Deep Autumnal Botanicals Under an Epic Sailcloth Tent in Louisiana

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]

A colorful array of deep hues, classic neutrals, and autumnal tones with an emphasis on ivory, champagne gold, dusty rose, sage greens, and rich, chocolate browns.

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[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

I spent five years in the wedding industry as a vendor before meeting Brian. When it came time to plan the design and vision for this celebration, I mainly knew I wanted something unique that felt different from the traditional flow of a wedding weekend since it was technically a “second” wedding for us (more on that below). We ultimately decided to split the celebration into 2 days to allow for both a reverent, more formal, nighttime Mass followed by a seated dinner with a smaller group of guests, but also an afternoon reception. Friday Mass was followed the next day with a larger reception with a live band and a more informal, open-air festival vibe. Brian and I both adore the outdoors and a party while the sun is up (who doesn’t love being in bed by 10 after the age of 30?), so we knew we wanted a daytime dancefloor. I always envisioned having a reception beneath the masts of a sailcloth tent that would allow the sunlight to shine through and the shadows of the iconic Louisiana live oaks to dance upon the canvas top. When Brian’s stepmom offered to host our reception at her property just outside of my hometown, I knew upon the first visit that it was the perfect place to bring this vision to life. From the footprint of the acreage of her home, the floor plan and atmosphere fell seamlessly into place. Having lived all over the world, we wanted to bring the enchantment of being somewhere new together with the nostalgia of home. We shuttled guests in from off-site parking to add to the feeling of being transported into our little daydream of a world that was built with the help of our amazing team of vendors. I often joke that I was born in the wrong era; I am an avid collector of antiques and fascinated by times of old. These influences could be found sprinkled around the event, from antique fixtures and vintage upholstery seating to a renaissance-inspired wall tapestry as the photo booth backdrop and a gold damask valence beneath which guests entered the tent. I was inspired by the elegance of the garden parties held at the palace of Versailles in the 1600s.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

Brian and I could be the poster children for the age-old adage, “when you know, you know.” Funnily enough, we never got engaged and were civilly married less than six months after we met. We spontaneously eloped in July of 2023 for personal reasons, two of which were to share an anniversary with his parents (we were wed on their 25th) and to say our vows at a summer home that’d been in my family for decades before it was sold. We exchanged vows in an intimate gathering of a few family members overlooking the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, California. The ceremony was simple and perfect, but we’d always planned for this second event back home in Louisiana to bring our marriage into the Catholic church and celebrate with our friends and family.

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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

I always dreamt of having a gold veil, and I have long adored Hermoine de Paula’s designs and her team’s incredible handiwork at her London Atelier. In the months before the wedding, we worked together to create a custom heirloom piece that I wore as a veil for our church ceremony and then converted to a cape for the party portion of the weekend. Everything else fashion-wise revolved around this sentimental piece. To complement, I searched for a simple and timeless dress for our Catholic Mass and found the perfect fit in this square-necked, a-line, ivory gown from Revelry. For the party the following day, I wanted something more fun and dance-worthy, and my dress from V. Chapman had all the details I was looking for (and pockets!). My mother-in-law tailored some modifications to their Avery dress to give me the length and sleeves I had in mind, making it truly one-of-a-kind. When the dance floor began to kick off, I changed shoes into bedazzled Betsy Johnson sneakers and then donned a Free People jacket embellished with hand-embroidered patches that read “Still Married” for our sparkler exit. I loved this little detail as an ode to the weekend being the second celebration of our marriage and making it this far already! Above all, I’d say the most special part of my attire was that the veil was complete with our initials and date embroidered amongst the wildflowers. Hermoine de Paula and her team executed my vision to perfection, making it a dream come true for the weekend and even further, a priceless heirloom that we hope will become a tradition for our future family. We hope that our daughters, nieces, or granddaughters can wear it in their special moments for generations to come, leaving their initials and dates in what will one day become a garden of ancestral memories.

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”][/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

Our goal with groomsmen attire for the church portion of the weekend was the same as my dress for Mass – simple and timeless. We wanted the focus of the Mass to remain on the Sacrament and the Eucharist, without anything too extravagant in what we wore that could take away from that intention. With this in mind, Brian chose an ivory tuxedo shirt and jacket with black pants, shoes, and a black cummerbund. His mother-of-pearl shirtlinks and cufflinks matched the ones gifted to his groomsmen, along with his champagne brocade bow tie. For the Saturday reception, he also opted for something more informal and dance-worthy,y as I did, and picked a fun floral patterned blazer with champagne details that complemented my dress and was complete with a pair of retro Air Jordans.

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]

For the girl who can never pick what to eat on a date night, my dream of a wide array of food options came true with a food truck round-up style alcove of eateries serving a range of delicious delights. With friends and family from all over the country (and the world…we had cherished friends from as far away as Australia), it was important to us to showcase the best sips and eats South Louisiana had to offer. We focused on tapas-style portions to encourage a bite of everything! The Southern Spread served up boudin eggrolls, shrimp and grits, grilled cheese flights, and truffle fries. Mr. Buzzy from Barataria Beauties Oyster Co. shucked and served fresh Louisiana oysters on the half shell. The amazing team at Piacere slung Neapolitan-style pies served by the slice (not Cajun, but a nod to my favorite food) and plated an impressive array of artisanal charcuterie boards boasting local honeycomb and jams made by both of our moms. Lastly, for something sweet, it wouldn’t be a Louisiana shindig without a dusting of powdered sugar atop golden brown beignets from under the iconic awning of the Beignet Box. The bar offered guests champagne and a selection of seasonally inspired specialty cocktails, including “The Brian” (a Woodford Reserve old-fashioned), “The Gracie” (an apple cider margarita), and “The Perfect Pear” (a pear vodka martini). Along with these options, we loved having The Tippy Tap, a vintage Italian Piaggio Ape converted to a 6-tap bar, highlighting some of our favorite local craft beers and a variety of wines served in a fashionably memorable style.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

In addition to his and hers cocktails, I loved the idea of “his” and “hers” details scattered throughout our reception. I spent a lot of time reflecting on our favorite things and how to incorporate them in the design elements in both big and small ways. I am a fine artist with a past career in stationery design, and I minored in art history in college. Countless details from our invitations to our day-of details called back to this. The benchmark of all of our event design began with a painting titled “A Bouquet” by Clara Peeters, dating back to 1612. Peeters was a founding figure in the history of European still life painting, and the meticulous detail of her work has long served as the epitome of excellence I strive to capture in my work as an artist. Her painting began as the backdrop for our elopement announcement/save the date, and then carried its way to the envelope liners in our formal invitation, and it was the first thing guests saw upon entering our tent in the form of a large freestanding welcome wall. From the palette of Peeters’ painting came the inspiration for all of our floral design. I wanted everything to feel like a still-life painting from the Dutch masters era with lots of cut fruit, elaborate vases and vessels, asymmetrical arrangements, and abundance. The honey bees that playfully buzzed around the floral installations at our reception were just an added bit of happenstance that felt kismet to this vision. I sourced antique art from other master painters (some of my favorites in history) to create a custom floral pattern that was present around the reception, from the chiffon ceiling drapes in the tent to the custom vinyl inserts in our cocktail and pizza bars. My love of historical art even found its way into my wardrobe as both pairs of earrings I wore for the weekend were from The Met Collection’s line of jewelry inspired by historical artifacts. The pearl earrings I wore on Friday for our Mass were a design inspired 17th-century Catholic Rosary from the Philippines, and the chandelidangledled Saturday was reimagined from the Tudor era. I wanted even these tiniest of details to mean something for a weekend that meant too much to us. The vintage stamps on our invitation suite were an “ours” detail, including a nod to Louisiana, my hometown of Lafayette, North Carolina, where Brian and I first called home together, a cardinal for my dad, and different vintage aircraft to nod to Brian’s family’s history in aviation. A forget-me-not was also a prominent flower on the front of our info books as a nod to the first gift Brian ever gave me – a pair of earrings featuring a gorgeous pair of pressed forget-me-nots. Lastly, for the “his” decor, Brian is an avid reader and his favorite book series is The Lord of the Rings, a nod to which could be found on our keepsake matches for guests at the bar. The first book he and I ever read together was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It has been a tradition of ours ever since to read it every New Year, so illustrated collector’s edition copies (one for him and one for me) served as our guestbook. Ultimately, I loved that around every corner of our weekend was a nod to something special about us or our family, and I think that’s what makes the difference between any other wedding and one that feels distinctly you.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

My favorite dessert is my grandmother’s classic yellow cake with her homemade fudge frosting. It is one of the first things I baked for Brian when we started dating, and Maw Maw’s specialty quickly became one of his favorites, too. We were lucky enough to have Maw Maw with us in California for our vows last year, and we all made her cake together for the few family members present for that intimate celebration. As an homage to this family recipe and our original nuptials, our cake was a take on Maw Maw’s classic – a hexagonal white cake layered inside with her fudge frosting and iced with a German schmear-inspired, textured buttercream. To make it even more special, it was baked and decorated by Brian’s mom and her two best friends, and finished off with fresh flowers with the help of my niece and goddaughter, Adeline. Instead of a groom’s cake, Brian requested a staple from his childhood and his all-time favorite sweet treat – his mama’s chocolate chip cookies. Over seven dozen of her tried and true recipes were packaged in custom gold-foiled cookie bags and proved a crowd favorite amongst the options offered on our favor bar. Other options for guests on the favor bar were local honey, washcloths knitted by Brian’s aunt, and individual jars of mulled apple cider jelly and blackberry jam, also jarred with love by Brian’s mom, Beth.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

So many special, intentional (and unexpected) moments were sewn throughout our church ceremony and the setlist for the reception the following day. To start, we are the third generation on my paternal side to get married in the church where we wed. We unexpectedly lost my dad 10 years ago, and I have always known I never wanted anyone else to walk me down the Cathedral aisle. This was to save space for him and his influence on my life and faith, often joining me for weekly Mass in that same church when I went to the adjoining elementary school for a few years as a child. To honor him further during my processional, our musicians arranged a special string version of The O’Neill Brothers’ harp melody titled “Angels Watchin,” and it was the most beautiful ode to his spirit beside me. As a nod to mine and Brian’s shared Acadian heritage, a Cajun French rendition of Amazing Grace, “La Grace du Ciel”, was sung during communion, and we had the special honor of serving as Eucharistic Ministers – one of our favorite and most meaningful parts of the weekend. Following the presentation of roses to the Blessed Mother, my dad’s best friend and his wife, who served as our mentor couple for marriage preparation, surprised us with a Papal Blessing from Rome, marking our Mass as truly unforgettable for us. On Saturday, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and The Zydeco Twisters brought the house down with an endless playlist of soulful sounds, Motown favorites, and party ballads mixed with just the right amount of zydeco to introduce our out-of-town guests to the splendor of cajun music. In place of a traditional father/daughter dance, I worked with the band to surprise my family by calling them to the dance floor and kicking off the party with Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” in celebration of my dad’s fun-loving spirit, which we all felt present on the day. The surprise was complete with custom tambourines brought out by my coordinators for the dance,ce and the crowd that read “Shake it like Jerry”. I am so thankful to Rockin’ Dopsie for helping me turn this otherwise dreaded “missing” piece of the reception into a reflection of who my dad was as a person…the life of the party. It made it feel like he was truly there with us all, celebrating together!

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

When planning the details for the entire weekend, intention and sentimentality were our main focus. We wanted to commemorate familial traditions, honor friends and family members who helped mold us into who we are today, remember those who are no longer with us, and pay tribute to the things that make the blending of our two families unique. Heirlooms could be found around every corner…I wore rings inherited from my maternal grandmother on my right hand on both days. Taper candles held by her silver candelabras lit the head table at our dinner aglow. My necklace was a golden locket gifted to me by my dad on my golden birthday. A special bible from the country where Brian was born could be found on a remembrance table at our reception. Traditions run deep in both of our families, and we try to be the keepers of them wherever we can. It’s important to us to continue them so that the legacy of the family who started them may remain alive for the family we will build together for years to come. To encourage the telling of these traditions, we spent the weeks before the wedding gathering family photos from both sides of our lineage…wedding portraits dating as far back as the late 1910s, film photos showcasing the soft smiles of our great-great-great grandparents, and memorial images of siblings, uncles, and godparents no longer with us. We framed and hung them from the trunk of a huge oak tree. It was there that family members from both sides across multiple generations could be found gathered, sharing stories and memories, both recent and distant, throughout the entire reception. We love that these tales and pivotal people were talked about and a focal point (literally and figuratively) at the start of this new chapter of our families’ stories. It felt like watching our roots joining together as one in real time, and it will always be one of our most cherished parts of the weekend.

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

One of the most touching moments of the weekend for me was the chance to honor some of the most special men in my life. I surprised my godfather, brother, brother-in-law, stepdad, father-in-law, and my dad’s best friend with a “father figure” first look before Mass. They each received a letter thanking them for the ways they have stepped up for me over the past 10 years since we lost my dad. From giving financial advice to helping me move to fixing cars and being extra present on the hard days without him, they each got a boutonniere to denote their importance and symbolize the beauty of their influence on the woman I have become. No one could ever fill his shoes, but I know my dad was smiling down, knowing these are the men standing in for him when I need him and hugging me tight when I miss him most.

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[field title=”Special Detail #3″]

Unintentionally, the weekend we chose for this celebration fell on the 2nd anniversary of the weekend we met. We were introduced at a Friendsgiving house party two years before our Friday night dinner and spent hours talking. So many hours, we’d both long finished our beers and peeled the labels from their bottles, unwilling to retreat from the connection we’d felt. Ever since, Brian has loved to refer to our relationship as love at first conversation. When it came time to design the seating chart for our dinner set for that same night, exactly two years later, I wanted to bring this story of our first interaction to life in the design. When guests entered the venue, they were greeted by a sign describing this same story and shelves of beer bottles with custom labels denoting their table numbers. My florist, Katie, hand-picked a range of the most beautiful single-stem flowers and showcased them with the bottles acting as a vase. Altogether, the seating chart was one of my favorite design elements of the weekend because it felt like a physical manifestation of the story of our start as a couple and the conversations we hoped guests would share on the evening, gathered together to celebrate our next chapter.

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