Lauren and Matthew: New Orleans Weird Wedding Photography
New Orleans Wedding Photography
Lauren and Matthew tie the knot at a Masonic Temple
Throughout my 15 year career as a New Orleans Wedding Photographer, I’ve had the privilege of photographing multiple weddings for people I have known for years. Lauren and I used to thrash about, sweaty and elated, in the front row of Morning 40 shows back in our twenties. We once sat in my backyard and burned remnants of our pasts, welcoming in a brighter future. We watched each other go from wild children to vibrant, weird adults. Being an accomplished photographer on the day of her wedding to a wonderful man was a day in the story of our friendship that perfectly summed up the evolution of our lives.
A former roller derby girl and current aerialist, twerk teacher, and graphic designer, Lauren is the exact flavor of weird that I love. She found her match in Matthew, a sweet man with a sneaky sense of humor that keeps Lauren in stitches. The first time they met, she told him “I don’t like you” and he said “I can live with that”. And as her hilarious and heartfelt vows said, she not only grew to like him, she grew to really, really love him. Watching the two of them interact (hell, thinking about it right now) put tears of joy in my eye. The love they have for each other is obvious in the way Matthew quietly put his hand on Lauren’s back while she was talking to guests or the way she closes her eyes when he kisses her on the forehead. The built a life together on laughter and love and I am some mix of proud and envious of what Lauren has made of her life.
We couldn’t have some run-of-the-mill first look for a pink haired bride and a couple getting married in a Masonic Lodge. At their rehearsal dinner, Lauren told me they had access to their friends, Max and Nico’s, pink classic Ford Galaxy to ride to the ceremony in. And I said- “well what if we did your first look in the car? Just picture it- you’re sitting in the backseat, Matthew walks up and opens the door, gives you his hand, and you step out to see him for the first time.” She and I both started crying. This was clearly the move. So I put my head together with several of her bridesmaids- two old and dear friends of mine, Mallory and Andrea-to figure out the perfect place to park the car for first look photography. A first look in a car was going to be tricky- especially because we were doing it at a time in the afternoon where half of the street would be in direct sunlight. So the location needed to be on the shady side of the street, where we wouldn’t have cars parked in the way, and have a backdrop as interesting and vibrant as the car and couple. We mulled over a ton of locations until it hit me- I had just seen a real estate listing for a house that I knew extremely well. It was a bright pink and turquoise number with skull details on the shutters. Sitting directly across the street from a close friend of mine’s house, I’d seen it a million times. But I don’t think I would have thought of it had I not seen that it was for sale (and that they’re asking an astronomical amount for it because it’s been operating as an illegal air bnb for years). Since nobody lives there full time, it seemed like it would be possible to catch it without cars in front of it. But this was going to require a team of help!
In the morning, Max and Nico’s business partner (they co-own the incredible shop Dynamo together) and friend of mine, Hope, went over to the house to hold down the spot until Max could leave the shop. She stood out there drinking iced coffee and just waiting, bless her flawless heart (side note, I attended her wedding at the same Masonic Lodge several years ago!), making sure nobody parked in front of the house. Then she tagged out with Max when he brought the car over and got it parked where we wanted it. But then they realized that the car needed to be washed! Hope called and asked me if I thought they should bring it to the car wash. I was already at Lauren’s for bride prep at that point and we were only an hour or so out from the First Look. I asked if they could possible spot clean the white top because moving the car this late in the game ran the risk of losing the spot. So Max got started on hand cleaning his car like a GD angel and we were all systems go.
Lauren’s impromptu First Look with her mother was so sweet. She walked down the stairs and found her mom standing at the bottom. I’ll never forget Lulu saying “I love you so much” while cry/laughing into a huge hug with her daughter. (I used to sweat it out on crowded dance floors with Lulu too. She was my party mom, always making sure I got home safely and no creepy guys messed with me.) She helped Lauren finish getting ready before I helped Lauren get her fluffy, glittery dress into my car so we could head to the first look while Lulu and the rest of the bridesmaids headed to the venue (I’m fairly certain there is STILL glitter on my front seat lol). I met up with my second photographer, Nathan Tucker at the First Look location where Max was putting the finishing cleaning touches on the Galaxy. The scene was exactly how I envisioned it (save for some trash cans I hurriedly drug out of the shot). We did some bridal portraits of Lauren in front of the car before tucking her inside to await Matthew’s arrival (it was a warm day in late October and the car doesn’t have AC so I also had Max open up all the windows to let the heat out long before we arrived. No baking the bride!) Matthew arrived, the First Look went just as planned and I cried like a baby. We did some portraits before they made their way to the venue. I jumped in my car and RACED there so that I could beat the car and get shots of it coming down the street. Lauren bonked her head getting out of the car at the venue and the photos are hilarious! She laughed it off and headed into Etoile Polaire Lodge No. 1. With Matthew at her side, not even bonking her noggin was going to wreck their good time.
The ceremony was officiated by an old friend of Matthew’s with a reading by his sister, candles lit by Matthew’s father and Lauren’s mother in honor of the couple’s other parents who had passed, and personally written vows from the couple. There was so much laughter, so many happy tears, and a HUGE cheer when the couple kissed. I was crying and laughing the whole time too while enjoying working in such an unusual but beautiful space. I had never worked with Nathan before and we were making a great team. For a big wedding with a bunch of moving parts, things were going so incredibly smoothly. That’s exactly the kind of day I had hoped for for this couple!
The ceremony was small for just close friends and family while the reception was a big party. The Tin Men opened the evening followed by DJ Fayard (who I’ve also known forever. We did theater together when I was in college!) Etoile Polaire is an interesting old building with doors lining the sides that can be opened up out onto the lawn, allowing guests to spill outside. I was pretty tired by then and Nathan did an excellent job of capturing candids while I took a break for dinner. 8 hour wedding days are loooong and a solid second shooter can be the difference between a hard day and a less-stressful one. After seeing his shots, I really hope Nathan will second shoot with me all the time! His shots blended with mine very well and he took some incredible portraits at the first look, too. All in all, it was a beautiful, successful day with an incredibly happy couple and a bunch of elated guests.
I’ve yammered on long enough. Here’s a selection of images from Lauren and Matthew’s weird New Orleans Wedding at Etoile Polaire Masonic Lodge No 1.
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