If I had to pick two words to describe the Columns Hotel in New Orleans, they would be funky and artsy. This hotel and bar features the most decadent, artistic interiors. Morgan and Garvey’s engagement session is perfect inspiration for anyone looking for a unique wedding venue in New Orleans.
The Columns Hotel in New Orleans
The Columns Hotel in New Orleans is named for the columns on its over-the-top neoclassical exterior. It was built to be a private family home in 1883. (Can you imagine??) Now it’s a stunning hotel impeccably decorated with vintage furniture.
If you’re looking for a spacious wedding venue, the Columns Hotel in New Orleans is it. It has capacity for up to 300 guests. With a variety of spaces, though, you can easily host a more intimate celebration. They have an amazing bar and restaurant in house, too, so they take care of all catering.
Creative Engagement Photos on Film
Morgan and Garvey are a very unconventional couple. They’re the type of people who love images that are creative and different. Morgan even got a tintype photo of Garvey and her. It’s super cool!
When we started planning this session, Morgan and Garvey let me know that they really wanted a lot of film photos. They appreciate the medium’s imperfection and see it as stampings that are unique to their images only. This is exactly what I love about film, too. It creates warm, tangible images full of emotion.
Typically, I prefer natural light for film photography. The weather had other plans, though. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a New Orleans photographer, it’s that you can’t control the weather. We originally expected a gorgeous day. Unfortunately, after a summer-long drought, the clouds opened up and literally flooded the streets the day of Morgan and Garvey’s session.
Given the circumstances, I asked Morgan and Garvey if they wanted to reschedule for better weather. They had such an amazing mindset about it all. Instead of rescheduling, they said they were up for things looking and feeling a little different due to the weather. They were even open to a lot of artificial light and flash. Thank goodness for all the artsy interiors at the Columns Hotel in New Orleans!
Throughout this session, I reflected on how lucky I felt to work with a couple that trusted my vision as much as Morgan and Garvey did. They were so willing to let me get creative. From a technical standpoint, these images definitely pushed me to the edge of my comfort zone, but I’m thrilled with the results.
Rainy Day Romance
With so much rain, we took advantage of all the cool spaces in the Columns Hotel in New Orleans. We started in Morgan and Garvey’s hotel room. This gave them a chance to relax into the session and get used to being in front of the camera. It’s also a chance for them to snuggle and be themselves without worrying about anyone else being around. That’s always a nice way to start a photo session.
Then we explored the funky bar and patio. The bar is full of rich reds, greens, and blues. The bold botanical and animal print carpets make the most amazing backdrops for photos. There also seem to be fun vintage couches around every corner.
Even though the rain kept us inside for a lot of the session, we ventured onto the patio and porch for a while. The rain makes the foliage look so lush around the patio. I love that we were the only people out there. It gave the feeling that Morgan and Garvey were in their own world together.
These images capture all the playfulness in Morgan and Garvey’s relationship, too. They laugh so much when they’re together. It’s absolutely infectious. The photos they took of themselves are some of my favorite images. (You can see Morgan holding a disposable film camera in one of the digital portraits.) Those images show you how they see each other – so full of tenderness and joy.
Would you like to see more New Orleans engagement photos? I’m a wedding photographer documenting honest, intimate moments on digital and film. If you liked these photos at the Columns Hotel in New Orleans, you might love these blog posts:
