Sophie & Ben | The Chicory, New Orleans, LA

A client asked me the other day what I thought made a good wedding.  I think a great band makes a great party, but I really think the couple being as happy as Sophie & Ben were all day long makes a great wedding!  I'm so grateful Sophie chose me to help with her wedding, because I gained a great friend. Ben is a lucky guy! Scroll down to see all the beautiful photos by Anna Laine Photography and to read my Q & A with the bride! 

Q. How did you two meet? 

A. A mutual friend invited me to Ben's housewarming party; we hit it off right away! 

Q. Tell us about the engagement: 

A. He proposed to me with his grandmother's diamond, in the same spot in New Orleans that his grandfather proposed to his grandmother. 

Q. What was your favorite part of the planning process? 

A. Meeting with my florist and coming up with the overall design of the wedding and decorations with her and Josie. It all felt so real at that point. 

Q. Favorite moment of the wedding day? 

A. The dancing! We had an incredible band, and the dance floor was so alive. I loved dancing with my friends and family and  celebrating the joy! 

Q. Any advice to other brides? 

A. Just remember to relax -- the little details can seem stressful at times, but it is all for the fun in the end! And that's the best part of having a wedding planner; the whole process becomes much less stressful!

Our amazing team of vendors: 

Planning, Styling, and Design | Satchel Planning & Design 

Photography | Anna Laine Photography 

Bridal Prep | Loews Hotel New Orleans 

First Look Photos | New Orleans City Park 

Ceremony & Reception Venue | The Chicory 

Florals & Decor | Leaf + Petal Nola 

Cakes | Sugar Melts Nola

Transportation | American Luxury Limo 

Ceremony, Reception, & Second Line Band | The Essentials 

Annik & Jose | Traditional New Orleans Wedding at the Windsor Court Hotel

Annik and I hit it off right away. I think our first meeting at La Madeleine lasted three hours, and our other meetings just as long, with either coffee or wine.  We talked about the wedding, of course, but also tons of other topics we ended up having in common! 

I loved everything about Annik’s style, from her classic color scheme, to the attention to details, and what I would consider a super traditional yet simple wedding.  Annik chose the classic Windsor Court Hotel for her bridal prep and reception, and a formal Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Mary’s Assumption uptown.  There was no bridal party, so the focus was solely on her and her groom, Jose.  Instead of a bouquet, she carried a rosary.  All of this was captured beautifully by Hannah Mulligan Photography. 

One of my favorite details was her gorgeous gown, which was actually worn by her mother, and her classic veil.  The morning started out rainy, and by the time the afternoon ceremony was over, the rain cleared and the winds picked up, perfect conditions for her bridal veil blowing in the wind as they got into the vintage Rolls Royce to head to the reception. 

This wedding made me a fan of afternoon receptions.  It was small and intimate, with music by Robin Barnes, and everyone had a great time visiting, eating, and dancing.  The afternoon sun looked beautiful streaming into the rooms at the Windsor Court.  Annik and Jose cut into an adorable tiny cake by Sucre, and guests were served tiny miniature cakes.  Like everything about this wedding, nothing was overdone, but classic and just right. Best wishes for the newlyweds and their new life together! 

Vendor Love: 
Coordination & Styling | Satchel Planning & Design
Photography | Hannah Mulligan Photography
Florals | Brady LeBlanc
Bridal Prep | Windsor Court Hotel
Ceremony | St. Mary’s Assumption
Reception | Windsor Court Hotel
Bridal Gown | Vintage
Cake | Sucre
Ceremony Music | Robin Barnes
Transportation | A Regal Limousine

New Orleans Vendor Spotlight: Lance Nicoll Wedding Photography

Today’s post is all about differences between digital and film photography, to help you make an informed choice about what works best for your wedding (and just to learn a bit).  You’ve probably noticed the Instagram hashtags #lookslikefilm and #filmisnotdead, but what does it mean? There has been a resurgence of film photography lately, which, in a nutshell, was the standard before digital photography came along.

I’m no expert, and so to educate my readers as well as myself, I got some answers from Lance Nicoll of Lance Nicoll Wedding Photography.  A fine art wedding photographer, Lance Nicoll has been shooting film and digital for the past ten years. He loves editorial photography, and focuses on telling a story through imagery, a story that’s as emotive as it is informative. He is also a professor of photography at Delgado in New Orleans, making him perfect for this post. You can view his website here.

Nicoll's Wedding Photography (digital image)

What Goes into Film Photography?

L.N.: There’s a lot that goes into film photography, from choosing the type of film camera, to choosing what type of film you prefer to shoot, and also what lab you choose to process your film. Different film types will render colors, values, and grain in different ways, so that comes down to the photographer’s preference. The film lab you choose will also play a big role in the aesthetic of your work. Each lab is known, for the most part, for their particular style. The way they process your work has a very large role in the final result.

What are the benefits of film? 

L.N.: When shot bright and open, film does an amazing job of retaining saturation. In other words, film shows great vibrant colors in bright images. Also, in outdoor situations, film looks amazing in the highlight and brighter portions of your image. And while you can replicate film types in digital post-production, it will always be a replication and not the original. There’s just a certain look film has innately which digital doesn’t.

But I also want to be clear that the benefit of film from a technical standpoint is purely subjective. It’s a “look”. Digital has better dynamic range, period. It will allow you to see more information in bright and dark situations. If you shoot a bright image digitally and you want more vibrancy or color, you can simply turn up the vibrancy in post-production (editing).

The colors in film just look a little different, particularly the transitions from one color to another. The exact look of the grain is just a bit different.

What are the benefits of digital? 

L.N.: Digital provides complete flexibility. Being able to take one image in a bright situation and take the very next image in shade or indoors within seconds is something film just can’t do. You need to change the film. And while you can change the back of your camera, you need to have that film loaded up and ready to go. You are also limited to whichever films you have with you.

Shooting in low light and getting amazingly clean images is something digital is the king of. Also, for those learning, the ability to immediately see what your image will look like is a huge advantage of digital.

How do they compare cost-wise? 

L.N.: Film wedding photography is generally more expensive than digital. The equipment (cameras/lenses) itself may not be much different, depending on what is used, but film must be purchased.  After, of course, is the processing.  Sending film off to a lab to be developed, and for creation of a digital scan, is an added expense. Thus, the film photographer has a larger fixed cost versus digital.  In addition, film photographers often have a much higher price for adding extra hours of coverage, because every hour is more film to purchase and more to develop.

Do photographers typically shoot entire weddings in film? 

L.N.: Most film photographers as far as I know would shoot some form of Hybrid. You can shoot with ISO 1600 film for lower light (usually black and white) but really anything darker than that and you're done. So most carry both (film and digital), or have a 2nd shooter who is digital. 

Thanks to Lance for these explanations. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s someone whose an expert and experienced in their craft! 

New Orleans Vendor Spotlight: D play

I get questions all the time about ceremony music-what instruments should I pick, how many do I need, what goes together? Although I’m a HUGE music fan, and know what I like, I can’t speak very intelligently on what instruments work together, and why.  So, I turned to the experts (and while I was at it, I also got the need-to-know on second lines).

This is the first blogpost in my new wedding planning series: New Orleans Vendor Spotlight.  Featured today is John Hozey of D Play, a full service wedding band in New Orleans. I’ve heard these guys rock a reception, but what you may not know is that they also offer ceremony music and second lines. You can view their website here. 

Ceremony Music Breakdown

To start off, I asked John his favorite ceremony combo.  His response: “An upright bass, piano, and acoustic guitar.”  However, he admits that music is subjective, so his choice is based strictly on what he likes to hear.  He often asks couples whether they want a more “traditional” (i.e. Canon in D, Ode to Joy, etc.), or “contemporary” sound.  Traditional songs work great with a string quartet or trio, typically including a violin, cello, or upright bass, viola, or a classical guitar.  Contemporary song choices lend themselves more towards piano and guitar, sounding great and easily playing songs that weren’t written hundreds of years ago.  An acoustic guitar and/or piano matches well with just about any instrument, including a violin and/or cello.

I also asked John if any one instrument works nicely alone.  “Acoustic guitar, harp, or piano go well by themselves.”  He explained that when looking for a solo instrument, you want an instrument that typically plays chords along with the melody, to make sure the sound is full. 

Lastly, I asked him if anything doesn’t work. “Any time you get great musicians, they can make it sound good. Even If you wanted a tribal ceremony and hire just a hand drum! We’ve done that before. Polynesian style!”

New Orleans Second Lines

I started with the basics, asking John what makes up the foundation of your traditional New Orleans second line.  “It’s so loose but really, you need a sousaphone (tuba), bass drum, snare drum, and trumpet. You can replace the trumpet really with a sax or trombone, but that is the most prevalent in New Orleans second lines.”  As far as add-ons? Go with another trumpet, trombone or sax. 

Is it possible to get a traditional sound with only a four-piece? John prefers more than a four piece- D Play offers a six-piece for their second line.  “The sound I hear from second lines from a melodic perspective is how the horns work together.  They tend to play both with and around each other. So unique.  This can’t happen with one lead horn.” 

Of course, if you want to go all out, add on your dancing man or Indian. “The possibilities are endless. It depends on how involved you want it. Some people want the real deal and a straight up party in the streets!”

Thanks to D Play for helping out with these questions! Stay tuned for more from my New Orleans Vendor Spotlight series!