Southern Weddings

Brides with short(er) hair you either can’t or don’t want to sweep into a romantic up-do for your big day: consider this Louisiana wedding my gift to you.  An easy, low-maintenance hairstyle (like Courtney’s cute bob) is perfect for an outdoor wedding, and we think this Southern bride looks absolutely darling at the couple’s New Orleans soiree at the Audubon Nature Institute.  Courtney’s birdcage veil definitely dressed up her cute coif and was a sophisticated complement to her asymmetrical Melissa Sweet gown.  The attendants shined in pewter-colored frocks from Jenny Yoo (that matched the bride’s rosette-studded shoes!) and, like Courtney, we love the all-green florals designed by Ken Marino at Fabulous Flowers.  It may have been the talented bakers at Melissa’s Fine Pastries who treated guests to an all-chocolate wedding cake, but it the mother of the bride who surprised the newlyweds with a proper New Orleans second line band and festive umbrellas.  Special thanks to photographer Kim Ashford for sharing her lovely work with us! 

How did the two of you meet?  At a bar!  Not very exciting, but it was a chance meeting as it was Luke’s last weekend in town before heading back to school in NYC and I was still in college at LSU. We never thought we would meet anyone in our hometown, but it’s funny how things work out. I just so happened to be moving to NYC that summer, so we stayed in touch until we could meet again. The night we met I went home and told my roommate I had met “the one.” It does happen!
Describe the proposal. The good thing about living in NYC is that you can ring shop in the most amazing stores. Luke surprised me one day after work with a detour from our usual route home.  Instead, we had a nice dinner at the Lever House Restaurant where Luke had a fabulous bouquet from Takashimaya (where he worked) for the table.  (I definitely knew something was up.)  After a delicious dinner, we stopped at a bakery to pick up a few cupcakes before retuning home to our apartment.  Once home, Luke got down on one knee.  So sweet, and the ring was gorgeous – and designed by Luke himself!  We celebrated our engagement with the cupcakes we had just purchased.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The second line umbrellas that my mom made to look like a flamingo and peacock! Those were definitely the hit of the party!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: When I was living in NYC, one of my bridesmaids and I went to Kleinfeld’s to dress shop.  Surprisingly, the first dress I tried on was the one I bought in New Orleans with my mother several months later.  My mom knew it was the right dress the moment I tried it on.
Describe your wedding flowers:  Ikebana-style centerpieces with magenta and lime orchids and kiwi branches. The arrangements were very sculpted and minimal, and proved to be the perfect backdrop to the unique architecture of the tea room. My bouquet (which I loved) was a ball of cymbidium orchids with fresh lotus pods.
Describe your wedding cake: We wanted something other than the traditional white cake so opted for chocolate – which was perfect since I am a chocoholic. Our cake had three tiers with truffles decorating the sides. I bought wooden toppers that were hand painted to look like us from Etsy. So cute!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? We were blessed with perfect weather and the surprise second line band my mom had come in at the end.

Written with love by Lara Casey