Paloma and Cole wanted a laid-back, typical New Orleans wedding. They both really love to travel, so wanted to have their wedding somewhere unique that they would want to plan a vacation to. Most of all they wanted to keep the day fun and to avoid the stuffiness of a traditional wedding.

“We had a quick, intimate ceremony with 50 guests in a small wedding chapel in the French Quarter”, the bride began. “The ceiling of the chapel was covered in hundreds of dollar bills, and there were giant cardboard cutouts of our dog Hunter’s face on either side of the altar (which was essential, since he was back at home, in Seattle, with a nanny). My best friend, Sierra, was my officiant, and Cole and I said our own vows — his were unbelievably sweet and heartfelt, and mine were, of course, an awkward stand-up routine. Afterwards, we pinned our own dollar bill to the ceiling of the chapel.”

“Immediately after our ceremony, we led a second-line parade through the French Quarter to our reception venue. The parade consisted of our friends and family pelting people with mardi gras beads, a brass band, and a police escort. It was a blast!”

Their reception was held at Brennan’s, a traditional New Orleans restaurant. They didn’t fuss with lots of extra details – there was no cake, their photographer made Paloma’s bouquet and they put together their own playlist of requests from their guests instead of hiring a band or DJ.