Sunshine & Ben | New Orleans Elopement

When Sunshine first contacted me, I was super excited to get started planning her elopement. She was adamant about a simple affair that was just about her and Ben. Nothing overdone, nothing too fancy.  She knew she wanted a bouquet, a nice dinner reservation, and possibly a photographer.  Luckily, I was able to convince her that a photographer was a must! I scouted out multiple locations, and she eventually settled on the French Quarter, wanting something authentically New Orleans.  

On the day of their elopement, I was watching the weather all morning, and it started raining throughout the afternoon.  Sunshine and I were texting about alternate plans while she was having her hair and makeup done, and I was amazed at how relaxed she was (and she told me later she took her hair down, because it didn’t feel like her)! These two weren’t worried in the least about the weather. And I was worried for no reason, because as it got closer to the time for their vows, the rain stopped, and it turned into the perfect New Orleans spring day.

Captured by Jordan Blanchard, these photographs illustrate the story of their day, both Sunshine and Ben relaxed, happy, and full of joy—I can’t help but smile going through them.  And definitely an authentic New Orleans elopement—vows at Pirate’s Alley, a photobomb by a horse-drawn carriage, and a Canal Street streetcar ride.  And after the cutest e-sesh (e for elopement), Sunshine and Ben headed over to Café Amelie for a romantic dinner for two.

Brides take note—this is how you get married! Whether your wedding is small or a huge event, it’s really about the two of you enjoying the day. How cute are these two?! 

Coordination | Satchel Planning & Design

Photography | Jordan Blanchard Photography

Florals | Antigua Floral + Styling

Officiant | Reverend John Zimmer

Dinner | Café Amelie

Wedding Planning: Don't Wait on These Things!

There are some things that you just shouldn’t wait until the last minute to do, and I’ve put together a list of some noteworthy ones.  While it may seem like once you have all your vendors booked it will be smooth-sailing into the big day, there are a million loose ends to tie up that month before your wedding.  For example, there are dress fittings, dress steaming, shopping for clothes for other wedding functions, picking up wedding bands, having rings cleaned, putting together gift bags, counting RSVPs, picking up wedding programs, packing for the honeymoon, and the list goes on… You will absolutely be busy, so don’t put these off:  

Wedding Signage: Everyone wants it, but for some reason, it gets pushed to the last few weeks for a lot of brides.  These things take time, so plan out your wedding signage along with your floral décor and design.  Whether it’s you, or someone you’ve hired, it takes time to create that chalkboard welcome sign/menu sign/specialty cocktail sign, not to mention sourcing the chalkboard, piece of wood, mirror, glass, etc. And if you’re having something printed, you still need to source the perfect frames.  

Marriage license: In Orleans Parish, you need to apply for your marriage license no sooner than a month before your wedding date (it expires at 30 days), and no later than 72 hours before.  However, that doesn’t mean you should wait until 30 days before to determine if you have the required documents.  Among other things, an original or certified copy of your birth certificate is required for issuance of a license, so if you’ve lost the original, you need to plan time to order a certified copy from your state of birth.

Deciding on a first look: You can find tons of blog articles on the benefits of doing a first look vs. waiting until the ceremony to see each other (and I’m all about a first look).  But don’t wait until the last minute to make this decision, because it has a huge impact on the timeline of the day. If you’re doing a first look, you need to have your hair and makeup finished earlier, you need to allot time to take more pre-ceremony photographs, and depending on where you do the first look, it can make a big difference in the timing of your transportation transfers.

Writing Down Your Vows: I’ve been in a few weddings where the couple finishes their vows at the last minute, e-mails the document to themselves, and then panics when they realize they will be holding their cell phone up at the altar.  Start drafting your vows a few months in advance, and write them down on nice paper, or hire a calligrapher.  Because the vows are pretty much the whole point, right? 

Wedding Planning: Venue Selection

So you met the one, got the ring, and now want to start planning the wedding. If you’re like me, you ignore all those blog posts that tell you to “enjoy being engaged” for a while before thinking about a wedding (is it possible to not think about the wedding at this point?) and jump right in.  This posts discusses some things to consider initially.

Photograph by Lauren Carroll Photography, Il Mercato, New Orleans 

1.       Prioritize the season, guest list, and venue.

Before you can decide on the venue and date, you have to consider what’s most important to you. If your first priority is a courtyard wedding in New Orleans, then that automatically excludes the hot summer months.  If your guest list is at 400 and can’t be cut, then you have to pick a venue that can accommodate those numbers. Finally, if you have your heart set on a particular venue, you can tailor the guest list and other decisions to that venue.

2.       Determine a budget.

If you are working with a non-negotiable budget, don’t waste your time looking at venues that you can’t afford. Make sure you are calculating venue costs appropriate by carefully reading the contract, paying attention to food and beverage minimums, taxes, gratuities, staffing fees, and any other added fees. Also note what the venue provides such as tables, chairs, catering, glassware, flatware, and figure out if that will be an added rental cost.  A planner can help you determine what a reasonable venue budget is in relation to your overall budget.

3.       Think about the reception style.

Determining whether you want a sit down dinner or a cocktail style reception is essential before picking a venue.  Formal sit down dinners require more space, as you will need seating for 100% of the guests. If you want a popular Southern style cocktail or station reception, you only need seating for a percentage of your guests. A venue that can accommodate 200 guests cocktail style may only be able to accommodate 90-100 for a full seating.  Also, seated dinners are typically pricier than cocktail style, so consider how this choice factors into your budget.

4.       Narrow down venue options.

If you’ve decided you want a sit down dinner for 200 guests with outdoor and indoor space, a planner can save you a lot of time and headache. There may only be two or three venues that meet that criteria.  Likewise, if you want to do a wedding for 200 on a limited budget, your venue options will be narrowed as well.  A planner can provide this information for you, so you can avoid looking at venues that don’t meet the specifics. If you are flexible on the season, guest list, and seating style, your options for venues will increase, allowing you to pick the perfect space that you love.  

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! 

Tracy + Daniel | New Orleans, Louisiana

Daniel & Tracy were married on November 21, 2015, at The Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Their wedding was full of classic details, a stunning dress, and a traditional second line send-off. All these gorgeous photos by Ariel Renae Photography will make you wish for a little rainy moodiness on your wedding day! 

Planning, Styling, & Floral Design | Satchel Planning & Design + Photography | Ariel Renae Photography + Prep | Old 77 Hotel + Venue | The Ogden Museum of Southern Art + Band | D Play + Catering | Domenica +  Photobooth | Mobile Beat Entertainment + Second Line | The Stooges  +  Cake | Sarah Chandonnet