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Based in vivid New Orleans, I am a wedding and couples photographer capturing the honest, intimate, and unforgettable moments. I hope you enjoy some of my most recent adventures and stories worth sharing!

I’m Olivia.

Hello!

Summery Degas House Wedding

July 17, 2022

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New Orleans has a long history of hosting world-renowned artists. It’s also a place that is dear to Alex and Isatu’s hearts. A New Orleans wedding felt like the perfect way to share the city with their friends and family. Their Degas House wedding was a celebration of New Orleans music and history in one of the city’s most beautiful neighborhoods.

At a New Orleans wedding, a couple holds hands in a courtyard.

A Degas House Wedding 

You might have guessed from the name that the Degas House was home to the French Impressionist painter Edgar Degas in the 1870’s. The venue’s classic Creole aesthetic is everything you’d expect from a historic New Orleans home. The rooms are even named for members of the Degas family. 

Isatu stands against a white wall in a gold wedding dress.
A wedding invitation suite sits on a blue and green backdrop.
Two marriers pose for wedding portraits at their Degas House wedding.
Isatu walks down the stairs to do the first look.

A Degas House wedding can be an immersive experience. It hosts a popular brunch in the courtyard, so it’s well-equipped to cater with Creole-inspired fare. If you want to live your full Degas fantasy, you can even book a group drawing class to entertain your guests during your wedding week.

Isatu touches Alex's hand in front of the Degas House.
A couple shares a first look for their Degas House wedding.
A couple shows each other their dress and suit at their New Orleans wedding.
A wedding couple walks down Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans.

Since the Degas House is a bed and breakfast, you can book accommodations for the weekend of your wedding. It makes getting ready all the easier. The suites are beautifully decorated in a French-inspired style with gilded mirrors and four-poster beds. If getting ready photos are important to you, it’s definitely worth looking into a room.

A couple stands against a blue car near white crepe myrtle trees.
Alex kisses Isatu on the cheek before their Degas House wedding.
A couple stands in front of a gray house in their wedding outfits.
Isatu holds up her bouquet as she and Alex embrace.

When I moved to New Orleans, I knew I wanted to photograph a Degas House wedding. As a little girl, I was a ballerina, and I decorated my room with prints of Degas’ famous ballerina paintings. My connection to this venue feels personal in a way that makes it a joy to photograph there.

Guests walk past a ballerina statue at the Degas House wedding.
Guests arrive to the Degas House on a June day.
Alex and Isatu sit side by side holding hands at their New Orleans wedding.
Isatu carries her wedding bouquet inside the Degas House.

A Degas House wedding is the perfect venue to bring guests from out of town. Esplanade Ridge, where it’s located, is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city. Oak trees and lush plants shade the wide street lined by historic homes. The venue is under two miles from the French Quarter and Marigny. It’s just far enough away from the center of New Orleans nightlife to feel more intimate without losing the city’s unique charm.

Alex's father straightens her tie.
Alex and Isatu walk down the aisle to their Degas House wedding.
Alex's family smiles at the wedding ceremony.
Alex and Isatu hold hands at their Degas House wedding in the New Orleans courtyard.

Alex and Isatu’s Intentional Approach

Alex and Isatu’s journey to their Degas House wedding shows what thoughtful and intentional people they are. They met in the Peace Corps and currently live in Southern California. Alex works in public health, and Isatu is studying to become a nurse. When you’re around them, you can feel how vibrant and deep this couple is. I was lucky enough to take their engagement photos in Big Sur. It’s been a beautiful experience documenting their love on two coasts!

The couple reads their wedding vows.
Guests watch the Degas House wedding in the courtyard.
Alex and Isatu kiss at the end of their wedding ceremony.
Alex and Isatu carry blue and white wedding umbrellas.
Alex and Isatu lead their guests in a second line after their Degas House wedding ceremony.

Like many couples, Alex and Isatu had to reschedule their wedding due to COVID. They didn’t let the June heat dampen their celebrations, though! Their friends and family were more than ready to gather with a collective sense of enjoyment and more than a little relief. 

Wedding guests dance during a second line with handkerchiefs.
Brass band members walk in Esplanade Avenue.
A New Orleans wedding parade goes down the street.
Isatu dances in front of the brass band at the second line.
Isatu and Alex kiss under their wedding umbrellas.

Throughout the wedding day, Alex and Isatu incorporated traditions that worked for them and put their own twists on others. They walked each other down the aisle for the ceremony. It felt very true to them and their journey. 

Alex and Isatu dance in front of their Degas House wedding.
The Brass band plays on the Degas House porch.
Guests watch the wedding band from the sidewalk.
The couple enters their New Orleans wedding reception.

Isatu also chose a stunning but unconventional dress. The golden brown of the dress and sheer cape looked so beautiful against her skin. Even though it wasn’t a traditional wedding gown, it felt just right on her.

Alex and Isatu share a first dance in the courtyard.
Wedding guests sit down for dinner at the Degas House.
Cupcakes sit on a tray at a dessert buffet.
Wedding guests dance side by side.

After the ceremony, Alex and Isatu led their guests on a long second line. This favorite New Orleans wedding tradition involves a couple leading their guests through the streets with a brass band. The brass band played as the guests danced through the neighborhood and into cocktail hour. Everyone enjoyed this quintessentially New Orleans experience!

Alex and Isatu dance at their wedding reception.
Wedding guests smoke cigars at a table.
Alex dances with friends.
Alex and Isatu cut their wedding cake for the Degas House wedding.

Alex and Isatu put so much trust in me to document their wedding truthfully. As someone in an interracial marriage, I know the importance of having a photographer who understands how to photograph and edit different skin tones. I appreciate that Alex and Isatu trusted in my dedication to creating images in which they both look as vibrant as they do in person.

Guests wave sparklers at the wedding exit.
Alex and Isatu kiss at their wedding exit.
The couple waves goodbye to guests at the Degas House wedding.
Alex and Isatu leave the wedding in a pedicab.

Are you looking for a photographer for your Degas House wedding? I would love to help tell your story with intimate and honest images. Let’s chat!

Thank you to the vendors who made Alex and Isatu’s Degas House wedding possible:

Brass band: Knockaz Brass Band

Bakery: Lady B’s Cakes

Florist: Leaf and Petal

Pedicab: Need a Ride New Orleans

Alex’s suit: Bindle & Keep

Venue and catering: Degas House

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