This couple concluded their amazing Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans wedding reception with a second line, which got kicked off in the hotel's ballroom as the band led the couple and their guests downstairs.
The day began with a ceremony at St. Joseph's Catholic Church (complete with the priest playing a song for the couple with his accordion).
There was a gap between the end of the ceremony and the start of the reception, so we used some of this time for portraits of the couple and the wedding party around the French Quarter, such as this semi-candid shot of the group walking through Pirate's Alley, which is next to St. Louis Cathedral.
The reception, with entertainment provided by the River City Hit Squad, took place at the Four Seasons Hotel, but before the guests entered, the couple shared a private dance in the empty ballroom.
The groom is an airline pilot, and the couple incorporated this as the theme of their dinner seating chart by having a personalized luggage tag for each guest, which was marked with an airport code representing the table where they were to be seated.
At the end of the night, the couple was given a cold spark send-off. These are devices that, upon remote activation by an operator, produce a shower of sparks that are completely safe, presenting no fire hazard, which is of particular concern for French Quarter weddings. I've even seen cold sparks used indoors! In the case of this particular photo, I asked that the bride and groom stop just slightly behind where the machines were placed (rather than in front of them), as in addition to making the spark effect more prominent, it also enabled me to use the light produced by the effect to illuminate the couple.
The whole group then proceeded on a second line parade to Hotel Monteleone where the celebration would continue at the famous Carousel Bar!
The event was coordinated by Beth's Flowers.
A few months after the wedding, the bride had these kind words to say about me:
We just got our wedding pictures back (after only 3 weeks) and WOW! Michael made us look like models. He instructed us just enough to get amazing shots without being intrusive. Given we had a full day of events, the fact that he worked with us to keep our budget manageable was a huge bonus. Now that we are looking through his shots, we appreciate just how many he orchestrated, making it difficult to narrow down what we will share with our guests! Thank you, Michael!
The iconic building at the foot of Canal Street that the Four Seasons Hotel now occupies began its life in 1968 as the World Trade Center (sometimes referred to as the International Trade Mart). Designed by Modernist architect Edward Durell Stone, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
The World Trade Center was home to numerous organizations and businesses associated with international trade, but its occupancy eventually declined and it was closed around 2011. After being acquired by the City of New Orleans, it sat unused for several years. Some residents of the city advocated for the building to be torn down and replaced with a park, while others believed that the landmark structure should be saved and renovated.
In 2018, it was announced that the tower would be redeveloped by The Four Seasons as a 341 room hotel (with 92 private residence condominiums as well, which occupy the upper floors). The project took several years and cost $450 million, with the new hotel opening in 2021.
The Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans is in a great location for tourists, being located right by the Mississippi River, within easy walking distance to both the French Quarter, the Ernest Morial Convention Center, and the CBD, with Harrah's Casino directly across the street and the Riverwalk Outlet Mall nearby as well.
In its capacity as a New Orleans wedding venue, the hotel can accommodate two simultaneous full-sized weddings with its pair of spacious ballrooms, and also features an outdoor garden space on the ground floor that is perfect for a more intimate event. Indeed, on the evening of this wedding, the other ballroom was playing host to another large wedding, and a smaller event was taking place in the garden area downstairs.
Location: 2 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130.
