Bride & Groom Fall 2018

Bride + G R O O M A GUIDE TO NEW ORLEANS WEDDINGS + UNIONS | FALL 2018

KEEPSAKE GIFTS FOR BRIDAL PARTIES VENUES WITH HISTORY NEW LOOKS FOR BRIDESMAIDS BACHELOR PARTY IDEAS

Bands of love NONTRADITIONAL ENGAGEMENT RINGS AND WEDDING BANDS

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P U B L I C A T I O N

LET THE HISTORIC FAIR GROUNDS RACE COURSE BE THE BACKDROP OF YOUR WEDDING. • Wedding ceremonies and receptions, rehearsal parties, bridal showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties • Indoor or outdoor space to accommodate 75-600 people • Full service catering available on site • Free secure parking

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For more information, contact Denece Laborde at (504) 948-1159.

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CONTENTS FA LL 2 01 8

7 9 10

Wedding rings Nontraditional designs as unique as you are

Attendant gifts Trinkets your bridesmaids and groomsmen will cherish

Venues

Historic backdrops for your special i l day d

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Fall brides-maid trendss

This season n, anything goe es

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Bridal styles

Experts tell what’s trending

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Bachelor parties

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What’s new on New Orleans’ bridal scene

Ideas beyond the all-night bender

Couture Bridal Collective and V. Paperie’s “She Said Yes” gift box

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Resources

ON THE COVER:

Model wears a rainbow moonstone with two 3-point diamonds set in 18-karat yellow gold, $2,200, and an 18-karat yellow gold wide band with scattered gold beads and eight 3-point diamonds, $2,800, both handmade by Ann Marie Cianciolo for Gallery Two. Manicure

by Katalina Mitchell for Paint’d (1581 Magazine St., Suite 3, 504-309-2311; www.paint-d.com).

Special thanks to Anastasia Apostolos and Gallery Two for hosting our cover shoot. Photo by Leslie Gamboni.

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Make Your

BR I DA L E V ENT

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O REMEMBER ONE T AT E M E R I L’ S D E L M O N I C O

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LOCATED ON HISTORIC ST. CHARLES AVENUE.

To book your private party please contact:

NAME

TITLE

Sandy Odom

Regional Sales Manager

PHONE

EMAIL

(504) 524-4241 WEBSITE

Sandy.Odom@emerillagasse.com

www.emerilsrestaurants.com

RINGS

Nontraditional

ENGAGEMENT RINGS AND WEDDING BANDS for the MODERN COUPLE

Rose-cut black diamond with four five-point diamonds set in 14-karat white gold, $3,800, and 14-karat white gold band with six two-point diamonds and 18-karat yellow gold scattered beads, $2,600, handmade by Ann Marie Cianciolo at Gallery Two.

18-karat yellow gold band with a 1.05-carat rose-cut champagne diamond “shield” and .12 carats of pave white diamonds, $6,800 at Marion Cage.

Comfort-fit gun scroll band in 14-karat yellow gold, $1,000 at Symmetry Jewelers.

Wire cage band in 18-karat yellow gold and 14-karat white gold, $2,400, and rose-cut sapphire set in 18-karat yellow with 14-karat white gold beads, $1,600, handmade by Ann Marie Cianciolo at Gallery Two.

BY K AT HERINE M . JOHNS ON

Polished 14-karat white gold band accented with 7/8 total carat weight of diamonds, $3,995 at Jewelers Fisher and Sons Jewelers.

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0THER HAND

Alligator ring with salt-andpepper diamond and rubies set in 14-karat gold, from $1,000 for custom designs at Porter Lyons.

BRIDE + GROOM

On the

Circa 1930s ring with round-cut diamonds (.75 total carat weight) in 14-karat white gold, $1,950 at Wellington & Company.

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FOR YOUR HISTORIC DAY The National WWII Museum invites you to customize your special event in one of our stunning spaces. We offer multiple unique venues located in the heart of the Warehouse District.

Photos courtesy of Studio Tran Photography (Beebe Tran)

• Wedding Receptions • Rehearsal Dinners • Social & Corporate Events • Bridal Luncheons

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504-528-1944 x 288 rentals@nationalww2museum.org nationalww2museum.org/rentals

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Say “I Do” to St. Bernard Parish Just minutes away from the New Orleans French Quarter, St. Bernard is ready to host your next event.

Between the historic St. Bernard Parish Courthouse, the quaint Aycock Barn in Arabi, or the expansive Frederick J. Sigur Center, we can accommodate any event you have in store.

No matter what setting you have in mind, be it a small intimate gathering or a party for a couple thousand, contact us for more information to host your next event!

Follow St. Bernard Tourism on OF

FI C

E OF TO UR

IS

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w w w.visitstbernard.com | (504) 278.4242

AT T E N DA N T G I F T S

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VENUES

SOMETHING OLD,

SOMETHING

BY K ANDACE P O W E R G R AV E S

Historic settings add substance and beauty to weddings that herald new beginnings NEW ORLEANS’ 300-YEAR HISTORY has given the city a rich culture and mystique that serves as a perfect palette for weddings. Its historic buildings stand as testaments to its past and present and provide bridal couples with a background for beginning their own histories, adding layers of texture and glamour to the present. Using historic venues doesn’t obligate a couple to styles of the past. They meld seamlessly with modern trends and add visual interest that more modern buildings don’t afford. Here are a few historic

THE CREOLE QUEEN The Mississippi River has played an indelible role in the history of New Orleans, and paddle-wheelers are a picturesque and romantic part of the city’s past. The Creole Queen, a crisp white boat with wrought-iron railings on its decks and a 24-foot in diameter red paddle-wheel, provides wedding couples with a luxurious and unusual setting for nuptials, whether you have a small wedding or a guest list of 800. The backdrop is suitable for a storybook-style event or one trending to modern. You also can choose to have the boat cruise the river or remain dockside. Open-air ceremonies are performed on the promenade deck (the captain is ordained to perform weddings) and receptions are held in the dining rooms, which are decorated in the Victorian style. There’s a space for a band to perform and a wooden parquet dance floor. The venue offers catering, bar packages and event planning services. Though the ship looks like an antique, it was built in 1983 and has modern air-conditioning, heating and sound systems along with a fuel-efficient diesel-electric power system.

The boat’s event planners also can help with hotel accommodations and transportation for guests as well as booking other tours and attractions.

venues that can add flavor to a wedding or reception.

PHOTO BY LIZ DAINO PHOTOGR APHY

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The Creole Queen paddle-wheeler holds wedding ceremonies on the promenade deck with a view of the city and the Mississippi River.

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VENUES

THE BLUE ROOM/ THE ROOSEVELT NEW ORLEANS The Blue Room opened in 1935 as a luxurious supper club offering upscale dining, entertainment and dancing. The room is lavishly decorated in gold and blue with gold brocade walls, graceful columns, a performance stage, cobalt carpeting and century-old crystal chandeliers. The room is nestled in the opulent Roosevelt New Orleans hotel, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year after going through periods as the Grunewald Hotel and the Fairmont.

The Blue Room has attracted the famous, both as guests and performers, including Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Marlene Dietrich, Jimmy Durante, Lou Rawls and bands from the jazz and swing eras.

The elegant room works well for weddings with modern bents or those themed on past ages. The Roosevelt offers full catering, wedding cakes and its own signature cocktail, the Sazerac. Its history includes visitors from around the world, including presidents, royalty and celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Sonny and Cher. (It also was a favorite hangout of former Louisiana Gov. Huey Long.) For Catholics, it’s conveniently located across the street from Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church.

PHOTO BY BROC ATO PHOTOGR APHY

A Gatsby-style wedding found an appropriate backdrop at The Roosevelt’s Blue Room.

THE CIVIC THEATRE Built in 1906 as a performance theater by brothers Sam, Lee and J.J. Shubert, credited with developing the Broadway theater district in New York City, The Civic Theatre offers a backdrop of restored Beaux Arts plasterwork, an art deco light fixture, a lavish performance stage (with a curtain, perfect for a bold entrance) and elegant architectural details. During a $10 million renovation in 2011, modern touches were added including sleek designs for beverage bars and restrooms, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems and modular flooring that can be raised or lowered to meet space and design needs. There’s a catwalk, picturesque balconies and an opera box for cutting the cake, exchanging vows or other dramatic moments, evoking the building’s history of offering vaudeville, burlesque, cinema, concerts, disco, plays and more — at times with famous names such as Cecil B. Demille and Mae West. It can accommodate several hundred guests.

PHOTO COURTESY THE CIVIC THE ATRE

The opera box at The Civic Theatre provides a dramatic location for cake cutting, vows and other wedding moments.

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VENUES

Celebrate your special day a t A n t o i n e ’s R e s t a u r a n t

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Book your next party, rehearsal dinner or wedding today!

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www.antoines.com | 504-581-4422 725 Rue Saint Louis New Orleans, LA 70130

THE FAIR GROUNDS RACE COURSE & SLOTS Did you meet your betrothed during Thanksgiving Day horse racing, a tradition for many New Orleanians, or during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival? You can memorialize that meeting with a wedding at The Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Weddings are staged in the club house, which has floor-toceiling windows offering a view of the city, or in the paddock, which has hosted an array of race winners. Opened in 1872, the Fair Grounds offers a historic setting with an exciting ambience and a full-service wedding staff that can provide everything from decor, florals and food to padded chairs, elegant aisle runners and hanging rose balls. Guest seating for open-air weddings in the paddock is arranged around the graceful hedges of the winner’s circle, and a trophy riser provides a stage for the ceremony. Couples also can opt for a ceremony with a bridal arch in the horse paddock itself. Menu options vary from seafood and Louisiana dishes to rotisserie meats, mini muffulettas and pastas.

Weddings at the Fair Grounds Race Course can be held in the clubhouse, outside the paddock area or in the paddock.

‘I do’?

BRIDESMAIDS

About to say,

FIND OUT WH AT’S NEW in BR IDESM AID DR ESSES

By Suzanne Pfefferle Tafur

WHEN IT COMES TO BRIDAL FASHION, THE EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THE DRESS. The bride’s dress, that is. But bridesmaids’ dresses shouldn’t be an afterthought, especially since there are so many gorgeous options out there. Wedding parties now can sashay down the aisle in on-trend gowns influenced by celebrity fashions and evening wear. This season, “anything goes,” says Courtney Schulman, co-owner of Pearl’s Place in Metairie.

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Women are leaning toward gowns with sleek silhouettes and crisscross straps.

DRESS BY THE DESSY GROUP, $257 AT TOWN & COUNTRY BRIDAL.

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DRESS BY HAYLEY PAIGE OCCASIONS, $270 AT TOWN & COUNTRY BRIDAL .

Brides and bridesmaids are swooning over stretchy crepe and satin numbers that hug the body, rather than wispy chiffon or sequined gowns, which have been popular in recent years, Schulman says.

“We’re seeing a return to the cleaner, sleeker, unembellished look,” she says.

At Couture Bridal Collective in Harvey, coowner Randi Lawrence Jones has noticed an interest in fitted, fitted, satin dresses adorned with sparkly embellishments and exquisite appliques, a departure from what was common about five five years ago, she says.

“What we saw back then was a lot of chiffon, sweetheart necklines, and high-waist dresses,” Lawrence Jones says. “It was very whimsical and flowy flowy — kind of what we call ‘the garden-look’ of bridesmaids’ dresses.”

That’s not to say fairy-like elegance is out of style, however.

“We’re still seeing a lot of brides go in that direction, but we just notice this rise of the glamorous bridesmaid,” Lawrence Jones adds.

BRIDE + GROOM

Dresses in jewel tones are popular during fall and winter months.

Although strapless wedding dresses remain classic choices, brides and bridesmaids are leaning toward gowns with a higher neckline or a portrait, off-the-shoulder neckline, along with dresses with pretty crisscrossed straps in the back, says Mandy Wienhusen, owner of Town & Country Bridal. Brides also are opting for bridesmaid gowns with sleeves, she adds.

Jumpsuits, which already are popular in everyday fashion, are popping up at weddings, Schulman says.

“You had (designer) Ines Di Santo and a few other designers do this on the runway with bridal gowns. And now, it’s trickled down to bridesmaids,” she says. “It’s fun if you’re into that look and want to try something a little different.

And the wear-again possibilities are so much greater.”

SL EEK IS CHIC

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NO OCCASION IS COMPLETE WITHOUT THE

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PERFECT

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CAKE

call or email to create your custom cake: 504-708-4366 info@shopsucre.com magazine lakeside french quarter

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SH A DES OF T HE SE A SON

Off-the-shoulder gowns are having a moment.

As for trending dress colors, Wienhusen says rich jewel tones and even forest green are au courant.

“Some colors we’ll see more of at certain times of the year,” she says. “Certainly, we’ll see more [jewel tones] in the colder months — not that it’s ever really that cold here.”

The color of choice at Pearl’s Place is burgundy, but misty blues are having a moment, and “blush is still going pretty strong,” Schulman says. She’s also noticed a trend in ivory bridesmaid gowns.

“We’re seeing a little bit of the return of the all ivory wedding, where there’s no color; the bridesmaids’ dresses are all ivory,” she says, pointing out that Solange Knowles and other celebrities have achieved this look with aplomb.

DRESS BY THE DESSY GROUP, $257 AT TOWN & COUNTRY BRIDAL.

T HE T R EN DSET T ER S

A stretch crepe jumpsuit in burgundy features three trends in one: sleek lines, a modern silhouette and a deep jewel tone hue.

JUMPSUIT BY WATTERS, $265 AT COUTURE BRIDAL COLLECTIVE.

MI X A N D M ATCH

DRESS BY WATTERS, $280 AT COUTURE BRIDAL COLLECTIVE.

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Blush colors still are trendy, along with sparkly, fitted gowns.

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Although most brides prefer their group to have a cohesive appearance, many find a way to spice things up.

“We’ll still see a lot of brides choosing a specific fabric and color but allowing her bridesmaids to choose the style of gown that they feel most comfortable in, that shows their individual personalities,” Wienhusen says.

Other brides, she notes, are even more flexible. For example, a collection of dresses in a wedding party may include rose gold sequins, blush chiffon and nude crepe.

Brides and designers are inspired by what celebrities wear when they’re walking down the red carpet — or the aisle of St. George’s Cathedral in Southwark, South London.

When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, her off-the-shoulder wedding gown quickly sparked interest in bridesmaid dresses featuring similar cuts and styles, according to Wienhusen and Schulman.

Lawrence Jones says the dazzling gowns worn by A-list actresses during awards season influence trends in bridal fashion. The designers from Naama & Anat Haute Couture are known to take their cues from the red carpet, she says.

But when brides or bridesmaids are searching for ideas, they still rely largely on Pinterest, the social network brimming with artsy images of brides and bridesmaids, among other fashionable outfits.

“They’ll come in with all their pins and say: ‘I want to look just like this.’ And then we find the dress,” Wienhusen says. “It’s important for us to shop [designer] market[s] to stay ahead of the trend, so that by the time it trickles down to us, we have it in store. If there’s a certain style or color palette that’s doing well, we’ll bring in more, so our brides have more options and variety. But we keep it fresh with what’s happened on the runway.”

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G OW N S

BY K ANDACE POWER GR AVE S

“Femi is a gorgeous mermaid gown with an elegant newera sequin body and flesh tone underlay. The gown features a sweetheart neck, spaghetti straps and organza bottom.”

— CO-OWNERS RANDI LAWRENCE JONES AND RASCHELLE LAWRENCE-DILLON

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Wedding experts give the low down on their favorite new gowns

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The Femi gown by Pandora Bridal, $4,000 at Couture Bridal Collective.

“This gown has become an instant favorite among our team and our brides. The gown’s classic silhouette flatters every body type, drawing attention to the waistline and accentuating feminine lines. The off-the-shoulder draped strap adds a modern, flirty and romantic touch. The soft placement of sparkle on the bodice makes this gown appropriate for day or night. For brides seeking variety in their wedding day look, the straps are detachable, transforming the piece into a beautiful strapless ball gown.” — OWNER MANDY WIENHUSEN Flowing tulle gown in blush or ivory by Hayley Paige, $2,860 at Town & Country Bridal.

G OW N S

“A modern and unique design, chic and fabulous for the bride who is not afraid to make a statement. It’s so on trend for what is happening right now in couture bridal, but with an affordable price point.”

— COURTNEY SCHULMAN Lace and tulle gown by L’amour by Calla Blanche, $1,300 at Pearl’s Place.

— OWNER Y VONNE LAFLEUR

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PHOTO BY CHRIS BRENNAN

Hollywood glamour gown with a crepe skirt, French lace and a crystal and pearl waist detail, $1,499 at Yvonne LaFleur.

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”We love this gown because of its timeless silhouette, soft feminine fabric and just the right amount of sparkle.”

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ARTY ’S AT D U N N

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985-400-9416 | 110 Campbell Ave. Ste. 1 Mandeville, LA 70471 www.ROYALEVENTSNOLA.com

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AND SONNIER

B AC H E L O R PA RT I E S

PEDAL TO THE METAL

TAKE TO THE SKY There’s nothing quite like jumping from a plane and floating to earth safely under a parachute, all while experiencing a rush of adrenaline and getting a bird’s eye view of the landscape below.

Gold Coast Skydivers, with a drop zone at the St. Tammany Regional Airport in Abita Springs, offers single-diver jumps and tandem jumps, in which someone new to the sport is harnessed to an experienced skydiving instructor. The twin turbine jump plane can accommodate up to seven skydivers at a time. Instruction on skydiving basics is available (the one for tandem jumps only takes about 10 minutes), and there are discounts for parties of five or more. There also are video and photo packages available.

IT’S A

y u G THING BACHELOR PARTIES THE GROOM WILL REMEMBER

BY K ANDACE POWER GR AVES IF YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH

HI T T HE L IN K S

PRETTY IN PAINT

For an all-day gaming experience, Slidell offers two paintball parks: Gulf Coast Paintball and LA XTreme Paintball. Rent an airgun with a load of paintballs and scurry around a large field trying to outsmart and outmaneuver your competitors in war games.

The shooting sport uses airguns to shoot dye- or paint-filled capsules that break when they hit a person or object. Safety equipment, air refills and paintballs are available for rent on-site, and paint from broken balls washes out easily from clothing, hair and skin. The paintball fields generally are open on weekends, but you can rent the entire facility on an off day or book private play for an extra fee.

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Choose from among 95 championship golf courses around the world and make your way around the links without breaking a sweat (at least from the temperature) with a bachelor party at Loft 18, an indoor virtual golf park in Metairie. The 7,400-square-foot complex includes 4K projectors, controllable weather conditions on the courses and full-swing simulator golf stalls that can accommodate eight to 10 people.

Teams can play 18 holes, which takes about two hours for four players to complete, or participate in longest-drive and showdown golf contests. You can bring your own golf clubs or rent some from Loft 18. There’s also live music and a full restaurant and bar on the premises of the year-old complex.

Brews Cruise offers a variety of tours of breweries in the New Orleans area and on the Northshore (or a combination of both), with a party bus providing transportation, snacks, bottled water, swag bags and a place to keep the beer you’ve bought along the way cold. Groups can join a public tour of three breweries or a personalized private adventure. Organizers help groups find breweries that offer craft beers to fit their tastes and tour guides educate guests on the brewing process and the different styles of beer offered at each location. Each cruise includes an in-depth tour of one of the breweries on the schedule and three to five beer samples at each stop. Brews Cruise staff also can help tour participants with dinner reservations, entertainment recommendations and tickets and other accommodations. All tours begin and end at The Avenue Pub (1732 St. Charles Ave.).

BRIDE + GROOM

trends more toward The Hangover or a night on Bourbon Street replete with a pounding head and nausea the next day, it might be time to rethink the tradition. Here are some ideas for bachelor parties that are heavy on fun and memories and light on regrets.

BACHELOR PARTIES

A T R AV EL ING TOA ST

The $62 million NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale offers a range of driving experiences from adult-size go-karts to super sports cars that reach 140 mph. All include refreshments and a hospitality area. The “Super Geaux Kart Party” includes a briefing for eight to 15 drivers, a practice session and a qualifying race before a final race.

The heats are professionally run, there’s a track manager, flagman and timekeeper and scorekeeper. Safety gear and awards are included in the package. NOLA Motorsports Park also is home to the Xtreme Xperience, which offers a chance to drive (or ride with an experienced driver) four laps in a Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Huracan or Porsche 911 GT3 on a 1.8mile racetrack with lots of turns and a long straightaway or on a 7-acre sprint circuit skid pad. There’s also a Supercar Academy with one-on-one driving instruction, skid pad exercises and four extended track sessions.

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TIPS

IT’S IN THE

BY K AT HER INE M. JOHNSON

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Vanessa Herbert, owner of V. Paperie, worked with small businesses — many woman-owned — from all over the country to create her “She Said Yes” bridal gift box.

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WHEN DID YOU LAST GET A CARD MADE OF ACTUAL PAPER … in the mail?

Vanessa Herbert, owner of V. Paperie (www.vpaperie.com), wants to see to it that you can. She began her company in 2016, around the time subscription boxes such as Birchbox were becoming popular.

“I am an old-school kind of person,” Herbert says. “I still write out my grocery list on paper … [and] I have never even opened the Notes (app) on my phone. … I’m also a huge snail mail nerd. There is nothing more exciting than receiving a letter from someone in the mail.”

Her monthly boxed paper goods and stationery deliveries include items such as recipe cards, thank you notes, colored pens and pencils and notebooks, curated around a theme.

This year, she decided to add to her box collection, unveiling the “She Said Yes” gift box for brides-to-be.

There are two available configurations of the box. The full box ($100) contains a wedding planner book, lavender bubble bath by ZandCompany, a hand-painted gold-rimmed ring dish by The Painted Press, nail color in “Ladies Who Lunch” by local polish heroes Native Polish, “The Catalina” felt tip pen in black ink by U Brands, and eight each of V. Paperie’s own “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” and thank you cards.

The smaller box ($55) includes the planner, ring dish and eight bridesmaid cards. In either box, customers can substitute one set of cards for the other by requesting a switch in the comments section of the order

form. Customers also can purchase additional thank you notes for $4.50 each or contact Herbert separately about special pricing for bulk orders.

Each vendor she worked with to curate the box hails from a small business, and many are woman-owned.

“I didn’t want to go too corporate,” she says. “I wanted to (work with) small businesses and support those small businesses because that’s what I am. The ring dishes come from an Etsy store — they’re just two gals like me.”

Herbert chose the All the Essentials Wedding Planner by Alison Hotchkiss for her bridal box. Narrowing down the selection was no easy feat — a cursory search on Barnes & Noble’s website turns up 537 results for “wedding planner book.”

“I had all of my married friends compare a bunch of books and they all chose this one,” she says.

“It’s beautifully put together, easy to navigate (with) tabs for easy-tofind sections and it lays flat and has rings. Every one of my friends who looked at all the books I was choosing from gasped at the ‘lay flat with rings’ aspect.”

Herbert already has plans for future projects, including a pregnancy gift box and other one-off collections, all inspired by the design of her bridal box.

“I try to have a theme with all of my boxes,” she says. “The colors, the look and feel — I like the softness of it. …

I love how it all fits together. It’s not just random things thrown in. It’s all a story. I’m proud of it.”

TIPS

ON THE PLUS

BY K AT HER INE M . J O HN S O N

PHOTO BY ADRIENNE BAT TISTELL A PHOTOGRAPHY

Couture Bridal Collective specializes in gowns for plus-sized brides, but also can order standard sizes for clients.

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shop will host pop-up trunk shows of formal wear to help clients with their Carnival season attire.

Already, the store’s reception has been positive and far-reaching.

“We’ve been getting brides that come from as far as Savannah, Georgia coming to our shop,” Lawrence-Dillon says.

The sisters have been in the wedding business for a decade and agree that shopping for a wedding gown is the watershed moment of a bride’s path to the altar.

“When we think about getting married and finding the perfect dress, it’s the experience that sticks with us forever,” Lawrence Jones says. “It’s the experience of putting on a dress, standing on a pedestal, looking at yourself in the mirror and saying, ‘I’m going to be Mrs. Someone.’ We want to make sure that every bride in every size can have that same experience and take that with them for the rest of their life.”

BRIDE + GROOM

RASCHELLE LAWRENCE-DILLON AND RANDI LAWRENCE JONES ARE ON A MISSION. The sisters opened their bridal boutique, Couture Bridal Collective, in August with a specific goal in mind. The West Bank store caters to plus-sized brides and is the only store of its kind in the Greater New Orleans area. The concept for the shop was born out of the misery Lawrence Jones endured while shopping for her own wedding dress.

“I went into a shop and unfortunately didn’t have the best experience,” Lawrence Jones says.

“I really felt like I was being rushed through the process because I could only go to one rack to look at gowns, because that was the only rack that held plus-sized gowns. …

What is that telling women in our society of all sizes — that there are designers that won’t even cater to you?”

Lawrence-Dillon has heard similar complaints from brides who’ve since come to Couture Bridal to shop for gowns.

“I had a bride tell me that they call it ‘paper-dolling,’ when (bridal shop associates) pin a dress to the front of you because you can’t get into the dress,” she says.

Couture Bridal was created to give women of all shapes and sizes the attention and selection they want when searching for the most important dress they may ever wear. The shop carries gowns in sizes 12 to 32 from Watters and its sister brand, Wtoo, Pantora Bridal, Naama & Anat Haute Couture and Pronovias.

“We have designers in our shops that are not presented in any other shop in the state of Louisiana,” Lawrence-Dillon says. “For instance, we have Naama & Anat.

We’re the only store in the state that’s going to carry her gowns.”

Gown sizes for brides to try on run between 12 and 32, but the sisters can order sizes 0 to 10.

Couture Bridal also carries a selection of veils, headpieces and belts, and will add an exclusive jewelry collection in the next few months.

From October to February, the

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RESOURCES

A listing of the retailers and professionals featured in this issue of Bride + Groom.

On the other hand PAGE 7

Fisher and Sons Jewelers

5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 1, Metairie, (504) 885-4956; www.fishersonsjewelers.com

Gallery Two

831 Royal St., (504) 513-8312; www.gallerytwonola.com

Marion Cage

3807 Magazine St., (504) 891-8848; www.marioncage.com

Porter Lyons

631 Toulouse St., (504) 518-4945; www.porterlyons.com

Symmetry Jewelers

8138 Hampson St., (504) 861-9925; www.symmetryjewelers.com

Wellington & Company

505 Royal St., (504) 525-4855; www.wcjewelry.com

I do-venirs PAGE 9

John’s Tuxedos

3200 Houma Blvd., Metairie, (504) 4555353; www.johnstuxedos.com

Little Miss Muffin

The Creole Queen

365 Canal St., Suite 2350, (504) 293-2314; www.creolequeen.com

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

1751 Gentilly Blvd., (504) 944-5515; www.fairgroundsracecourse.com

About to say, ‘I do?’

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Couture Bridal Collective

Fountain Park Centre, 1901 Manhattan Blvd., Suite 105, Harvey, (504) 598-5333; www.couturebridalcollective.com

Pearl’s Place

3114 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 885-9213; www.pearlsplace.com

Town & Country Bridal

1514 St. Charles Ave., (504) 523-7027; www.townandcountrybridal.com

Modern tradition PAGE 16

Couture Bridal Collective See About to say, ‘I do?’

Pearl’s Place

See About to say, ‘I do?’

Town & Country Bridal See About to say, ‘I do?’

244 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 833-6321; 766 Harrison Ave., (504) 482-8200; www.shoplittlemissmuffin.com

Yvonne LaFleur

PenandLetter

It’s a guy thing

www.etsy.com/shop/penandletter

PHINA

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Brews Cruise

(504) 517-4671; www.brewscruise. com/neworleans

Gold Coast Skydivers

Sotre

650 Poydras St., Suite 1400, (800) 796-7117; www.goldcoastskydivers.com

William + James

Gulf Coast Paintball 54262 Apple Pie Ridge Road, Slidell, (985) 707-7445; www.slidellpaintball.com

3933 Magazine St., (504) 304-9475; www.sotrenola.com www.williamplusjames.com

Something old, something new

LA Xtreme Paintball

The Blue Room

Loft 18

The Roosevelt New Orleans, 130 Roosevelt Way, (504) 648-1200; www.therooseveltneworleans.com

3128 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 827-1059; www.loft18.com

The Civic Theatre

11075 Nicolle Blvd., Avondale, (504) 302-4875; www.nolamotor.com

510 O’Keefe Ave., (504) 272-0865; www.civicnola.com

NOLA Motorsports Park

• FA L L 2 01 8

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37000 Dr. T.J. Smith Sr. Expressway, Slidell, (985) 285-1644; www.laxpaintball.com

BRIDE + GROOM

3013 Magazine St., (504) 510-5777; 3717 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 888-4141; www.phinashop.com

8131 Hampson St., (504) 866-9666; www.yvonnelafleur.com

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