20+
Years
1000s
of Weddings
Unlimited
Creativity
Alchemy Events
Wedding Planner + Event Designer
Exceptional, unexpected, unparalleled.
alchemyeventsnola.com
Elegant or out-of-the-box, let’s make some magic!
BRIAN JARREAU
MON SOLEIL
SARAH ALLEMAN
THE WEDDING MATINEE
SULLY CLEMMER
STUDIO TRAN
IMAGES BY ROBERT T
DARK ROUX
AMIN RUSSELL
j e s s i c a t h e p h o t o g r a p h e r . c o m
NOVEMBER 2020
CONTENTS
FEATURED EDITORIAL
12
WEDDING WEEKEND MINIMONY IN NOLA
Fashion and decor inspiration for your
REAL WEDDINGS
34
Jordan Aliff + Adam Plauche
38
Emily Bell + Edward Brooks
42
Grace Romero + Corey Hicks
46 Chelsea Dean + Ross Raley
6 WHAT TO DO FIRST
The first 5 things to do after
you get engaged
30 A CLASSIC NEW ORLEANS
BRUNCH
Wedding brunch ideas from Pigéon
Catering & Events
44 STAND BY ME?
Ideas for “proposing” to your
PLANNING
RESOURCES
Featured Articles
STYLE FILES
28
Wedding Weekend Minimony Box
29 NOLA Minimony
45
Will You Be My Bridesmaid?
PHOTO CREDIT: Jessica The Photographer
for Sarah Alleman Photography
wedding weekend in New Orleans
REAL ENGAGEMENTS
53
Mari Alejos-Puente + Ian Brisco
54
Taylor Sambola + Arcadian Broad
54 Meredith Little + Patrick Henning
55 Toi Holmes + Darryl Brister Jr.
56 Lance Wiggins + Neal Pavlov
56 Kaitlin Hoychick + Cory Hebert
56 Haylee Wallace + Joseph Landry
57 Grace Jovanovic + Ross Armond
57 Shelby Clement + Blake Forsyth
58 Kaylin Parker + Julius Medina
58 Baylie Turner + Austen Lemoine
58 Jayde Erwin + Sal Portera
58 Victoria Rome + John Lott
59 Kaitlyn Booth + Billy Monteith
wedding party
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Follow NOW Weddings Magazine for daily inspiration.
PUBLISHER
JESSICA BURKE
JESSICA@THENOWBRIDE.COM
Rena Sweeney
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Dayna Dufrene
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FOR ENGAGED COUPLES
Our blog is filled with tons of great resources,
inspiration, wedding stories and photo editorials
that will help you plan an amazing wedding.
FOR THE WEDDING PROFESSIONAL
NOW Weddings Magazine offers affordable
advertising packages with tons of perks.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT ADVERTISING,
PLEASE CONTACT:
NOW Weddings Magazine
Phone: 504-832-2775
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www.NOWWeddingMagazine.com
P.O. Box 1148
Metairie, LA 70004
NOW Weddings Magazine is published
monthly by New Orleans Weddings
Magazine, Inc. Copyright 2020. All rights
reserved. Reproduction of any part of this
publication without the express written
consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
NOW Weddings Magazine is a registered
trademark of NOWM, Inc. The use of
the trademark is strictly prohibited. The
information in this publication is believed
to be accurate. However, New Orleans
WeddingsMagazine cannot and does not
guarantee its accuracy. NOW Weddings
Magazine cannot and will not be held liable
for the quality or performance of goods and
services provided by advertisers or any other
portion of this publication
NOWWeddingMagazine.com
About The Cover
Look for new issues of
NOW Weddings Magazine every month.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Madeline B Photography
GOWN: Viv by Sarah Seven
GROOM’S ATTIRE: Theory
FLOWERS: Petals-n-Parties
PAMPAS GRASS: Pampas Love Nola
HAIR: Holly Manders
MAKEUP: Christine Lombardo, Signature Beauty Group
OFFICIANT: Dean Sunseri
BRIDE + GROOM: Jordan Aliff + Adam Plauche
(See Jordan + Adam’s Real Wedding Feature on Pages 34-35!)
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 3
IT’S HAPPENED; YOU’RE ENGAGED! OF COURSE EVERYONE WILL WANT TO KNOW WHAT DATE YOU’VE CHOSEN BUT
other than that, what’s the first thing you should do? Starting looking at clothes, select a venue or florist? I know it can seem
overwhelming at first, so here is our list of the top 5 most important things to do first when you get engaged:
Get that bling insured! This is one investment you need to
make and be sure to handle it right away. While most jewelers
will offer a cleaning service or occasional maintenance, jewelry
insurance will make sure you are completely protected in case
you leave your ring somewhere, lose it on your honeymoon, lose
a stone or something else unexpected happens. Trust me, you’ll
never regret getting this policy!
I know, you’re ready to jump into venue tours, cake tastings
and dress and/or tuxedo shopping but those to-do list items will
come later. The next thing you should do is get the big picture for
your wedding.
What feel do you want it to have? Casual or formal? Spring or
Fall? I recommend you both write down any words that come to
mind, no matter what they are, and then you can go back through
and sort out your top ideas that you can both agree upon.
What’s your budget and for how many guests will you invite? You
don’t want to waste your time looking at venues that won’t be a
good fit for you for one reason or another and that goes for flowers,
cake, clothing, etc. as well.
Everything will hinge on what your overall vision is and your
budget for your wedding day so make sure you have that outlined
clearly first. If you’re unsure how much is realistic for you to budget,
check out the NOW Weddings website for helpful tips!
Decide if, based on your vision in step #2, you think you
need to hire a wedding planner. If the answer is “yes”, the earlier
you can involve them in the process, the better. Many planners
are happy to step in at various points in your planning process
but it’s always easiest to have professional guidance from
the onset because they can help guide you through contract
negotiations and help narrow down vendor selections, which
will save you time and stress while also helping to clarify exactly
what you want.
The fees a planner charges can vary widely, from flat fees to a
percentage of your overall budget. According to a recent study,
modern couples now spend an average of 528 hours planning
their weddings, so this is an investment to take seriously. If you
don’t believe a planner is within budget for you, you may still
be able to budget for some assistance with planning tools and
recommendations to get you started or event management
(month or day-of coordination) for help as you get closer.
Create your list of priorities. What’s most important for
you at your wedding? People often think this just means food vs.
bar service, but beyond that, if you could have fewer guests but
a more luxurious experience, would you prefer that? Or would
you rather be able to invite more guests and serve a different
bar package? Knowing what’s most important to you will go a
long way in helping you make decisions from start to finish of
your planning process!
Ok, here’s where the real fun starts! Begin looking for
vendors! Prioritize your ceremony and reception locations
first because you need to ensure where you select works with
your budget, guest count and vision for your day. Once you
have those selected, that will help you with selecting a specific
wedding date because you’ll know their availability based on
the time of year you’re looking at. Once your date and locations
are confirmed, then move on to looking for vendors who can
only produce a limited number of events per day or weekend.
This includes photographers, videographers, live bands, etc.
Other vendors such as bakers, florists or rental companies can
often do several events per day and thus, have more flexibility
than some vendors who may book up fast and then close that
date on their calendar. You can find lots of great, local vendors
on our website and in the NOW Weddings App - be sure to
download the NOW Weddings App in the App Store or Google
Play Store and get your planning off to a great start!
Happy Planning!
Rena Sweeney
Rena Sweeney
Creative Director, NOW Weddings Magazine +
Owner, Alchemy Events
6 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
What To
Do First
(AFTER YOU GET ENGAGED)
PHOTO CREDIT: Amin Russell Photography
:: From the Creative Director’s Desk ::
PHOTO CREDIT: Amin Russell Photography
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 7
3803 Toulouse Street | New Orleans
504.486.4466 | orders@toulousegourmet.com
toulousegourmet.com
Jessica The Photographer
DELIVERY WEDDINGS CORPORATE EVENTS PRIVATE EVENTS
3803 Toulouse Street | New Orleans
504.486.8351 | info@cannerynola.com
cannerynola.com
Jessica The Photographer
WEDDING CEREMONIES RECEPTIONS DINNER PARTIES EVENTS
10 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
messinasterminal.com
therooftoponbasin.com
Welcome Parties
After Wedding Brunches
Bridal Luncheons
Micro & Large Weddings
Showers
Rehearsal Dinners
(504) 469-7373 | messinascatering.com
(504) 469-7373 | messinascatering.com
Ericka Haven Photography
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 11
NOW WEDDINGS
STYLE
WEDDING WEEKEND
MINIMONY
nola
nola
IN
CREDITS
PHOTOGRAPHY: Images by Robert T, imagesbyrobertt.com
VENUE: Jazz Quarters, jazzquarters.com
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Alchemy Events, alchemyeventsnola.com
VIDEO: Jessica The Photographer, jessicathephotographer.com
FLORALS: Berry Blossom Flowers, berryblossomflowers.com
CUISINE: Pigeon Catering & Events, pigeoncaterers.com
HAIR + MAKEUP: Ann Marie White, Dazzle Doll Salon + Glam Bar, neworleansmakeupandhair.com
PERFUME: Bourbon French Parfums, neworleansperfume.com
NAILS: Passport Polish, passportpolish.com
DECOR RENTALS: ELEMENT, exploreelement.com
INVITATIONS: Upscales Custom Collection, upscalescustomcollection.com
FASHION: Honeybee Bride, honeybeebride.com | MaeMe The Bridal Boutique, maemebridal.com
Pearl’s Place, pearlsplace.com
PHOTO BOOTH: Gift Horst Tintypes, gifthorst.etsy.com
OFFICIANT: Kevin J. Centanni, Judge, 6th Justice of the Peace Court
MERINGUE FAVORS: Lord of Meringues, lordofmeringues.com
MODELS: Dayna Dufrene + Hanna Wehbe
Multi-day weddings have been common for thousands of
years and I thought, why aren’t more local couples
doing that here? For this editorial, I wanted to show how
you can plan an intimate wedding weekend experience with
your nearest and dearest in our beautiful city and
embrace our culture and nuances. It’s more important than ever to “support
local” and “support small business” so we called in some of
our favorite local and small businesses to inspire you.
- Rena Sweeney, Alchemy Events
12 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 13
Visit the NOW Weddings Blog
to see more including a behind the
scenes video!
NOWWeddingMagazine.com
“I believe that individuals should embrace their
personal fashion sense for their wedding
day attire. Couples don’t have to ‘match’ nor should
they feel compelled to conform to
any fashion expectations. Pant suits can be sexy
and a bride can absolutely wear black
for her wedding!” - Rena Sweeney, Alchemy Events
Here Dayna is wearing a sexy three-piece black
pant suit ensemble and Hanna is
wearing a modern ivory Mikado fit and flare
wedding gown with notch neckline from
MaeMe The Bridal Boutique. The tulle overshirt
is detachable and adds an extra touch
of glamour to her look.
Both brides have a soft, natural look
by Ann Marie White of Dazzle Doll Salon &
Glam Bar for the wedding ceremony.
Dayna’s bouquet includes dried pampas grass,
bleached Italian Ruscus, Nigella
Pods and Hanna’s incorporates white tulips,
ranunculus, white astrantia, and
blush scabiosa.
CLICK
TO SEE
WATCH THE
BEHIND THE
SCENES
VIDEO
Start your wedding weekend off with a night
out on the town and enjoy the music, food and
“lassiez les bons temps rouler” vibes of New
Orleans. Even with social distancing there
are so many fun activities you can enjoy!
brides’ night out
brides’ night out
THIS PAGE:
Comfort is queen, and looking good is a
must! Fortunately, you *can* have both.
Here, Dayna is wearing the Rooney
Pant Jumpsuit, a black and gold
animal print-inspired look from Honeybee
Bride. Hanna is wearing a
buttercream Lace A-line Midi Dress, also
from Honeybee Bride that features a
plunging neckline and lace overlay. They’re
carrying coordinating So Extra
Bride handbags from Honeybee Bride
in silver and gold respectively.
14 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
INVITATION SUITE: Upscales Custom Collection’s Suede Rose Invitation
Suite will set the tone for a luxurious wedding weekend event.
PERFUMES: Scent is one of the most powerful memory creators. While you’re in New Orleans,
visit Bourbon French Parfums for a custom blending session and relive your wedding
weekend experience every time you wear your custom fragrance.
it’s all in the details
it’s all in the details
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 15
ABOUT JAZZ QUARTERS: Located in Faubourg Tremé, steps
from the historic French Quarter and the revitalized Louis
Armstrong Park, this “Creole Hotel” offers the best of all New
Orleans travel: accommodations in iconic Creole cottages and suites,
the modern amenities of a hotel, and the charm and upscale ambiance
of a boutique inn. The cottages and suites are inspired by and
named after local musicians and the central courtyard is the perfect
spot to gather for an intimate wedding ceremony or brunch!
Judge K evin J. Centanni served as officiant for our candlelight ceremony. To set the scene for the
intimate wedding ceremony, we brought in tufted black velvet chairs for guest seating, red
velvet draping, and gold “Elsa” candle holders and glass and gold candlesticks from ELEMENT.
Amy Marshall of Berry Blossom Flowers created an asymmetrical floral design incorporating Black
Baccara roses and Lady Eva blush roses on Jazz Quarters’ existing pergola.
say “ i do”
say “ i do”
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 17
18 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
THIS PAGE:
Details, details, details! Lord of Meringues and Passport Polish
coordinated the favors and nail colors for this mini moon
wedding. Dayna’s nails feature Passport Polish’s Ayo
Scott Collection and Hanna is wearing their
Puerto Rico nail color with custom “love”
embellishment. The matching meringue favors are in
Dragonfruit and Violet flavors and perfectly
match the nail designs.
For the reception, Dayna and Hanna add lots of sparkle and a pop of color - red lipstick! -
to their looks. Dayna is wearing a black sequin-embellished, V-neck formal gown from
Pearl’s Place and Hanna is wearing a backless white lace wedding dress that she
designed, with a ruched back, scalloped train and embroidered jewelled detailing.
minimony glam
minimony glam
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 19
20 | N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com
it’s getting hot in here...
it’s getting hot in here...
...hot tub that is. Hanna and Dayna enjoy a bottle of bubbly in Jazz
Quarters’ hot tub. It’s the perfect place to end the reception and enjoy the
ambiance of this New Orleans courtyard. Hanna is wearing a satin white bodysuit with
ruffled neckline of her own design and Dayna is rocking a black bikini with a black and
gold body chain. Floating LED Pro Spheres from ELEMENT add to the party atmosphere.
N.O.W | NOWWeddingMagazine.com | 21