This wedding is both trendy and timeless- a perfect balance of traditions and personalization! And my, was it personalized! Here’s a list of my favorite personal touches: the groom modeled her engagement ring after the bride’s parents ring, a gorgeous ceremony at the iconic St. Louis Cathedral, the reception started with a second line where EVERY guest paraded with their own monogrammed umbrellas, a New Orleans cook book served as their guest book, the room was filled with sofas and lounges in all shapes and sizes, tables were topped with mirrors to reflect every flickering candle, custom last name street signage, hundreds of wine corks (from bottles the family enjoyed) circled the grooms cake, a Lucky Dog cart came to serve hot dogs as a late night snack while Brandy Alexander’s were served in mini coup glasses, and the bride and groom exited though a tunnel of streamers (after her parents had been carried through the tunnel in thanks for the great party)!
BRIDES Magazine so loved this wedding as well that they featured it in their Real Weddings section! See their take on Ashley and Michael’s wedding here!
The Bride’s reflection on her wedding:
Michael and I met in August 2009 when I started a new job where he was already working. It was obvious to everyone around us the immediate connection we had. After a few months persistence paid off for Michael and we went on our first date and quickly fell in love. I have always been in love with Christmas time and all the décor the season brings with it so in December 2011 Michael surprised me with my Christmas gift, a trip to New York City to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. On our way to dinner that evening in NYC we stopped at Rockefeller Plaza to see the tree. We were trying to make our way through the thick crowd to get a photo in front of the Christmas tree and after several attempts of taking our own picture Michael insisted that we ask a bystander. He seemed to take his time asking one of the security guards to take our picture, when he walked back toward me he looked at me with a huge smile on his face and starting by saying that the real reason we were here was because… and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. His plan worked perfectly because we got photos of the whole thing! We then went to celebrate at Maialino Restaurant where he reserved their wine cellar for the two of us and a Chef’s prepared eight course dinner. The night was unforgettable!For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be married in the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. My father grew up in the city so we spent lots of Christmases and Mardi Gras holidays in New Orleans with my aunts, uncles and cousins. I have always loved the city and the feeling I have when I am there. There is no better place for two families that know how to have a good time to come together.I never thought I would find my wedding dress the first day I looked. The first appointment that day was not going well and I was starting to feel like I was not going to have that ‘ah ha’ moment when I put a dress on and would know it was mine. Our second appointment was at Ivory Bridal Atelier in Houston. When we walked into the store I had a great feeling that things were going to look up. My mom immediately pulled a Rivini dress that she thought I must try on. The feeling I had when I put on that dress and saw the look on my parents’ faces was indescribable, I knew that was the dress I was going to get married in. With a few tweaks to the design to make it my own the dress was perfect!From sun up to sun down, our wedding day was absolutely magical! The reality of the day began to sit in as we left our hotel room at The Roosevelt Hotel for the Cathedral and the sirens of the police escort were echoing around us. After the ceremony we were greeted by a crowd of tourists in applause in Jackson Square that made us feel like royalty. While our guests were enjoying cocktail hour Michael and I took a sneak peak with my parents of our setup in the Waldorf Astoria Ballroom. The room was absolutely breathtaking, Plants N’ Petals created our vision perfectly; it was so special to share that moment with my parents and thank them for making all of our wedding dreams a reality. The night was full of surprises for our guests from Mardi Gras colored umbrellas for our second line with Louisiana Spice, to a Lucky Dog cart and Brandi Alexander’s for a late night snack. Once the formalities of pictures, cake cutting and bouquet toss were completed Michael and I were encircled by all of our wonderful family and friends on the dance floor; the night was a real dream come true!
Ashley & Michael // Bride Film from // BRIDE FILM // on Vimeo.
Our incredible team of vendors:
Wedding Coordination | Tying the Knot
Photography | Greer G Photography
Videography | BrideFilm
Ceremony | St. Louis Cathedral
Reception | The Roosevelt Hotel
Florist | Plants N Petals (Houston)
Band | LA Spice
Bakery | The Roosevelt
Hot Dogs | Lucky Dog
Photo Booth | Big Easy Photo Booth
Hair and Make Up | H20 Salon
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