REAL WEDDINGS &
ENGAGEMENTS
nowweddingmagazine.com
WEDDING DECOR +
TUXEDO INSPIRATION
BEING A BETTER
LGBTQ+ ALLY WITH
PHOTOGRAPHER
TIA NASH
JUNE 2021
A PEEK INSIDE
CHRISTIAN SIRIANO’S
2021 BRIDAL COLLECTION
THE
PRIDE!
ISSUE
20+
Years
1000s
of Weddings
Unlimited
Creativity
Alchemy Events
Wedding Planner + Event Designer
Exceptional, unexpected, unparalleled.
alchemyeventsnola.com
Let’s make some magic!
IMAGES BY ROBERT T
TIA NASH
THE WEDDING MATINEE
DGASS PHOTOGRAPHY
BRIAN JARREAU PHOTOGRAPHY
JESSICA BURKE
JESSICA BURKE
THE PARISAN PHOTOGRAPHERS
JESSICA BURKE
THE NOW WEDDING EVENT
W W W . T H E N O W W E D D I N G E V E N T . C O M
S E P T E M B E R 1 5 2 0 2 1
6 - 8 : 3 0 P M
W E D N E S D A Y
AT CHATEAU GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
JUNE 22-24, 2021
AT HEMINGBOUGH
ST. FRANCISVILLE, LOUISIANA
A RETREAT
FOR CREATIVE WEDDING
PROFESSIONALS
Immerse yourself in creativity and make
great connections as we spend 3 days at
beautiful Hemingbough in St. Francisville,
Louisiana. Alchemy Event Academy includes
hands-on workshops, business branding
sessions, styled shoots and lots of fun.
ACADEMY SPONSORS INCLUDE:
Alchemy Events
Viktor + Rolf Haute Couture
NOW Weddings Magazine
Sarah Alleman Photography
Jessica Burke, Photographer
Eglantine Rose Letterpress
La Tavola Fine Linens
Pure Vintage Rentals
Berry Blossom Flowers
Kimbla’s Cakes
We’re joining with Viktor & Rolf in making a
donation to VOW against child marriage.
Learn More:
AlchemyEventAcademy.com
JUNE 2021
CONTENTS
REAL WEDDINGS
34
Alyssa St. Amant + Avery Beavers
40
Dr. Neal Pavlov + Lance Wiggins
46
Auburn Cain + Taylor Dietz
50
Kyle + Christopher Aucoin-Melohn
54
Keri Sedita + Tina Spencer
58
Monique Dazet + Loren Bartholomew
38 Inclusive vs Affirming
Being a Better LGBTQ+ Ally with Tia Nash
48 DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
A Peek into Designer Christian Siriano’s
New 2021 Bridal Collection
ARTICLES
PHOTO CREDIT: Your Day Video + Photography from the wedding of Kyle & Christopher Aucoin-Melohn (pages 50-51)
LOOK WHO’S ENGAGED!
60
Greg Williams, Jr. + Christian Jones
61
Raenell Curry & Ma’Rion Carter
FEATURED EDITORIAL
9
#LOVEwins
Jewel Tone Decor + Tuxedo Fashion Inspiration at the
New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District Hotel
@nolawedding
@neworleansweddings
@nowmagazine504
@nowmagazine504
we're social !
Follow NOW Weddings Magazine for daily inspiration.
PUBLISHER
JESSICA BURKE
JESSICA@THENOWBRIDE.COM
Rena Sweeney
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Dayna Dufrene
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FOR ENGAGED COUPLES
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NOW Weddings Magazine is published
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About The Cover
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PHOTOGRAPHER: Jessica The Photographer
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Alchemy Events
VENUE: New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District
TUXEDOS: John’s Tuxedos
JEWELRY: Mignon Faget
MODELS: Jonathan Swisher + Shawn Cryster
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 3
3803 Toulouse Street | New Orleans
504.486.4466 | orders@toulousegourmet.com
toulousegourmet.com
Jessica The Photographer
DELIVERY WEDDINGS CORPORATE EVENTS PRIVATE EVENTS
8 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
3803 Toulouse Street | New Orleans
504.486.8351 | info@cannerynola.com
cannerynola.com
THANK YOU TO THE FABULOUS WEDDING PROFESSIONALS FEATURED IN THIS PHOTO:
STYLED BY: LAVISHLY CHIC DESIGNS
DSW PHOTOGRAPHY | NOLA FLORA | J COLEMAN DESIGNS | CHAIR COUTURE NOLA | FIREFLY AMBIANCE | CRYSTAL NEW ORLEANS | BBJ LINEN | ROSA’S CAKES
WEDDING CEREMONIES RECEPTIONS DINNER PARTIES EVENTS
NOW WEDDINGS
STYLE
LOVE
wins
wins
CREDITS
Creative Direction: Alchemy Events, alchemyeventsnola.com
Photography: Jessica the Photographer, jessicathephotographer.com
On Location: The New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District, marriott.com/msymc
Menswear: John’s Tuxedos, johnstuxedos.com
Florals: Berry Blossom Flowers, berryblossomflowers.com
Jewelry: Mignon Faget, mignonfaget.com
Cake: Gambino’s Bakery, gambinos.com
Meringues: Lord of Meringues, lordofmeringues.com
Liquor: Seven Three Distilling Co., seventhreedistilling.com
Rentals: Party Rentals Delivered, partyrentalsdelivered.com
Gold Vases: Peony & Petunia, peonyandpetunia.etsy.com
Oyster Place Cards + Cake Topper: Jessica Burke
Models: Shawn Cryster + Jonathan Swisher
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 9
10 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
The New Orleans
Marriott Warehouse
Arts District’s newly
renovated Gravier
Ballroom is the stage
for an intimate wedding
ceremony. Berry
Blossom Flowers styled
a “broken arch” of lush
greenery and Party
Rentals Delivered
provided gold “Phoenix”
chairs for guest seating.
Jonathan and Shawn
exchange Fleur De Lis rings
from Mignon Faget.
Pride Heart Meringue Gift Boxes
by Lord of Meringues graced
each chair at the ceremony.
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 11
For their wedding ceremony look, we chose ivory
shawl tuxedos for an elegant, classic style. Shawn
is wearing the “Charles” tuxedo jacket with a
black satin trim on the collar and Jonathan is
wearing a classic ivory shawl dinner jacket, both
available at John’s Tuxedos. Their boutonnieres
by Berry Blossom Flowers are simple greenery
sprigs to complement the ceremony arch design.
12 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 13
14 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
For this intimate dinner setting, Alchemy Events
lead designer Rena Sweeney incorporated rich
jewel tones and echoed the hotel’s organic design
aesthetic. Sweeney repurposed the ceremony chairs
for reception seating and added Party Rentals
Delivered’s grey linen Forest River Tufted Loveseat
for the grooms’ seating. Raspberry linen on the
dinner table contrasts beautifully with royal blue satin
napkins. Each place setting is impeccably designed
with Greta Gold Rim plates set atop Mosaico
Mercury Chargers and complemented with Titan
Capri Brushed Gold Flatware and Bella Gold
Band Glassware, all from Party Rentals Delivered.
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 15
Berry Blossom Flowers added a pop of
color to Shawn and Jonathan’s tuxedos
with floral pocket squares, a unique
alternative to a traditional boutonniere.
16 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
Hand-lettered, gold edge oyster shell
place cards by artist Jessica Burke and
greenery sprigs note each guest’s place.
At each end of the table, we filled gold glass
compotes from Peony & Petunia with light
as air meringues by Lord of Meringues.
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 17
Gambino’s Bakery created this simply elegant two-tier wedding
cake with edible gold leaf detail. Artist Jessica Burke created the
gold edge oyster shell cake topper to mimic the shape of a heart.
18 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
Jonathan and Shawn feed each
other specially designed Pride Heart
meringues by Lord of Meringues.
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 19