Secondhand Wedding Dress for a Fun New Orleans Wedding with Brass Band Procession
Photography by Nancy Ebert Fotografie
What Made Our Day Unique
Well firstly we flew from London to New Orleans! Most of our guests had never been there before, but we fell in love with the city when we visited once before. Having a brass band playing us out of our wedding ceremony and onto our wedding ceremony venue, was pretty unique! We found our wedding planner Michelle Norwood, through one of the venues that we were going to book. She came highly recommended. Luckily she was pretty established and knew which suppliers would fit into our budget. We were mostly concerned with beignet cost-efficient but also proving our guests with a typical New Orleans experience. We were particularly adamant about the food being authentic Southern BBQ, which all our guests adoredBridgette & Saul
Secondhand Wedding Dress
Bridgette had no desire to try on hundreds of wedding dresses, and whilst casually browsing the internet one day, came across a bridal collection by Johanna Ortiz. She knew instantly she had found 'the one.' Undeterred by her findings that the gown she loved was no longer available, she managed to hunt down a secondhand wedding dress on an auction site, with the seller living only 10 minutes away! The gown fit like a glove and looks like it was made for Bridgette. The ruffle skirt and shoulder detail is divine, not to mention the tie-up back.
Inspiration & Styling
The overall vibe of the day was super chill with wild dancing! We wanted guests to feel comfortable, so there was no strict dress code. We kept the fact that there would be a Second-line procession, a secret from our guests. But I did explain that comfortable footwear was a must. I myself changed out of my wedding shoes and into my Vans trainers, as soon as possible, so I could dance for the entire night. One of my favourite parts of the day was the vow exchange, between Saul and I. It really did feel incredibly intimate. Another moment that springs to mind is our amazing after dinner rain dance. All-day we had been treated to beautiful sunshine, and then as soon as the plates and glassware were cleared away, the heavens opened up. Rather than retreating inside, everyone ran out and the brass band kept playing. We all got soaked dancing in the rain, and I’m not sure I’ve ever been happier.Bridgette & Saul
Advice
Be selfish. Everyone will bask in your love, and you will be satisfied knowing you have satisfied yourselves. It is worth noting, that if you pay for the majority of it yourself, then you really do have the right to throw whatever kind of party you want! That cliché of the day going so fast is TRUE. Carve out moments for just you and your partner. Don’t put pressure on yourself to make it the best day in the universe; cause chances are it will be anyway by virtue of the fact that you are saying ‘I do’ to your person.Bridgette & Saul
Groomsmen in Tuxedo jackets have been taking over our pages during the festive break. From grey velvet dinner jackets to burgundy red plush numbers, there is a cut and colour to suit all. Search our real wedding archives to see them all and more stylish weddings. You'll also find more real weddings by talented Photographer Nancy, and a Black Brides Matter editorial we think you'll love too.
