Bright + Funky Garden Vibes For This New Orleans Destination Wedding

“Before we were even engaged we would fantasize about a destination wedding in New Orleans,” say Samantha + Jake. “We were so taken with the joyous and sometimes raucous energy the city is infused with, the parties and parades spilling into the streets, the balmy romance…we wanted to infuse our wedding day with precisely that.”

So Samantha + Jake teamed up with Andrea Mock Events to fill The Mazant—a gorgeous historic home in New Orleans’ trendy Bywater district—with the “bright, sexy, and colorful” vibes they were dreaming of. 

Funky florals. Killer wedding day style. And a traditional New Orleans second line through the streets after dark. This charmingly “bacchanalian + hedonistic” destination wedding day really did have it all.

And the brilliant husband-wife photographer duo of September Company captured it so beautifully!

So, as they say in NOLA, laissez les bon temps rouler, baby! Let the good times roll! Let’s take a look!

“I wore a custom designed army green seersucker suit, designed by Seattle rockstar/suit making legend/bar owning all-around great guy Chris Jones,” says groom Jake. “I wanted to pay homage to the tradition of a New Orleans seersucker but, with a modern twist that was distinctly ‘my vibe.'”

“I found a v dope pair of palomino horse hair color penny loafers (no horses were harmed) to round out the look,” Jake says, “and last but not least a jade bolo tie.“

Absolutely adorable shots like this of the bride + groom seeing each other for the very first time on the Big Day are one of the 8 reason why we really love a first look.

We love the way Samantha added some funky bits of color to her look with that beaded wedding necklace from Pemako.

Behold: the brilliance that is a bridal bouquet from Sharime Kayla Floral Design. This delicate + textured arrangement is just the beginning.

Very into the classic-yet-contemporary silhouette of Samantha’s corseted Sarah Seven wedding gown.

We love to see grooms embracing colorful wedding suits like Jake did. And we’re seeing more and more of it! Bold + vibrant groom fashion is one of our favorite trends to watch!

Peep Samantha’s precious pink, puffy peep toe wedge wedding shoes from Acne Studios!

Feeling a little jealous of all of Samantha + Jake’s amazing ink? Yeah, us too. Check out our collection of creative couple’s tattoos to start dreaming up some romantic body art ideas for you and your person to get together.

Completely obsessed with the way Sharime Kayla Floral Design used flowers to created a magical color blocked garden growing out of the venue’s grassy lawn.

A Ceremony Under The Oaks

Samantha + Jake went with a creative ceremony seating approach, mixing VIP chairs near the front with a standing room vibe along the flower-lined aisle.

Samantha completed her ceremony look with bow-covered bridal gloves by Madison Chamberlain.

Madison is also left her mark on another one of our fave NOLA celebrations—she created the bride’s colorful sequin wedding cape from this vibrant New Orleans wedding.

We can’t get enough of all of the beautiful bows we’re seeing lately. Bows are definitely on that list of wedding trends we’re loving right now.

Keri Scherbring gave Samantha’s shoulder-length hair its lovely loose waves, and Jacqueline Reynolds created this beautiful bold brow + light pink lip makeup look.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
Jake walked down the aisle to "I'll Come Too" by James Blake. Samantha walked down the aisle to "Then Came You" by The Spinners + Dionne Warwick
Recessional
"You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate
First Dance
"Miami Memory" by Alex Cameron

“In planning our wedding we decided we didn’t feel beholden to traditions or expectations,” Samantha + Jake say. “This meant ditching a wedding cake and opting for caviar, Samantha’s younger sister walking her down the aisle, friends giving speeches unfiltered and uncensored because it was an adults only wedding, keeping the food casual and plentiful, hiding Smirnoff ices in the gorgeous floral arrangements, and not stopping wedding guests when they decided to skinny dip in the pool mid-reception!”

This is your reminder not to forget to kiss on your way back up the aisle after the ceremony!! It always makes for one of the day’s best photos. And why not add a dip like Samantha + Jake did!

Time To Celebrate!

Furniture from Element kept the setup feeling simple + modern—a perfect backdrop for all of the vibrant florals + decor details!

Fresh fruits + veggies add so much playful opulence to a tablescape. Take a look at this modern English countryside wedding or this Salvador Dali + Wes Anderson inspired wedding for some of our other fave produce-filled floral arrangements.

Pet-inspired wedding cocktails like Samantha + Jake’s are such a great way to pay tribute to your furry friends on your wedding day.

The bows + pearl accents in all of these fresh fruit accents add so much funky-yet-delicate flair. This quirky enchanted swamp wedding has some great examples of this look, too!

Blue Book Barkeeps kept the glasses full and the guests smiling throughout Samantha + Jake’s celebration.

DJ Having Sex was on hand with all the tunes necessary to keep Samantha + Jake’s friends and fam on their feet.

Our Favorite Memory
When the second line band flooded the house and beckoned us into the streets. The lack of dry eyes amongst everyone in attendance (very much us included) during our vows. Jake sabering champagne off the balcony with our siblings and caviar bumps while signing the paperwork. Being "iced" immediately after wrapping up our ceremony while gathering for apertivo before the reception.

Along with bubbly from this champagne tower, guests enjoyed a delicious dinner from Barracuda and late night snacks from NOLA fave Turkey and the Wolf.

“We met on Bumble, which surprises us still to this day,” say the bride + groom. “But we came to meet when we realized we were hanging out at bars directly across the street from one another. From the moment we met up, we were positively done for. We deleted the dating apps within 12 hours. Thanks Bumble”

“I changed into head-to-toe Chopova Lowena complete with carabiner detailing on the skirt and mother-of-pearl necklace,” says Samantha of this fierce-yet-frilly reception dress. “Chopova Lowena screams Berlin edginess with a hint of lace, and considering I spent my formative years in and out of punk houses, it felt like an appropriate statement.”

We are head-over-heels in love with the 3D details and pearly white shimmer of Samantha’s wedding nails!

“I wanted a costume change to feel included in Samantha’s fun multi-tiered attire energy,” Jake says, “so I opted for dangerously short shorts in the same design, a Todd Snyder aloha shirt in a loud salmon tone, and a “Palomino” pair of Nike Jordan 3s.”

Samantha + Jake capped off the night with a second line—the New Orleans wedding + funeral tradition where a live brass band leads the celebration through the streets while guests wave umbrellas + handkerchiefs in the air—so some custom second line hankies were definitely called for.

Check out our list of creative wedding favors if you need some help finding a meaningful memento like this for your wedding guests to take home.

Taking It To The Streets!

How fun are the metallic silver double strap block heel Mary Janes that Samantha switched into for the second half of the night! Shop “The Nettie” shoe from Madewell for a similar look.

Kinfolk Brass Band did what they do best, filling the streets of the Bywater with live brass band jams.

Our Advice
Our advice which really plays into our inspiration as well, be unabashedly yourselves. Don't fall victim to expectations from outside voices and revel in your own sense of self. We have friends with kiddos, love 'em but, this wasn't ever planning on being a PG wedding. You have a lifetime to be good godparents, aunts and uncles, take one day for yourselves to set a precedent for what will be the rest of your lives! And please, if your darling wedding coordinator is trying to get your attention to make sure you eat a taco or two to counteract the amount of booze you've been downing in blissful celebration, listen! to! Her! Don't make my mistake. Last, be a control freak about THE RIGHT THINGS, the other stuff will more often than not fall into place, no one notices it but you. GET MARRIED ON A TUESDAY! But seriously, weekdays are more likely to reap top vendors with less foresight and a lighter bill. TIP YOUR SERVICE STAFF.

“We were really thoughtful in finding our wedding team and if we had known them before hiring them, they would’ve been wedding guests,” say Samantha + Jake. “Treat your wedding team as you want to be treated–it’ll pay off with lifelong friendships.”

Congratulations, Samantha + Jake, on your fun + funky New Orleanian destination celebration! You definitely left your mark on the Crescent City! GWS is so happy for your both!