Jennifer and Jay: New Orleans Small Wedding Photography
New Orleans Wedding Photography
Jennifer and Jay hold the first ever wedding at the brand new Virgin Hotel in New Orleans.
I wanted to start this post by saying “sometimes, I get on the phone with a prospective client and we click instantly”. But the truth is that this happens more than just sometimes- it happens most of the time. Ever since branding myself as the “Photographer for Weirdos” the right people have found their way to me. Jennifer and Jay were absolutely the right people.
Jennifer and Jay planned their wedding somewhat last minute after covid got in the way of planning multiple times. So when they were referred to me, they were sure I wouldn’t be available. But since the majority of my work is Surprise Proposals anymore, I don’t book up as far in advance as people who photograph mainly weddings (Proposals usually book 2-4 weeks in advance vs weddings which normally book 3-12 months in advance) and I had their date open! I could hear the sigh of relief on the other end of the line when I told Jennifer I was available. She said it felt kismet. And I agreed.
They were slated to be the first ever wedding at the brand new Virgin Hotel in Downtown New Orleans. I was really excited to be a part of this historic event! But also after chatting with Jennifer for just a little while, I knew I was going to really enjoy working with them. I got to meet both of them via zoom the week before and that knowing was deepened. I could tell their wedding was going to be wonderful and I already felt honored to be a part of it.
The spaces they had to get ready in were beautiful. They were just hotel rooms at Virgin but they had gorgeous natural light and were expertly decorated. I was able to get some great shots of both of them with their people. Their solo portraits literally looked like they tumbled right out of a bridal magazine. Jennifer stunned in her off-the-shoulder long-sleeved gown with her side-swept hair. And Jay’s tailored green velvet tux was a show-stopper (I want a suit like that!).
The only downside of the day was that the hotel limited where we could shoot so our options for their first look were either in the event spaces that were still being setup or on the staircase in the main downstairs bar. When I scouted it, it looked lovely. But by the time we did the first look, the lighting had changed drastically (I had them pull the house lights up as much as possible and it was still pretty dim). It was still a beautiful moment even if they weren’t getting doused in sunlight. We had plenty of that for their portraits upstairs!
Their ceremony was officiated by a good friend of theirs and she killed it. I love it when ceremonies are officiated by someone who knows the couple- they are always honest retellings of the couple’s story usually full of funny anecdotes. This officiation brought tears and laughter to everyone in the house- myself included! It was a wonderful ceremony. But the reception, though. That party went off.
I’ll be honest, receptions are usually my least favorite part of a wedding. By the time it starts I’m typically already exhausted, hungry, and after the first hour people are pretty housed. Folks tend to get pretty grabby at receptions and especially in this post-covid world, that gets really uncomfortable really fast. But even though this wedding reception was in a small room that was challenging to maneuver around, every guest was wonderful. People were really lovely and respected my personal space. It must sound weird for a wedding photographer to talk about receptions this way but the way I feel during the reception often colors the way I feel about the whole day. And I had such a nice time at this one! Aside from everyone being great, they really partied on the dance floor! It was so fun watching Jennifer and Jay’s families come together to get down. I think my favorite moment was when Jennifer danced with Jay’s mom. Or maybe it was Jay and his Dad turning it up. It’s hard to say- it was one big love fest with a couple that everyone adored. I see big things in this couple’s future and I hope to cross paths with them again.
Here’s a selection of images from Jennifer and Jay’s modern wedding at the Virgin Hotel New Orleans Dreamboat room.
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