How to Make Your Destination Wedding Feel Like You, A Guide to Weddings in NOLA
Some weddings rush by so fast. But weddings in NOLA move to their own rhythm, soulful, slow-burning, and alive. This one felt like a story you want to relive over and over again, one filled with spontaneity and so much heart.
Mallory and Anthony’s wedding weekend in New Orleans was everything I love about documentary weddings as a travel wedding photographer. It wasn’t about a rigid timeline or over-planning. It was just their real, lived-in love.. They trusted me fully, let the moments unfold without force, and gave me full creative freedom to shoot the entire thing on film. From their first look across the street in their childhood homes to their airplane exit and cannoli cake, it was messy, joyful, and completely personal.
Planning a destination wedding, especially in a city like New Orleans, doesn’t mean letting go of what makes you feel at home. It just means finding new ways to carry that sense of closeness and comfort with you. Here’s how to do just that, no matter how far you roam.
Get Ready Somewhere That Means Something (Even for Weddings in NOLA)
One of the easiest ways to infuse home into your destination wedding? Start the day in a place that already holds your heart. Mallory got ready with her girls in Anthony’s grandfather’s house, while Anthony prepped across the street in his childhood home with his crew.
They were getting ready in spaces layered with history, stories, and family energy. It was both convenient and it really meant something. That kind of setting adds something intangible to your photos. It slows the day down. It makes the whole experience feel more connected and real.
Surround Yourself With Your People (and Let the Day Unfold)
Weddings in NOLA aren’t meant to be quiet affairs, and neither was this one. From the welcome party to the late-night dancing, Mallory and Anthony’s entire weekend was a reunion of their favorite people. They weren’t chasing perfection; they were chasing joy. And that joy filled every corner of the room!
Their church filled up just before golden hour, guests buzzing with excitement. Once the ceremony ended, the rules fell away. The reception was hosted in an old airport terminal where people danced with martinis in hand, cannolis on plates, and zero regard for tradition.
Even better, no one was checking their watches. There was no rigid timeline. Just music, movement, and the kind of laughter you can feel in your chest.
When you invite your people in fully and let the day be what it is, you don’t need a shot list. You just need space for the story to unfold. I actually wrote a whole blog about this: why ditching the shot list isn’t a bad thing, and how leaning on your vendors, especially your travel wedding photographer, can make room for the real, emotional, unplanned moments that matter most. Check that out here!!
Choose a Venue That Matches Your Energy Especially for Weddings in NOLA
You don’t need a specific wedding venue to throw a party. You just need a space that makes people feel something.
Mallory and Anthony hosted their reception in an old airport terminal, spacious, industrial, completely unexpected. It wasn’t traditional, but it was so undeniably them. Wide open, full of life, and ready to hold all the dancing, cannoli-cutting, and late-night joy their people brought in.
That’s the thing about weddings in NOLA, there’s no one way to do them. Whether it’s a church in the neighborhood you grew up in or a terminal-turned-dance-floor, your venue should reflect your energy. The best spaces are the ones that echo your kind of love: unfiltered, a little bit wild, and entirely unforgettable.
Fill Your Day With Details That Feel Like You
Every detail felt alive, real, and entirely theirs! That’s what happens when you stop trying to control the moment and just live it.. A cannoli cake that made everyone laugh. A first dance that turned into a full-on sing-along. A group photo on the mezzanine that was beautifully chaotic.
Weddings in NOLA are already full of personality, but Mallory and Anthony made theirs feel even more personal by letting go of expectations. They didn’t pose for the camera. They didn’t perform for their guests. They simply lived the day, and trusted me to document it as it was.
When your details come from the heart, they tell the truth about who you are, and that’s the best way to make your day something you’ll remember forever.
Book Me For Weddings in NOLA As Your Travel Wedding Photographer
Mallory and Anthony’s wedding was a reminder that the best celebrations aren’t the ones that follow the rules; they’re the ones that follow the heart. From getting ready in their family homes to dancing through the night in an old airport terminal, every piece of their weekend felt personal, present, and full of intention. Weddings in NOLA are magic on their own, but when you bring your people, your story, and your trust into the mix, that’s when the real beauty happens.
If you’re planning a destination wedding and want it to feel grounded, emotional, and real, I’d love to be there. As a travel wedding photographer, these are the stories I live to tell. Let it be messy and meaningful. But most importantly, let it be yours. Reach out today and let’s connect!!
Here are a few more blogs to help plan your intentional and unique wedding day!
The Power of Documentary Wedding Photography During a Wedding Weekend in Arkansas