Sample No. 0054

A New Orleans Wedding With a Magnolia Bridge Ceremony and Intimate Garden Reception

Bridal Fashion & Beauty Amy Jul 18, 2016

Catherine and Brad paired a meaningful bridge ceremony with a 65-person reception, winter florals and personal New Orleans details.

A New Orleans Wedding With a Magnolia Bridge Ceremony and Intimate Garden Reception

For Catherine and Brad, the setting carried as much meaning as the wedding-day design. They married on the Magnolia Bridge over Bayou St. John, a familiar spot in Brad’s MidCity neighborhood, then celebrated with 65 guests on the lawn of the nearby Pitot House. Their winter palette of deep red, green, ivory, silver and gold tied the day together, while personal touches reflected the city and the couple’s shared history.

A proposal that suited them

Catherine, a professional wedding photographer, and Brad met while studying architecture. After six years together, they decided to marry. Their engagement began during a conversation about their future while Catherine was moving into a new house. Brad found a simple gold thumb ring among her unpacked jewelry, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Her proper ring was already being made, he explained, but he didn’t want to wait another day.

New Orleans was the natural place to celebrate: it was their favorite city, and they wanted a wedding that felt whimsical, sentimental and magical. The bridge had long been part of their routine, along the route they took biking and walking from Brad’s home toward City Park. Choosing it made the ceremony location personal, not just picturesque.

Fashion with a personal point of view

Catherine chose a high-low gown, which gave her shoes a visible role throughout the day. The dress had faint yellow hues at the top and blue tones below. She asked her seamstress to remake its bodice as a halter so she could add a beaded capelet by Carol Hannah. The resulting combination gave her a distinctive silhouette without relying on a veil, which she felt wouldn’t suit the bridge setting.

Her ivory sparkly shoes were by Badgley Mischka. Catherine chose a soft fishtail bun and the Nadia circlet by Jennifer Behr. Sam, the sister of makeup artist Sara Buteaux, did her makeup when Sara was unavailable. Catherine said Sam helped her feel comfortable and did a beautiful job.

The shoes were part of a look designed to be seen, while the capelet and circlet added detail without overwhelming the gown. For the two bridesmaids, Catherine picked shimmering gold “Annabelle” dresses by Jenny Yoo, purchased from Wedding Belles Nola. Their dresses brought warmth to the winter colors alongside the red flowers and greenery.

Deep red flowers and a familiar route

Florals supplied much of the color. Catherine’s bouquet combined deep red peonies, garden roses and eucalyptus. Mia and Sophie of Root Floral Design also created reception garlands with peonies, pinecones, eucalyptus and roses. That mix carried the same rich, seasonal feel from the ceremony to the dinner setting.

After exchanging vows on the Magnolia Bridge, the couple and their guests made a second-line procession to the reception, accompanied by Three37. The route connected two nearby places: Catherine and Brad held their reception at the Pitot House, less than 500 feet from the bridge. Catherine said they first admired it as a beautiful historic New Orleans home before realizing it could host a wedding.

A reception shaped around 65 guests

The reception took place on the Pitot House lawn beneath a clear tent. It began as the sun was setting and continued under string lights. With 65 people attending, Catherine and Brad wanted the arrangement to feel cozy and intimate, especially during the toasts. The home’s white exterior and two-story galleries, framed by large emerald green shutters, provided a distinctive backdrop.

The couple carried their connection to the city into the seating plan. A laser-cut New Orleans map, framed for display, served as the seating chart. Each guest’s name was cut out and linked with string to the part of the city represented by their table. At each place setting, a gold charger sat alongside the menu and a wooden name piece large enough for guests to keep.

The cake followed the couple’s preference for simplicity. Bittersweet Confections, Nola made a two-tier cake covered in white fondant and finished with an olive branch. Inside, almond cake was paired with cookies-and-cream filling. The spare decoration echoed Catherine and Brad’s architecture backgrounds, while the flavor combination gave the dessert its own character.

People, music and memories

Catherine’s favorite moment was the couple’s exit, which felt like the joyful close to a day spent with the people closest to them. She encouraged couples to stay true to their own vision and make choices that feel like theirs. For this wedding, that meant a meaningful neighborhood ceremony, a city-inspired seating chart and a celebration sized to feel close-knit.

Photographer Marissa Lambert was chosen in part because she also worked with film and shared Catherine’s approach to wedding photography. Their friend Kaylynn Marie joined Lambert, and Catherine recalled that both photographers kept the energy up throughout the day. Brock Gomez and his fiancée Natalie filmed the wedding, giving the couple photographs and video to revisit.