My usual alarm buzzed, but my eyes had been wandering the ceiling for the past hour. I assumed I would be full of nerves, excitement and worries. However, I was unusually calm. I quickly hopped into my workout clothes and headed to the gym for my usual Saturday morning run. Nothing was particularly different about this Saturday, except for the fact it was our wedding day.
My house was occupied by bridesmaids and blowup mattresses. I quietly crept back inside, trying my hardest not to wake anyone. As I sat on my bed preparing myself for the day, it hit. This was it. This was the day.
I spent the last eleven months of my life organizing, crafting, fighting, worrying and working as hard as I could all for this 4 hour event.
Weddings will turn even the most level-headed person into a monster. “The most important day of your life” will quickly suck the sanity out of you. As a bride, you’ll pin, and think, and overanalyze, and stress, and argue with the people you love the most. Over what? Nothing.
I spent hours debating over a stamp. A STAMP. It’s easy to get so caught up in the details that you’ll forget what you’re actually doing here. You’ll forget the meaning of the day, the event. You forget that the stamps, food, dresses, flowers are but a mere second in what you and your soon-to-be husband are starting: the rest of your lives.
So as I sat on my bed, I chose to remember what the day was about. And you know what? Everything was perfect.
All of you know I don’t write unless I think I have something worth saying that is meaningful to more than just myself. I’m making an exception with this post. April 12, 2014 was the most important day of Ryan and my relationship. It was a day filled with happiness, plus or minus some bridezilla moments. It’s something I want to remember forever.
That being said, I’ve mentioned how crazy wedding planning can be. A lot of my wedding was DIY. I remained as budget conscious as possible when deciphering what was and wasn’t worth the costs. My opinions and tips are written throughout the documentation of this crazy, awesome day in hopes that I may save some future brides a headache or two. Let’s get started then.
Once upon a time, in a magical place called New Orleans (just kidding, but not really)..
A streetcar passed as my sister and I walked into the St. Charles Street home of Pam Pickett. Decorated with all things New Orleans, the home truly reflected that of a Mardi Gras Queen. The French doors opened to a bright, sunny day. I felt at home instantly.
The Bridal Party spent the day in hair and makeup. My family and friends dropped in to visit throughout the day. My aunt joked she’d never seen me so calm. I couldn’t help it. I was in bliss. I planned my last few hours as a Mitchell to be nothing but wonderful.
The boys were a bit more adventurous.
And by adventurous, I mean they ate. Something I only dreamed of doing. I caught myself day dreaming about the amazing spread of sandwiches, finger foods and fruit across the table from the hair and makeup. Reality quickly caught up with me though. I had a dress to fit in. So I stuck to almonds instead.
Choosing bridesmaids was one of the hardest parts of our wedding aside from the treacherous guest list. Because I have been lucky enough to become friends with so many different groups of ladies throughout my life, choosing bridesmaids was very difficult for me. I knew my choices. It was either a bridal party of four or 14. I ultimately decided to go with my family. It was perfect. I know a lot of girls struggle with this decision. I would recommend a smaller wedding party to anyone. Your friends love you no matter what. Everyone joined in on the fun parts (like the bachelorette), but they saved money on a dress. Win/win.
Before I could blink, it was time to get dressed. My sister, aka best maid of honor in the history of the world, sweetly surprised me with a charm of pammy and me. It was a bittersweet moment. A wedding without a Mom is very weird. There’s a piece missing. Like other moments I’ve experienced in the almost three years she’s been gone, there will always be a small piece missing. While I already knew she was watching, the charm was the perfect reminder of my constant angel.
Though my mom wasn’t there to help with the dress, I had both my sisters.
My “something old” was a ring given to me by my grandmother the night before I graduated college. The ring was purchased by her mother as a right hand ring. I always loved it growing up and was so surprised when she gave it to me. I loved the ring being a part of the day.
It took me about an hour to get all my gear on. It took Ryan about 15 minutes.
Next thing you know, I’m treading through the back scenes of Audubon Park to have an ever so original “tap on the back” first look. It’s a fairly new tradition not everyone is comfortable with. I had no doubts about doing a first look because I honestly thought I was going to cry like a baby. Surprisingly, there were no tears. All I had was a really sweet, intimate moment before the crazy hit. Doing a “first look” allowed Ryan and I to get all formal photographs out the way prior to the wedding. We didn’t cut into any “fun” time by having to take photos, which was great considering we only had a 4 hour wedding and reception.
I decided to keep the colors of the bridesmaids and groomsmen natural. I wanted the wedding to correlate with the location. I wanted everything to be “swampy.” The groomsmen wore navy suits with a pink Brooks Brothers tie. The bridesmaids wore the crinkle chiffon collection of Amsale in the style of their choice.
I put all eggs into my flower basket. I was dependent on the flowers to add the pop of color. New Orleans’ florist Meade Wenzel exceeded every expectation I had difficultly set out. I cannot express how thrilled I was with the end result. She knows what she’s doing, and it was comforting to be able to trust her opinion and taste. The flowers were more than I imagined. She’s a great choice for anyone in the New Orleans area.
The flower girl dresses were one of my favorite parts on the wedding. I found the dresses from UK-based clothing store called Monsoon. They were inexpensive and the perfect fit for a rustic wedding.
In order to choose what to spend a lot of thought and money on and what not to, I tried to think about what I found important at prior weddings I attended. Flyers weren’t one of those things. I created my program from home. Another one of those Pinterest saves the day DIY projects. OH: Shoutout to the groomsmen. They printed and folded them on cardstock before the wedding!
God couldn’t have provided better weather for our big day. The ceremony was held outside the Cajun Ballroom and Swamp Exhibit at the Audubon Zoo. After being escorted to the exhibit via the zoo trains, guests sat at the picnic tables, and family sat in chairs for the ceremony. Bella Musica provided our beautiful music.
I had mixed emotions on the festoon lighting at first. Now I’m so happy I got it. The lighting was a small detail that added so much to the venue and feel. Well worth it.
How precious were the ring bearer and flower girls?
The man who gave me the wedding of my dreams. I’m so thankful for my Dad. We’ve been through so much, but he’s always been there for me, giving me sound advice. My stepmom is such a blessing to the three of us. She’s actually a photographer. She took some beautiful bridals for me. I was lucky enough to have two photographers at my wedding. One of my best friends, Caitlin Hebert and Ms. Staci’s assistant, Wade. I’m so happy with each. I’m also glad I was able to have traditional photographs as well as photojournalistic. I know a lot of people don’t have that luxury.
The ceremony was exactly how Ryan and I imagined.
For the past few months, we’ve been attending a church in New Orleans called the Harbor. We’ve truly found our home. It’s the first church where we both know we’re supposed to be there. James Welch, the pastor at the Harbor, was our officiant. He was hilarious, minus that part where he dissed Johnny’s Pizza. I can’t say enough about the awesome things happening at the Harbor. I’m glad Ryan and I are becoming members. I know big things will come from the love happening at Harbor every Sunday. I’m very thankful James was willing to be a part of our day.
But, let’s get to the only part of a wedding that everyone else cares about: the reception.
Ryan and I danced to “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5. It’s about as corny as a love song as we could go.
The rest was, well..just a big party
One of the best parts of the reception was Alex Harvie. Alex paints events live. We now have our night hanging in the house. You can see the finished product on my instagram. It was the best wedding gift we could ask for from Ryan’s Parents. Plus, Alex is a really cool guy. Highly recommend him!
Speaking of people this wedding wouldn’t be possible without..
..and my grandmothers, aunts (including Mrs. Judy), friends.Mrs. Pam Pickett who was practically my new Orleans live saver/wedding planner. My sister. My thank you list would break the internet at this point. I haven’t gotten the chance to say thank you to every single person who took the time out of their lives to be a part of the beginning of ours. The amount of friends and family who travelled from all over really was incredible. We know we are so loved and supported. We couldn’t be more thankful for you guys. We wouldn’t be who we are with you.
Of course, we had a Kappa Delta toast.
…and majority of family members were on stage at some point. Including my new niece, Kate!
It’s not a New Orleans party until there’s a second line. We ended the night with a big second line out of the exhibit to the trains. It was such a fun send off. I decided to DIY my second line handkerchief using a fluer de lis stamp. Probably my favorite arts and crafts projects of the entire wedding!
THE Bobby Hebert even led a chant.
Notice all these amazing photos? They’re all from the eye of the ever-talented Caitlin Hebert of Caitlin B. Photography. Caitlin is a photographer in the New Orleans area who is PHENOMENIAL at all she does. Check out her website. I am so lucky to call this girl my friend. I loved how she captured the night as if it were still in motion. I 1000000000% recommend Caitlin to anyone looking for a photographer in the area. You can see all the wedding pictures she took here.
I’d also like to thank the entire staff at the Audubon Zoo. Vivian and her team were so accommodating and helpful throughout the entire planning process. Thank you guys so much for everything.
It’s a night we will never forget. We love you guys!
-Elaina (now Fischer)
P.S. If this novel wasn’t enough, check out the video from Elizabeth Shaw and Drew Guillory. I met Elizabeth and Drew while working at the Celtic Media Centre in Baton Rouge. They’ll probably both win an Oscar one day. So glad they were able to capture the day. Awesome videographers for the Baton Rouge/New Orleans Area.
Photography: Caitlin B Photography (shown); Albritton Photography (West Monroe, LA)
Videography: Elizabeth Shaw, Drew Guillory
Florist: Meade Wenzel
Venue: Audubon Zoo
Ceremony Musician: Bella Musica
Reception Band: BRW
Not a NOLA Native 