There's no better way to celebrate a New Orleans wedding than to have a second line parade through the French Quarter. Led by an authentic brass band, such as the fabulous Kinfolk Brass Band shown here (without question the most popular and prolific wedding second line band in the city), the bride and groom pump parasols or umbrellas up and down as guests wave handkerchiefs and crowds of tourists cheer the group on from the sidewalks and balconies. The parade can be scheduled to take place either between the ceremony and reception as this one was, or capping off the celebration at the end of the reception.
Sometimes the decision as to when to have the second line can be one of logistics, as it's a great way to move everyone from the ceremony location to the reception venue in a fun and festive manner if it's within walking distance, or for weddings where the ceremony and reception are both taking place at the same location, it provides venue staff the opportunity to quickly rearrange the space without inconveniencing the guests.
Mother Nature Couldn't Rain on This Bride's Parade!
Just as we were getting ready to depart the Maison Dupuy Hotel on Toulouse Street for this particular parade, which took place after the ceremony, a light drizzle started to fall, but we continued anyway. The rain became a bit heavier, but even that didn't stop us!
While I'm sure the bride would have greatly preferred to have had perfect weather on her wedding day, I love the spirit that this photograph so perfectly captures: a resilient and fun-loving couple and group of guests who were not about to let a little rain get in the way of their celebration, and devoted musicians who persevered through the bad weather instead of insisting that the parade be canceled and just fulfilling their obligation by playing inside the venue for a little while.
Despite the unpleasant conditions, I did not want to miss the opportunity to capture these wonderful images for my couple, so I continued to shoot. While it was not enjoyable working in wet clothes for the rest of the evening, it certainly was worth it for this amazing sequence of pictures!
Here's what the bride wrote to me immediately after the wedding:
Thank you SO much for your amazing photography and incredible professionalism! Your photos are such a blessing and are a beautiful way to ensure our memories are forever preserved. We can't thank you enough! Merry Christmas!
She followed up later with this more extensive review:
Oh my gosh! I can't say enough about Michael. What I will say first is that I LOVE our photographs! Being on a strict budget, I also love that I knew up front what our price range would be. Michael did our engagement and wedding photos. He made us feel SO comfortable and WAS not pushy. When we got our photos back, I kept thinking WOW how did he get that shot when he was just over here shooting this angle?! Michael is super professional and very accommodating . It starting raining during our second line, and Michael never skipped a beat in covering us. I mean...at one point it was POURING...but he just kept shooting, even with his expensive equipment.. Thank you so much, Michael for capturing our special day! If you're looking for someone you can trust with capturing what you want and more, hire Michael! He will always be a recommendation of our!
Groom JOINS IN With the Band
Another unique aspect of this wedding image was the trombonist who is marching next to the bride... that's the groom! He was a musician during his time serving in the military, and the awesome members of the Kinfolk Brass Band were cool enough to let him join in and play along with them as they made their way through the streets of the Vieux Carré.
I was thrilled when the bride contacted me to do a portrait session during their trip to New Orleans celebrating their five year anniversary, with their precious daughter!
