january 2014 A
GAMBIT
P UBL I C AT I O N
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CUE bride book JANUARY 2014
9
All about the dress
17
Engagement ring options
21
Pick a perfect theme
All the bells and whistles to create an on-trend look How to select the ring of your dreams Unique wedding experiences for nontraditional couples
25
Pop-up weddings
28
Getting hitched at home
The fun and ease of elopements with the pomp of traditional ceremonies
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BRIDING LESSONS Shrugs, jackets, overlays and accessories create an on-trend look. B Y
K AT
S T R O M Q U I S T
E
ven timeless garments like wedding gowns are subject to the vicissitudes of fashion. Sleeves disappear, lace embellishes bodices and trains, and colors shift into new palettes for the new year. As the spring wedding season approaches, local wedding boutiques prepare to roll out dresses in a host of new styles. This year, retailers will shelve clingy satin offerings in favor of ballgowns and fit-and-flare dresses. The overall effect is more temperate, yet still glamorous. “We are continuing to see the more ‘covered-up’ bride, which is a very chic look,” says Amy Casbarian, owner of Wedding Belles. “We are creating shrugs, jackets and boleros to complement strapless styles that are removable, but when made in the same fabrication as the gown look as though they are part of the gown.” Gowns that incorporate sleeves and jackets are a refreshing change from the parade of strapless dresses that formerly dominated wedding magazines. Straps and sleeves help gowns flatter a wider variety of body types, provide comfort and support, and adhere to church requirements for apparel. “A lot of churches nowadays, they want you to have some sort of strap or your shoulders covered, and [cap sleeves] take care of that without looking like they’re adding something to the dress,” says Stephanie Kass, manager at Bustles and Bows Bridal. Kass says many designers offer jackets that accompany certain gowns, which can be worn during the ceremony and removed during the reception, elimiPAGE 9: Ballgown with lace shoulders by Stella York, $1,000 at The Bridal Boutique by MaeMe. LEFT: Lace and satin gown by Stella York with keyhole back and lace overlay, starting at $1,000 at The Bridal Boutique by MaeMe. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Monroe dress by Amy Kuschel features a sheer lace bateau neckline, trumpet silhouette and lace applique, $3,400 at Wedding Belles. Drop waist gown by Essense of Australia with beaded vine pattern and tulle skirt, $1,000 and up at The Bridal Boutique by MaeMe. Vintage-inspired gown by Sophia Tolle with sheer tulle bateau neckline, embroidered empire bodice and mermaid silhouette with side embroidered accent at exaggerated dropped waist, $1,400 and up at Bustles & Bows.
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(LEFT) The Stanwyck dress by LulaKate has a French lace illusion neckline, cap sleeves and flared skirt, $3,400 at Wedding Belles. (RIGHT) The Peyton dress by LulaKate features a boatneck bodice with cocktail skirt in metallic guipur lace, $2,000 at Wedding Belles. nating the need for a separate reception dress. Kass says she’s seen more dresses with low, plunging backs or even backless styles. This is an extension of the keyhole back trend, which has enjoyed popularity in recent months. According to Kass, a low-cut back adds an element of sex appeal to dresses that don’t bare shoulders. Illusion necklines, where a thin layer of tulle or netting covers a deep V or sweetheart neckline, have also appeared at trunk shows. Another addition to bridal gown options is color. Both Kass and Melissa Estess, owner of the Bridal Boutique by MaeMe, commented on the appearance of colors beyond the typical white and ivory. During Estess’ visits to this year’s bridal runways she saw gowns with underlays and linings in oyster, romantique (a darker version of Champagne) and blush. These linings, especially dusty colors in gray or silver, make lace patterns pop. Designers often pair colored designs with laser-cut lace, a mechanically produced cutout pattern that provides more exposure for the underlay. A discussion of color, sleeves and neck and back details doesn’t touch on the issue of ac-
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cents and accessories, which have emerged as important parts of shopping for a wedding dress. Estess says the jewels on today’s gowns appear in larger clusters, for jewel-encrusted rather than lightly sparkling designs. Beaded belts and jewelry continue to provide glittering accents to less ornate gowns, as do yellow gold, rose gold and bronze accessories. Many accessory and styling choices are inspired by pop culture and influential celebrity weddings. This year, Kass noticed many brides looking for fascinators, headbands and other vintage accessories modeled after the extravagant costumes in the recent film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. At Wedding Belles, the staff encourages brides to get a sense of the latest trends on websites like Pinterest or blogs such as Green Wedding Shoes or Utterly Engaged. “Everything has become viral in the wedding industry,” Casbarian says. “[Blogs] put wedding details (dress included) in realistic settings, rather than a flat picture on a page. A lot of times it’s real brides and their real weddings. … Brides have more options at their fingertips, and it changes with every season, every year.”
For brides who are interested in the most fashionable gowns but may be constrained by a budget, Casbarian suggests attending sample sales and shopping far enough ahead to take advantage of end-of-season discounts. When shopping a trunk show or sample sale, brides should be ready to pay for the dress at the event. The gowns at sample sales are frequently sent to consignment shops afterward, so the sale itself may be your only opportunity to make the purchase. Ultimately, the wedding dress and its accessories have become an opportunity for a bride to exhibit her personal taste and stamp her aesthetic on the wedding as a whole. Though trends can offer new ideas, brides shouldn’t shop with a sense of obligation to what’s in vogue. Casbarian recommends brides view on-trend gowns as possibilities rather than inevitabilities. “The best favor any bride can do for herself is to shop with an open mind and be prepared to try on many different looks,” she says. “[This year’s] trends are less about silhouettes and more about styling.”
Lace gown by Sophia Tolli with keyhole back and chapel-length train, $1,700 at Bustles & Bows. ON THE COVER: Tulle modified mermaid gown with lace appliques by Sophia Tolle, starting at $1,600 at Bustles & Bows.
STORE INFORMATION The Bridal Boutique by MaeMe (3331 Severn Ave., Suite 102, Metairie, 504-2662771; www.mae-me.com) Bustles & Bows (3230 Severn Ave., Metairie, 504780-7090; www.bustlesandbowsbridal.com) Wedding Belles (3632 Magazine St., 504-891-1005; www.weddingbellesstationer.com)
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The ring is the thing Engagement ring options abound. Here’s how to select the ring of your dreams. B Y
M I S S Y
TOP: Original 1920s art deco 18-karat white gold ring with diamond and sapphires, $2,250. LEFT: Vintage 1940s platinum ring with .70 diamond, $4,250, both at Wellington & Co. (505 Royal St., 504-525-4855; www.wcjewelry.com).
W I L K I N S O N
Q
ueen Victoria wore a double snake ring. Kate Middleton wears Princess Diana’s sapphire. Beyonce and Jay Z have matching ring-finger tattoos. When it comes to engagement rings, there are at least as many ways to interpret the quintessential symbol for love as there are couples. If you’re in the market, remember the story attached to your ring is as precious as the stones and metal — and make sure it’s one you’ll cherish. “We have different stories attached to all the objects we are surrounded with in our lives,” says metalsmith Steven Donnelly. “In a lot of ways, the objects that surround us are ways we define ourselves. So the stories connected to something as important as an engagement ring are something people want to tell.” When it comes to engagement rings and wedding bands, there are three basic types: new, estate/antique and custom pieces. Wellington & Company owner Tom Whisnant says his third-generation French Quarter business handles all three. Buyers who choose antique (older
than 80 years) pieces often like the vintage feel and sense of history the rings convey. “Antique pieces are generally a little more delicate in the finish work,” Whisnant says. “The filigree is a little more delicate because it’s hand-finished. That’s a big attraction for people.” The most popular antique rings are geometric, art deco rings from the 1920s and 1930s and delicate, filigreed Edwardian rings from 1905 to 1920. “You get a better value with estate pieces,” says Whisnant, who scours estate sales for antique finds. If the antique ring of your dreams was sized for the diminutive women of yesteryear, the shop can modify it to fit. “We have lasers and everything to do sizing with,” Whisnant says. “We can pretty much size any piece.” For customers looking to recreate an antique ring from a photograph or memory, the sky is the limit. “We do a lot of custom work that has that vintage feel,” Whisnant says. “We’ve had people bring in everything from a fuzzy cellphone
picture to a photo of a yellow diamond necklace, and we can literally make it look exactly the same.” To give new pieces a sense of age, jewelers finish the rings with hand-engraving. Hand-detailing is a practice employed by Donnelly when he wishes to give jewelry a special feel. A metalsmith since 1995, Donnelly once worked with a budget-conscious couple who spent only $80 for two sterling silver engagement bands. Donnelly spent hours hammering marks into the silver. “I made the surface shimmer with all these super-fine hammer marks,” he says. “I would have charged a client a couple hundred bucks for the labor, but this was a friend of mine so I did it as a gift and a blessing on their engagement. So you can alter an object and make it precious in terms of meaning, not in terms of material. “That type of preciousness of meaning comes from the fact that the object has been humanized by the care of someone who loves
Fancy colored diamond rings in diamond and platinum settings from Tiffany & Co. (The Shops at Canal Place, 333 Canal St., 504-4346002; www.tiffany.com) PHOTO BY C A RLTON DAVIS
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Custom “Fire Leaf” engagement ring with ruby, yellow topaz, pearl, 14-karat yellow gold repousse and 14-karat palladium white gold by Steven Donnelly at Metal One (2717 Royal St., 504-427-8010; www. metalonenola.com).
Antique-style 14-karat white gold ring by Wellington & Co. with 1-carat diamond, $5,900 at Wellington & Co.
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the material and works on the material. It’s a terribly romantic idea.” Donnelly also creates custom rings for nontraditionalists who want to participate in the creation of the ring and the story behind it. He can rework heirloom pieces or create unique pieces based on a symbol or concept. “[Clients] want an object that has originated from an art or symbolism route and they want to work with an artist in developing an idea,” Donnelly says. “People want to participate in a real personal meaning in the piece.” For example, a client of Indian descent asked Donnelly to incorporate her grandmother’s birthstone, a ruby, into her engagement ring. Donnelly researched Indian folk tales, symbolism and meaning associated with rubies. “I found that in India, there’s a tradition of setting the ruby so the stone itself is in direct contact with the skin,” Donnelly says. “It’s almost the idea
that the ruby has been set into your body, because the red is a strong metaphor for the flame of your soul or the fire in your heart, a life vitality sort of idea.” In designing the ring, Donnelly manipulated the metal so the stone appeared nestled in the gold, an illustration of the bride’s family history and lineage. Clients who approach him with concepts for custom work generally do so about a year prior to their weddings, and the rings cost $500 to $3,000 or more, depending on the materials used. For couples who want the traditional experience of picking out a ring from a jewelry shop, Diane Brown recommends a visit to Tiffany & Co., where she is vice president. The famed jewelry store pioneered the Tiffany setting — a six-prong setting that highlights a diamond’s brilliance. “[Company founder] Charles Lewis Tiffany introduced the Tiffany setting to the world in 1886,” Brown says. “Today it’s not
only our most popular engagement ring setting, it is also known around the world as the Tiffany setting. It was the first setting that lifted the diamond off the band and allowed light to shine through the diamond and facets.” There are 10 other traditional Tiffany engagement ring styles, as well as fancy diamonds and colored stones. Brown advises people to go with whatever ring suits their fancy and their budget. “People ask what the most popular size is — it is really to match the personal style of the person wearing it,” she says. “You might have a woman who is petite but comfortable wearing a large ring, and then you could have someone who doesn’t want a traditional ring and wants a diamond band.” Brown says Tiffany rings start at $1,000. When a client comes into the store, the sales representative will pours him or her a glass of Champagne and asks about the ring’s recipient.
“The first thing we want to know is, tell us about your girlfriend,” she says. “How did you meet? What is her name? What does she do? And as soon as you propose, please bring her here. It’s an honor and a serious responsibility to assist with an engagement ring.” Brown says many clients get engaged in the store. She advises brides to patronize jewelers they trust and have fun selecting the ring. “You found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. The hard part is behind you,” she says. “Selecting the diamond should be the fun part. You’re going to look at your hand every day for the rest of your life, so you want something that makes you smile and symbolizes the meaning behind it.”
Diamond engagement rings in platinum and 18-karat gold by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. PHOTO COURTESY OF TIFFANY & CO.
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Uncommon themes B Y
D E L L A
How to plan a themed wedding that reflects your personality.
H A S S E L L E
PHOTOS BY BRENDA SISON PHOTOGRAPHY
L
ocal wedding traditions like second line parades and cake pulls are part of what make New Orleans unique. To an out-of-town couple planning a destination wedding here, the city can be a theme in itself, especially when it’s all decked out for Carnival. But couples don’t have to follow a formula to make a themed celebration work. The city’s architecture provides a wonderful backdrop for all kinds of weddings, whether they’re based on Carnival-inspired masked balls, The Great Gatsby-style blowouts, garden parties or a night at the circus. “A themed wedding is an idea or something that the couple loves, whether it’s a color, or the outdoors, or an era. It can be anything,” says Merideth Reed, a wedding planner for Belle Soiree. “The theme is the glue that binds everything together, from invitations to table settings.” Themed weddings set a certain look, and they’re perfect for couples who desire nontraditional parties that reflect their personalities. Many themed weddings incorporate guests into the aesthetic, as they’re often encouraged to dress in a certain style. The most important thing to remember when planning a themed wedding is to be genuine, Reed says. If the style is forced, the wedding can be kitschy rather than glamorous, romantic or fun. Reed helped one couple express their gothic style by organizing a traveling circus-themed wedding complete with costume-inspired outfits, a red and black-and-white striped color scheme and vintage props such as antique couches, a globe and an old trunk. The props came from Mrs. Vintage, a rental boutique in New Orleans that specializes in furniture and period pieces for vintage-style weddings and other events. “It definitely created a darker ambience in a fun way instead of the glitz and glamour that a wedding can have,” Reed says about the circus theme. “It had a more mysterious feel than a typical, sparkly-type wedding.” The right clothing was essential to creating the ambience of an old circus, Reed adds. The bride wore a corseted dress and a headpiece with a short black lace veil and carried a burgundy parasol. The groom wore a burgundy vest, a pocket watch and an ascot. For a boutonniere, he wore a cockade, a style of pin popular in the 18th century. Male members of the wedding party wore suspenders and bowties, and the flower girl wore a black, white and red leotard and a lace, pearl and feathered fascinator. The second line included a baton-twirling dancer. “I think it helped define them because they were a different couple,” Reed says. “This theme reflected on their personal style, which I always recommend. If the theme is pushed too hard and doesn’t feel natural, I don’t recommend doing it.” For Niki Walker, owner of Niki Walker Salon, period clothing was imperative to pulling off her 1920s-style wedding. Although
The bride and groom’s hairstyles, wardrobe and rings all reflect their wedding’s Art Deco theme.
several planners say the style became popular after the latest The Great Gatsby film, Walker says she has been infatuated with the Art Deco style for decades. “We’re 1920s people at heart,” Walker says of herself and her husband, fashion photographer Chip Kennedy. “We’re old souls.” “The 1920s fashion, to me, is a lifestyle,” Kennedy says. “It’s every day.” Walker wore a dress custom-made for her by designers Falguni and Shane Peacock, complete with leather, feathers, metal studs and a trailing skirt. She and Kennedy asked their guests to come dressed to the nines in 1920s fashions, too. In fact, it was so important to them that they considered rejecting people at the door who weren’t wearing some element of vintage style. “A themed wedding is a team event,” Kennedy says. “It’s every team player that makes it a success. It’s not about us — it’s about our people.” Their guests arrived with flapper hairstyles, feather boas, long pearls, bowties and PAGE 23
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LET US SHOW YOU THE BRIDAL SIDE OF THE MODERN. WEDDING PARTIES, REHEARSAL DINNER, BRUNCH
FOR INFORMATION ON EVENTS AND HOTEL RESERVATIONS CONTACT (504) 962 0900 THE HOTEL MODERN. 936 ST. CHARLES AVENUE. NEW ORLEANS. (800) 684 9525 | THEHOTELMODERN.COM
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top hats. Other Art Deco elements of the after-party, held in the French Quarter’s Hotel Maison de Ville, included a Champagne fountain, an old typewriter prop and a table setup inspired by the varied angles of the Manhattan skyline. But not every theme has to be so intricately staged, says planner Aimee Barousse of Plan B Weddings. She often bases themes on the wedding’s location, whether it’s in a garden or the courtyard of an old building. One of her weddings, held in City Park, utilized oversized Jenga and dominoes, hula hoops and a croquet set, which added a fun element to the setting. For garden-themed weddings, her clients usually choose alternatives to traditional flowers, such as baby vegetables, succulents in burlap sacks or potted plants as centerpieces, she added. “It’s all really small nuances,” Barousse says. “It’s really sweet.” For a more abstract approach, planner Robin Legendre says she’s designed whole weddings using the color scheme of favorite objects, such as magnolia flowers and peacock feathers. To emulate the color scheme of a peacock, Legendre hung blue chandeliers and worked with floral designers to recreate the colors of a peacock tail out of flowers. “Mine are usually high-end, and I try to keep it classic,” Legendre says of the weddings she plans. “I’ll take an element and work off that, like peacock green and blue, but you wouldn’t walk in and see this explosion of peacocks.”
An antique typewriter served as a prop at a 1920s-themed wedding.
TIPS FOR PLANNING A
Themed Wedding
• Choose a theme that reflects your personality as a couple.
Young wedding guests in flapper-inspired clothes reflect an Art Deco wedding theme.
• Encourage guests to dress the part by wearing costumes or period fashions. • Incorporate vintage furniture and props to set the mood. • A theme-appropriate color scheme (e.g., green and blue for a peacock-themed wedding or red and black for a circus theme) keeps things unified. • Consider a signature cocktail that reflects the theme (for example, a Prohibition-era cocktail like a sidecar at a 1920s wedding). Couples who desire a nontraditional wedding often gravitate toward themed weddings. JANUARY. 2 0 1 4 <<<
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Call our Wedding Experts at 504.553.2205 300 Bourbon Street | Sonesta.com/RoyalNewOrleans
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1/9/14 10:59 AM
Pop wedding GOES THE
B Y
M E G A N
B R A D E N - P E R R Y
Pop-up weddings combine the fun and ease of elopements with the pomp of traditional ceremonies.
P
op-up shops have grown in popularity over the past few years, with New Orleans seeing a proliferation of pop-up boutiques, restaurants, events and everything in between. Now Emily Alt of Emily Alt Photography in Michigan (www.emilyaltphotography.com) is bringing another type of flash retail to the city: pop-up weddings. Alt came up with the idea while wondering how to make extra money during the wedding off-season (November through April). She and her husband planned a long road trip during that time, so she thought she’d combine their travels with a business venture: quickie weddings using their vintage Airstream trailer as a pop-up wedding central.
Alt provides the setting, photography, officiant and flowers for her pop-up wedding ceremonies. PHOTO BY E MILY A LT
“I was thinking what would be really cool is to just do a super fast elopement, basically the idea of doing a Las Vegas elopement but in a cool city that’s not Las Vegas,” Alt says. “That’s where the pop-up wedding came from, the idea of how awesome it would be if all you had to do was just invite 20 of your friends and family, show up in a cool city – or maybe even the city where you already live – and then we take care of everything for you.” With years of wedding photography and working with stressed brides under her belt, Alt knew couples would be interested. “There’s so much pressure, so much stress and so much anxiety about making sure that your wedding is perfect, and making sure that everything goes exactly the way it’s supposed to and not upsetting any of your family members,” Alt says. “It’s just taking all of that pressure of planning the perfect wedding out of it and letting us handle it.” Each $1,500 outdoor wedding includes access to the Airstream trailer for pre-wedding preparation and alone time, a 15- to 20-minute ceremony performed by Alt’s husband Ian, ceremony photography and a 30-minute shoot of just the couple including all digital print rights, a handmade bouquet, seats for 20 guests, two bottles of Champagne and a gourmet picnic basket. Couples are welcome to provide their own officiants and customize the ceremony with musicians, dancers, poets, etc., as long as the ceremony doesn’t exceed 20 minutes. Alt tailors each wedding to the city where it’s
Wedding photographer Emily Alt takes pop-up weddings to the road with her vintage Airstream trailer. She makes a stop in New Orleans March 23. PHOTO BY E MILY A LT
happening, taking weather and culinary culture into account. In Michigan, she includes cherries and local beer in the picnic baskets and holds the ceremonies in a cherry orchard or on the beach. In Santa Fe, N.M., she has rented a house in case the weather is cold, but she hopes for a pretty day of desert views. “We’ll try to make sure the food in the picnic basket they’re getting is all local and kind of cool and unique to the city that it’s in, so that will be pretty easy with New Orleans,” says Alt, who is booking pop-up weddings now for her March 23 stop in New Orleans. As much as Alt likes the idea of pop-up weddings, she knows they aren’t perfect for every couple. “There are some people who just don’t want to upset their family members and end up feeling like they should just do regular weddings because that’s what their moms want,” she says. Though Alt welcomes all couples, those she thinks are perfect for pop-up weddings are older couples and those entering their second marriage who want to do something fun and unique, but don’t necessarily just want to go to the courthouse. “It should really be about what you want, and if this is what is perfect for you two as a couple, then it will end up being perfect for your families,” Alt says. “You just kind of have to trust in that process.” JANUARY. 2 0 1 4 <<<
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St. Francisville
west feliciana parish
Photo by A.K. Photography
Let your heartstrings set the beat... destination weddings • overnight accommodations intimate settings • historically romantic • uniquely unforgettable 800-789-4221 • www.stfrancisville.us • West Feliciana Parish Tourism
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Magical words in a dream-come-true ceremony at the
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Backyard bliss BY
JEANIE RIESS
W
hen Hurricane Ivan threatened to touch down on the day of Sara Barkley Landrieu’s wedding in 2004, the bride-to-be just hung a sign on the gate that read, “Wedding canceled due to Ivan.” It wasn’t a big deal, she says, because it was a backyard wedding. A backyard wedding means something different to everyone. It can be an extravagant affair complete with a dance floor, floral arrangements and catered food or it can be a potluck meal with guests barefoot in the grass. But
to Landrieu it meant no caterers or bands to reschedule and no venue deposit to lose. “We didn’t have anything invested in it,” she says. Landrieu, an interior decorator and occasional event planner, was able to get married the following April at her Solomon Street home, with a couple of pigs in the oven for homemade cochon de lait and DIY cake stands and centerpieces. Landrieu is hosting another backyard wedding at her house in February, this one for her daughter Ashley. She says if more people
Backyard weddings offer affordability, flexibility and a personal feel.
knew how easy it was, they would opt for at-home fun as opposed to venue-based weddings. “Weddings have gotten really out of hand, financially, for most people,” Landrieu says. “Most people can’t afford to drop … anywhere from $20,000 to $120,000, or more than that, on a wedding.” Debbie Blanchard, an event coordinator with New Orleans Party Rentals, says she has seen an increase in backyard weddings over the past year, and she suspects they have become popular not only because they’re more budget-friendly but they also offer the couple freedom. “Some [people] like the flexibility of saying, ‘No one is going to tell me when my party will go from and to,’” she says. “They have a little more flexibility if it’s in their own yard.” Even backyard weddings can be over-the-top affairs. Blanchard
says many people don’t realize how much they’ll have to spend to set up a venue at home. “I think, honestly, they start out thinking it’s going to be cheaper. ... They’re just surprised, when they start ordering all this stuff, how quickly it adds up,” she says. For backyard weddings, Blanchard says many couples rent a tent with a dance floor, outdoor lighting, chairs for guests and even heating and cooling systems. Making your backyard into a wedding venue can be pricey, with couples spending as much as $5,000 on tents and chairs alone. The main reason for a tent is to have a rain plan. Tents are waterproof and flaps can be added to the sides to block wind or add warmth. Blanchard says many couples reserve tents in case there’s rain, and then want to cancel the order when they realize the wedding day is bright and sunny. But most
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rental companies won’t allow for last-minute cancellations. Landrieu didn’t have a rain plan at her wedding, and she says she’ll wing it again at Ashley’s. Having a house as a shelter makes this easier. “In my case, I was just prepared to take all of my furniture into the basement if it turned into an emergency,” she says. “You can fit 200 people in my house. ” But flexibility is the name of the backyard wedding game. It’s your space, Landrieu says, and you can fill it with whatever fanfare you think you need. The trick is personalizing each element of the wedding to get what you want out of the day. Another kind of backyard party that’s gaining popularity is a potluck wedding in which guests each contribute a dish to the feast. New Orleans native Liz Matthews got married in North Carolina last spring, and though the party was catered, friends and family of the bride and groom all contributed something to make the event special. The bride’s college friends all cooked for the rehearsal dinner. A musician friend of the couple stepped in to play guitar during
the ceremony and another acted as official wedding photographer. A family friend presided over the wedding vows. Wildflowers, which were collected throughout the hills of Western Carolina, were arranged by an army of friends and family the morning of the wedding. Vickie Bilisoly, a friend in attendance, says the collaboration made the whole evening more memorable. “If you needed more greenery or wildflowers, you just ran outside with the clippers,” she says. “A bridal brunch? No thanks. This was much more fun, and we were able to admire our handiwork at the reception that night.” Landrieu considered a potluck wedding this time around. “That’s a really cute idea,” she says, though her daughter opted for food trucks to feed guests. Landrieu’s neighbors donated their driveways for makeshift bars, and a band will play on her front porch. The whole block is invited to the party. “When you have a wedding at home it’s just so much nicer,” Landrieu says. “It’s more intimate. It’s more about the couple, about their love.”
A backyard wedding is as simple or elaborate as you want it to be. PHOTO BY JEANIE RIESS
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30 CUE bride book
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*Photo Courtesy of NOWWMagazine
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