Google+ New Orleans Christmas Wedding by Collin Richie - Southern Weddings

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Mercy, this wedding struck me today — I think I need to borrow Lisa’s monogrammed tissue box! Let me start by saying that BDK and I were supposed to spend this Christmas with our family in New Orleans, but due to my growing baby bump, we have been grounded. I was totally okay with that until I saw Katie and Will’s sweet celebration. New Orleans is one of those special Southern cities that is filled with the culture and fire that we love here in the South, and K + W’s day is a prime example of this brought to life. Katie said their wedding was a “perfect blend of faith and Southern culture” and I can see that jumping right off the screen as I scroll through their photos from Collin Richie!

From the sweet gifts inspired by their Parisian honeymoon that Will presented Katie throughout the day, to the pinecone boutonnières, to possibly my favorite part (Christmas carols incorporated into the ceremony!), this wedding has my heart!

Perfect just-enough-Southern-bump, Miss Katie!

Fun fact: my very own bridesmaids rocked classic black gowns when I got married!

Tell us about finding your wedding dress. Many of my dear friends were engaged or married before Will and I were, so I had already spent many hours flipping through wedding magazines and reading blogs and knew exactly which dress I wanted. I had my eye on a Priscilla of Boston dress that was very traditional and classic, but since the design house closed their doors a mere six days before I got engaged, I set out on a mission to find it somewhere. I finally found the Priscilla of Boston Vineyard Lindsay dress that I had been in love with in Charlotte, NC at the lovely Hayden Olivia Boutique.

Quite possibly my favorite boutonniere we’ve ever featured!

Did you decide to do a “first look”? Why or why not? Yes. Will and I both wanted a private moment to ourselves before the ceremony began to take in the moment, since the day had already flown by so quickly. The first look was one of the most special moments from the entire wedding weekend. We also wanted all of the wedding party and family pictures to be taken prior to the ceremony, so that after we said “I do,” we would all be able to eat, drink, dance, and celebrate immediately!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Our entire wedding weekend was a perfect blend of faith and Southern culture. Since most of our family came in from out of town, we wanted to give them a true New Orleans experience, from the location of our ceremony and reception, down to the Southern food and music. Our ceremony was held at a beautiful Baptist church on the historic St. Charles Avenue and our reception at the Roosevelt Hotel. Our reception menu consisted of alligator fritters, fried green tomatoes and remoulade sauce, smoked duck ravioli, oysters wrapped in smoked bacon, crawfish strudel, jambalaya, Louisiana crab cakes, shrimp bisque, short rib panini, and many more fun items! We also all danced the night away (and second-lined!) to a nine-piece New Orleans jazz and blues band.

Describe your wedding flowers. All of our flowers and arrangements throughout the wedding and reception were winter-inspired, with elements of pine, pinecones, and branches paired with cream florals. My bouquet was made of long-stemmed peonies, while the bridesmaid bouquets were hydrangea and pine. I absolutely loved Will and his groomsmen’s boutonnieres, solely made of pinecones and pine.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: There is nothing like New Orleans at Christmas. This time of year in the city has a magical, whimsical atmosphere, and having the reception in the historic Roosevelt Hotel when it was beautifully decorated for Christmas was incredible. Lights, ornaments, and Christmas trees lined the lobby and moved into the historic Blue Room, where the reception was held. The Blue Room was also decorated with hundreds of burning taper candles and crystal candelabras that gave it an old world, Southern, New Orleans feel.

How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. After my sophomore year at Vanderbilt University, I decided to transfer back to my home state of Louisiana and attend LSU. As a college athlete at LSU, I inevitably missed classes fairly often. Will was in a chemistry course I was taking, and the handsome, shy freshman was the natural choice for a tutor. We’ve been together ever since.
Tell us all about the proposal! After a particularly busy, hard day at work, Will asked if I wanted to go take a walk in New Orleans City Park with our dog, Ollie. As I was taking in the beautiful day, lying in the grass on the grand lawn, Ollie raced over to me. On his collar, I found a diamond ring! Immediately after the proposal, Will and I went to dinner at one of our favorite New Orleans restaurants, Cochon, where I found our family waiting to celebrate with us. It couldn’t have been more perfect!
When did y’all get married? December 21, 2012
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 150
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. Since our wedding was a few days before Christmas, Will and I loved the idea of including traditional Christmas songs into the ceremony, and we were lucky to have a talented vocalist, Trish Genco, sing them for us. The prelude songs while guests were arriving were “Christmas Lullaby,” “Breath of Heaven,” “The Gift of Love,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and “Panis Angelicus.” I walked down the aisle to “Trumpet Voluntary.” “O Holy Night” was one of my favorite songs that we chose for the ceremony. Lastly, the guests were serenaded to “Joy to the World” after Will and I exited to “La Rejouissance.” Since Will and I wanted a traditional, New Orleans-style wedding, we chose a nine-piece New Orleans jazz and blues band for our reception. Our first dance was to Ray LaMontage’s “You are the Best Thing”.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our fabulous pastry chef from the Roosevelt designed a five-tiered round cake with gold detailing. They used the custom monogram that Scriptura designed for our wedding invitations on the top tier of the cake. It was a traditional almond cake with praline filing. To continue to play on our winter/Christmas-inspired wedding, she also created a gingerbread man for the groom’s cake (of course, wearing an LSU football jersey for Will!). The last sweet treat was served at the end of the night: caramel popcorn!
Did you have something borrowed, blue, old, and new? If so, do tell! Throughout the day of the wedding, while my bridesmaids and I were getting ready, Will had three different gifts delivered to my room. The first gift was something old. Will and I were headed to Paris for our honeymoon, and visiting the love lock Pont des Arts bridge was on the top of my must-visit list. Will gave me an antique lock and key from the 1800s that he found in the French Quarter. The lock and key had traveled all over the world in its previous life, with its final destination being New Orleans. Our love is now locked on the Pont des Arts bridge and the key is sitting at the bottom of the Seine River. The second gift delivered was something new: a beautiful red Chanel lipstick. The third gift was something borrowed: a beautiful mink coat that once belonged to Will’s mother’s great aunt. My sister gave me my something blue on the day of the wedding as well. She had a small piece of her wedding dress embroidered with a note to me in blue, and since my wedding dress had pockets, I had it with me the entire night!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The guest list! Of course, we wanted everyone that had been a part of our lives to be there, but we ultimately decided to have a small, more intimate affair.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $50,000-$75,000
What is the one detail or vendor that you were so happy to have as a part of your wedding? Our photographer, Collin! He captured our big day so beautifully, and we will always be able to remember the details of this special day because of him and his work.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The moment I walked down the aisle and saw Will’s face and the tears in his eyes.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Remember to slow down and enjoy every moment.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? Will and I moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana from New Orleans just before he graduated medical school for him begin his residency program. We miss New Orleans dearly, but we are getting settled into our new home and are busy taking the next steps in both of our careers. Will and I were both raised in homes full of tradition, and we are looking forward to building traditions of our own for our (hopefully, very big!) family. We also both want to have a life full of experiences, and traveling the world is something that we look forward to.

marissa Written with love by Marissa
8 Comments
  1. avatar Lisa reply

    I love this wedding so much!! The pine incorporated into the centerpieces is gorgeous, her style is so Southern and fabulous, and I can’t get over the something old/new/borrowed/blue story!

  2. avatar Kat reply

    I just LOVE this classic affair!!

  3. avatar Southern Weddings Weekly Round-Up – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] All of our 12 Days of Christmas giveaways are officially underway, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the lineup! You have until Christmas to enter, and winners will be selected after the holidays. Day 1: Dixieland Monogram Day 2: Z Create Design Day 3: Oatmeal Lace Day 4: One Love Organics Day 5: Ashley Brooke Designs Day 6: Furbish Studio Day 7: Laurel Creek Wreaths Day 8: Plum Pretty Sugar Day 9: BHLDN Day 10: Davie & Chiyo Day 11: Lilly Pulitzer Day 12: Chaviano Couture Hooray for real weddings! Katie and Will’s gorgeous New Orleans Christmas wedding sent Marissa and I into a flurry of email exchanges about how much we adore every detail. Don’t miss the precious story of Katie’s something old, new, borrowed, and blue! See it here. […]

  4. avatar Emily reply

    I absolutely adore the last photo of their first dance! So classic!

  5. avatar Mark Eric reply

    Great work Collin, as always.

  6. avatar Katie & Will [New Orleans] » Collin Richie Photography reply

    […] we heard that SouthernWeddings blogger Marissa featured our work on Katie & Will’s wedding from Christmas 2012, we just […]

  7. avatar Happy New Year's Eve! | One to Wed reply

    […] Little Big Co., Buzzfeed, Style Me Pretty via Charlie-Juliet, Pinterest, Southern Weddings via Collin Richie […]

  8. avatar Frozen » Christina Leigh Events reply

    […] Street :: Coco + Kelly :: Eliza J via Coco + Kelly :: Once Wed :: Southern Weddings :: Jessica […]

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