REAL WEDDING JOURNAL · NEW ORLEANS

A New Orleans Wedding

Satin, a mantilla veil, and photographs on an ordinary city sidewalk.

Some of my favourite wedding photographs weren't taken in a ballroom or a carefully arranged garden. They were taken on a public sidewalk in New Orleans.

Outside the Roosevelt Hotel on Baronne Street, there was a one-way sign, the gold Sazerac lettering on the building, and people going about their afternoon. It wasn't a private setting or a planned photo backdrop. It was simply the city around us, and somehow that made the pictures feel even more personal.

We had finished the indoor photographs, and I was under strict instructions to keep my dress on a little longer. Looking back, I'm very glad I listened.

A little more time in the dress, and a few favourite photographs.

01 — THE SETTING

A City That Became Part of the Story

The plan was never to close off the street or turn it into a production. The Roosevelt's warm stone facade and black sign with its gold lettering already had everything I wanted in the background.

There was a green street sign, a one-way arrow, passing cars and afternoon shadows falling across the pavement. It looked like New Orleans, not a polished version of it made for a postcard.

A couple of people walked past and offered congratulations. Nobody needed to stop the city for us. We just stepped into it for a little while.

02 — THE DRESS

The Shape I Kept Coming Back To

Mine was a strapless mermaid wedding dress in smooth white satin, with a notched sweetheart neckline. Instead of a simple straight edge, the neckline dips into a small V at the centre. It's a subtle detail, but it gives the bodice a lovely shape.

I'm about 5'6" and weighed around 139 pounds on the wedding day. For a long time, I had worried that a strapless dress would need constant adjusting. I won't pretend I never thought about it during the day, but the bodice was made to hold its shape. I only found myself tugging it a couple of times.

I chose the fitted silhouette deliberately. The mermaid shape follows the hips and thighs before opening out lower down, giving the dress a clean, defined outline.

Satin has a beautiful, uninterrupted sheen, but it is also a fabric that makes fit especially important. It catches light across the body and can reveal folds when the fit isn't quite right. Mine was taken in to my measurements, so it skimmed my figure without pinching.

Walking in a fitted mermaid dress takes a little getting used to. You don't take quite the same strides you would in a loose skirt. After a few minutes, though, I found a rhythm, and I actually loved the way the silhouette changed how I moved.

For anyone drawn to this combination of smooth satin and a fitted silhouette, take a look at our satin wedding dress collection. The mermaid wedding dress collection is another good place to compare different fitted shapes.

THE DRESS I WORE

A Classic Sweetheart Silhouette

A strapless sweetheart neckline, smooth white satin and a fitted mermaid shape come together in this timeless bridal look.

03 — THE VEIL

The Mantilla Made the Look

The piece people ask me about most is the veil. I wore a mantilla, with its flat shape and ornate lace border framing the face. Rather than adding volume behind the head, it sits over the hair and lets the lace edge become part of the overall look.

The floral lace pattern runs around the edge, and the fabric is soft enough to move naturally. I loved how it looked with the clean satin bodice. The dress had a simple, fitted outline, while the lace brought in the detail and texture.

It's worth thinking about the veil as part of the whole silhouette. Here, the lace framed the neckline and shoulders without competing with the dress.

The lace edge became one of my favourite details in the photographs.

Outside, the mantilla looked especially beautiful against the stone and gold lettering. In the closer photographs, you can see the lace pattern resting over my shoulder. It was one of those details that felt completely at home in the setting.

One thing I learned is that a mantilla and the wind have their own arrangement. A couple of gusts caught the lace edge, and I had to gather it back into place. There is also a photograph of me sitting in the doorway holding my shoes because my feet needed a break from the heels.

The veil still looked lovely, even when I was ready to give my feet a rest. That felt like a fair trade.

04 — THE FINISHING TOUCHES

The Little Things

My bouquet was made up of white roses and phalaenopsis orchids. It felt clean and a little dramatic, which was exactly what I wanted. My bridesmaid, in a sage dress, held it for me while we moved between photographs and kept an eye on the train.

I kept the jewellery understated: a small diamond necklace and simple earrings. With the lace around my face and the sheen of the satin, I didn't want too many details competing for attention.

The light deserves a mention, too. Late afternoon in New Orleans brought a warm glow to the photographs, and one street shot caught a shadow falling right across the dress. It wasn't perfectly arranged, but that is exactly why I love it.

05 — A NOTE TO FUTURE BRIDES

Choose What Feels Like You

I don't have a perfect wedding formula to share. What I would say is to choose a setting that means something to you. It doesn't have to be a grand venue or an elaborate backdrop. Sometimes a familiar street can make the most memorable photographs.

If you keep coming back to a fitted silhouette, give it a proper try. If you're worried about a strapless neckline, pay attention to how the bodice fits and feels when you move. And if you're considering a mantilla, think about how its lace will sit with the neckline and overall shape of your dress.

I also kept this Vogue wedding photo feature open for inspiration while making my own decisions.

My feet hurt, the wind wouldn't cooperate, and a stranger's shadow ended up in half the shots.

I wouldn't change a single one.