There is something undeniably romantic about a Sunday morning in New Orleans, which made it a fitting beginning for these two Midwest lovers and their French Quarter wedding planned with Megan Sapp Henderson of Down Annie Lane and photographed by Lydia Evelyn Photography.
Rather than waiting until the ceremony to see each other, the couple chose to begin the day together at Hotel Bienville, where their families were also staying. Bubbly flowed as everyone got ready, and the bride and groom slipped away for a first look and private vows before the larger celebration began.
From those quiet moments together to a ceremony accompanied by live strings, the morning carried an intimate sweetness. But once they were officially married, New Orleans took over. A brass band, waving handkerchiefs, dancing guests, and an exuberant second line transformed the streets of the French Quarter into part of the celebration.
A sweet Sunday morning at Hotel Bienville
Hotel Bienville became home base for the wedding weekend, giving the couple and their families the chance to stay together in the heart of New Orleans.
On Sunday morning, getting ready felt like an extension of the celebration itself, with family nearby and bubbly helping set the mood for the day ahead. Before leaving the hotel, the couple shared their first look and exchanged private vows.
Choosing to have that moment alone gave them an intimate beginning before they joined their wedding party and family for formal portraits.
Private vows before the celebration began
The first look allowed the couple to experience one of the most emotional parts of the wedding away from the larger crowd.
Rather than saving every word for the ceremony, they exchanged private vows at the hotel, creating a moment that belonged only to them. It was a quiet contrast to the energetic celebration that would eventually spill into the streets of the French Quarter.
Afterward, they gathered with their wedding party and family for photographs before making their way to the ceremony.
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An intimate Pharmacy Museum ceremony
The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum provided a distinctly French Quarter setting for the couple to begin their marriage surrounded by their closest friends and family.
As the ceremony began, a string quartet filled the space with music, bringing a romantic soundtrack to the intimate gathering that featured florals by Thibodeaux Floral Studio. With their private vows already exchanged earlier that morning, this moment became an opportunity to celebrate the beginning of their marriage with the people who had traveled to New Orleans to share it with them.
Then it was time to celebrate in a way that could only feel right in this city.
A brass band led the wedding into the French Quarter
After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests poured into the streets for a New Orleans second line.
A brass band – Kinfolk Brass Band – led the way as the group danced, cheered, hollered, and waved handkerchiefs through the French Quarter. What began as a wedding procession quickly became something larger, with the energy of the neighborhood becoming part of the experience.
People joined the celebration from sidewalks and balconies, blurring the line between wedding guests and the city surrounding them.
Handkerchiefs, brass music, and one unforgettable second line
For this couple, the second line was more than an entertaining transition from one part of the wedding to another. It marked the beginning of their new life together with the kind of collective joy that is difficult to recreate anywhere else.
Handkerchiefs danced overhead while the brass band played, and the newlyweds found themselves surrounded by cheering friends, family, and strangers.
The tradition turned the French Quarter itself into part of their wedding venue. Instead of simply taking portraits on its streets or using New Orleans as a backdrop, they experienced the city in motion, with music and celebration carrying them through it.
It was also the perfect counterpart to the quiet way they had begun their wedding day. Sunday morning started with bubbly, a private first look, and vows shared between two people. By the time they were married, that intimate joy had grown into a procession through the streets.
From the soft sound of strings at the Pharmacy Museum to the wail of a brass band in the French Quarter, music followed these Midwest lovers through every chapter of their New Orleans wedding. And once those handkerchiefs went into the air, there was no mistaking the feeling: their new life together had officially begun.
