Gillian and Jordan
Wedding at Race and Religious in New Orleans

I always love when the couple stops and kisses as they are recessing down the aisle at the end of the ceremony, as this bride and groom did at their Race and Religious wedding in New Orleans. Rabbi Todd Silverman from Touro Synagogue officiated the ceremony and was a pleasure to work with. Uncommon Camellia coordinated the event. This popular wedding coordination company offers an add-on detail styling service. For this, they bring a variety of small props to incorporate into the setups. It was nice collaborating with the stylist to capture a variety of detail shots such as the one in the gallery below.

A Drizzly Day

The couple’s wedding day started out with a first look. It was intended to take place on the bridge that spans between the upper floor of one of the main houses and a smaller building on the property, but a light drizzle had begun to fall, necessitating a quick change in plans to utilize the covered porch, but it still looked spectacular! Formal group shots and portraits in front of the gorgeous Race Street façade were high on the bride’s priority list, so even though it was sporadically drizzly (and quite windy!) day, we put a lot of effort into making sure we were able to capture these shots.

Well-known New Orleans florist Kim Starr Wise did the floral arrangements, including the gorgeous chuppah (a traditional symbolic structure for Jewish weddings), and the beautiful bouquets.

As inclement weather had been predicted, the couple had arranged for the outdoor space to be covered with tents. The clear tents that were provided are better than white tents in terms of preserving as much of the beautiful ambiance of Race and Religious as possible, and not being visibly detracting.

But the Rain Didn’t Stop Us!

With just a very light drizzle falling, at the conclusion of the ceremony we were able to head out on a second line parade while venue staff flipped the space for the reception. The band After 8 was on hand for the entertainment, and did a fabulous job keeping the party going all night. At the end of the night, the light rain, which had become somewhat persistent during the reception, thankfully had abated enough to allow for a sparkler send-off!

New Orleans Wedding Live Painter

Also present was famed New Orleans wedding live painter Alex Harvie. Known for his trademark paint-splattered suit and thick-rimmed sunglasses perched on top of his head, his wedding paintings are instantly recognizable. He puts great effort into incorporating key individuals (in addition to the bride and groom, of course), such as immediate family members and the bridal party.

At this particular wedding, he was concerned about having missed one of the bridesmaids, and with a quick review of the images on my camera, he was able to identify the missing person and get her added. Despite (simply by the nature of this style of painting) each face consisting of just a few blobs of paint, these people are actually identifiable!

He’s also very entertaining to watch as he paints the scene. It’s not uncommon to see groups of guests standing around watching him during the reception, taking in the show as he works throughout the evening.

About Race and Religious

Constructed in the 1830s and named for the intersection of the two streets at which it is located, this Lower Garden District compound features several buildings, courtyards, doorways, balconies, and walls that photograph very well, along with some beautiful interior spaces.

The two main houses were originally separate properties, before being combined into the present configuration in a process beginning in 2003 when the owner of the home that faces Race Street purchased the one that faces Religious Street. The combined property has been the subject of a tremendous amount of absolutely amazing renovation work as well as being furnished with a variety of pieces of artwork and European antiques.

The rectangular pool that was added in the courtyard can be covered if a particular event dictates, which increases the amount of available space.

It’s an amazing place for a wedding, and has even been featured as a filming location for numerous motion pictures, television shows, and music videos.