Tessa and Chris
Felicity Church Elopement

I’ve got several Felicity Church wedding, elopement, and bridal portrait photos in my galleries, and that’s because it’s a favorite venue of mine! I’ve photographed larger weddings here, but this particular Kansas couple eloped in New Orleans, with just the two of them present.

The moody photograph of the couple on the stairs demonstrates one of my favorite methods of posing a couple. Though some of my couple portraits are carefully posed, more often than not, I prefer to capture shots that are more candid in nature. This particular image represents a mix of those two styles, and resulted from me simply observing the couple as I was getting set up for the shot. Rather than me only trying to describe a certain movement or look I have in my head, which may or may not fit well with their personality, I also try to watch for visual cues on how they naturally behave, and use that as the starting point for my posing instructions.

The groom had contacted me a few months prior, seeking guidance on a location that fit with the look they were seeking, and Felicity Church, with its gorgeous patina, was the first thing that came to my mind.

After a brief ceremony, we spent the rest of our time on portraits of the couple.

One of the best things about Felicity Church is that it provides plenty of great spots to shoot, with no worries about weather. As it turned out, this was a fortuitous decision, as it was indeed a rainy day. But we embraced it!

Finishing up in City Park

My elopement sessions usually last an hour and a half, which is about the right amount of time for the ceremony and portraits in one location. This is also sufficient for multiple locations in the same general area, such as around the French Quarter. But in this case, the couple also wanted some photographs in New Orleans City Park, so they booked some additional time. Although it rained most of the day, we were still able to grab some umbrella-free shots in the drizzle.

We wrapped up with some beignets at the City Park location of Cafe du Monde. Beignets are often just ordered as a prop, but in this particular case the bride and groom were actually quite hungry from their busy day. So, they were very much appreciative of the suggestion to do this shot!