and I only tried a couple on after that. I knew in my heart that it was the one as soon as I saw it in person.
For the tux we wanted to keep it super classic to match the dress, so we went with the classic black tux and bow tie from Mens Wearhouse for Malik and his groomsmen.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
I wanted to make sure to include all of the details that would make it feel like us, and give our guests an authentic New Orleans experience. I went into it with the mindset that Malik and I were essentially planning a big party with our friends and family.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
I am quite creative and love details and design, so incorporating creative and unique touches was really important to me. Some examples of these details were the cigar and bourbon room, the late night oysters and beignets (true and authentic to New Orleans), the Southern dishes on our menu, and the Kinfolk brass jazz band. Our venue itself was extremely historic with tons of character as well, which made it easy to create the authentic southern feel we were going for.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Do not stress over the wedding details, everything will come together. People aren’t lying when they say it is the best day of your life.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
All of our vendors went above and beyond to make the day wonderful.
We chose to hire a photographer and planner from my hometown in Michigan. Our photographer, Mary Shelton, is one of my closest friends. We spent months before the wedding creating Pinterest boards, shot-lists, and sending inspo back and forth. She went above and beyond as a photographer and best friend.
My planner, Kirsten from The Opal Affair, took on my destination wedding 4 months before the wedding date. She successfully coordinated thirteen vendors from over 1,000 miles away, and I am blown away!
Photographer : Mary Shelton @marysheltonphoto | Ceremony + Reception Location : Race and Religious @raceandreligious | Celebrant : Nick Shelton @n.shelton11 | Entertainment : Kinfolk Brass Band + DJ Mikey Offline @kinfolkbrassband2022 @djmikeyoffline | Planner : The Opal Affair @theopalaffair | Rentals : Distressed Rentals @distressedrentals | Flora : Violeta’s @shopvioletas | Makeup : Zoe Skelton Beauty @zoeskeltonbeauty | Hair : Hailey St. Pierre, Antigravity Salon
@haileystpierre_hair @antigravitysalon | Catering + Beverages : Palate @palateneworleans | Cake : Bittersweet Confections @bittersweetnola | Stationery : Abbie Marie Studios @abbiemariestudios | Wedding Dress : Kyha Studios 'Halston' @kyhastudios | Second Dress : Shona Joy @shonajoy | Suit : Mens Wearhouse @menswearhouse | Wedding Rings : Mejuri @mejuri | Shoes : Badgley Mischka @badgleymischka | Wedding Party Attire : Show Me Your Mumu @showmeyourmumu + Mens Wearhouse @menswearhouse
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