The New Orleans Museum of Art is truly an enchanting place for your celebration! It’s the city’s oldest fine art museum and is known for its beautiful historic architecture and vast collection of works. A wedding here promises to be unforgettable as well as sophisticated, romantic, and an ode to New Orleans’ rich culture, history, and charm.
As a New Orleans wedding photographer, it was such a treat to photograph Rachel and Grant’s celebration in front of such iconic art at the New Orleans Museum of Art! I feel so lucky to have been a part of their day, and NOMA comes with a glowing recommendation from me as a stunning backdrop for your wedding.
Read on to discover everything you need to know about planning a New Orleans Museum of Art wedding.
What You Need to Know About Planning a New Orleans Museum of Art Wedding
If you want a venue that will captivate your guests from the moment they set foot on the premises, this is the place. Also, your guests can enjoy exploring the five gallery spaces throughout the museum, which feature Italian, Dutch, and Flemish Old Master paintings that happen to be hundreds of years old.
When it comes to NOMA, you’ll have top-tier options for different venue settings if you choose to get married/have your reception here!
Some of the incredible spaces you can choose from are:
The Freeport-McMoran Great Hall
The Freeport-McMoran Great Hall has a gorgeous grand staircase, neoclassic white columns, marble floors, and a balcony with panoramic views. It’s an elegant and classical backdrop for your celebration that can be tailored to match your unique wedding vision.
Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden
The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is an outdoor display of more than 90 works in a dreamlike setting. Here you’ll find ancient Spanish moss-laden oaks, a lagoon, a charming canal link bridge, footpaths, and so much more. It’s the ideal backdrop if you want an outdoor wedding that feels whimsical and exquisite.
Coleman Courtyard
The Coleman Courtyard has a sloping glass ceiling and a plethora of windows that let in natural light. Also, if you are going to be having a larger wedding, the glass walls slide open, and you can also use the Lapis Center for the Arts for your celebration.
Lapis Center for the Arts
The Lapis Center for the Arts is a flexible contemporary space that features art from Enrique Alférez. The Lapis Center for the Arts may be rented alone or added to a Great Hall Package.
How much does a New Orleans Museum of Art wedding cost?
Rentals at the New Orleans Museum of Art start at $3000/ hour on weekdays or $4000 an hour Friday-Sunday. You can add on the Sculpture Garden, the Lapis Center, or the Dathel and Tommy Colman Courtyard for an additional cost.
You can have both your wedding and reception at NOMA or just your reception! To view a full breakdown of private event rental rates and for more information, go here!
Rachel and Grant’s New Orleans Museum of Art Wedding
First, a little background on the couple: Rachel is an architect, and Grant is a lawyer, and they both have long-standing roots here in Louisiana.
The New Orleans Museum of Art was the perfect venue for this couple as they wanted their entire celebration to be high-end, lavish, and deeply artistic, and NOMA was an exquisite choice to serve as the backdrop for their wedding.
Since Rachel is an architect, she immaculately planned and designed so much of their day. Her vision, combined with Amanda Price Events’ expertise in event planning, made for a stellar wedding to capture.
Every single image I captured had so much depth and emotion that snuck its way into the frame. However, my favorite portrait of this entire day was actually just with Rachel taken in the Museum Cafeteria!
This portrait turned out as a super moody, but it was an absolutely beautiful shot. Also, the picture of the two of Grant and Rachel kissing in the car through the window was taken on Rachel’s mom’s iPhone – shout out to her!
While there were a lot of moving parts to this day, everything turned out absolutely incredible and we could not have asked for a better wedding.
Their ceremony
The pair started their day getting ready at the Pontchartrain Hotel. This is a historic staple here in New Orleans and was the perfect place to kick off their wedding day. We got to take some portraits of them here, and the ones in front of the Jack Rose art wall installation may be some of my favorites that I’ve ever captured!
After Rachel and Grant were ready, we headed to the Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church, where they had a beautiful ceremony. The architecture of this church is simply breathtaking – you can find stunning details everywhere you turn. It was very clear to me and Rachel’s guests why Rachel chose this specific location for her and Grant to tie the knot.
Following their ceremony, their exquisite reception was held at the New Orleans Museum of Art—it had such a high-end, highly designed feel! You could really tell that each and every detail of their wedding was intentional and meaningful, and it truly created a wedding day like no other.
Rachel + Grant’s Vendors
Thank you to the wedding vendors who made this day possible:
Planning & Coordination: @amandapriceevents
Photographer: @_oliviayuen
Second photographer: @ashleybiltzphoto
Hair stylist: @kaseysmithbeauty
Makeup artist: @jessicacarnley
Florals: @shopvioletas
Getting ready space: @thepontchartrain
Dress: @annebarge
Ceremony space: Immaculate Conception Church
Reception Venue: @neworleansmuseumofart
Cake: @baesbakeryla
Band: @sugarshakernola
Rentals: @truevaluerental
Transportation: @alert_transportation
Ready to Plan a New Orleans Museum of Art Wedding?
I hope you found all this info on planning at the New Orleans Museum of Art wedding helpful! NOMA is truly such a special place and a uniquely unforgettable venue to serve as the backdrop for your day.
Can you tell that I love photographing heartfelt weddings and elopements? I’m a New Orleans wedding photographer specializing in documenting intimate celebrations on film. Inquire with me about your wedding date here or go here to learn more about my wedding photography services!
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