Lizzy + Chandler | Thousands of Hanging Candles in this Tented Wedding

[love story from their Brides Magazine feature]

Though Lizzy and Chandler first met in calculus class at the University of Georgia in 2007, they didn’t start dating until after graduation. “We were on campus for a football game, and spotted one another at Chandler’s old fraternity house,” Lizzy remembers. “We reminisced about the class and realized we were both living in Atlanta. The rest is history!” Flash forward four years to Thanksgiving, when Chandler joined Lizzy’s family in New Orleans. “I had a full agenda planned, including a trip to the WWII museum,” Lizzy says. “My father, who passed away when I was a freshman in college, fought in the war as a Lieutenant in the First Marine Corp Division, and is featured in the exhibit. I wanted to share this with Chandler because he’d never met my dad.” After touring the museum, Chandler suggested that the pair grab a drink before heading home for dinner. “I wanted a nap, but Chandler was persistent—and then my friends started texting me to meet them for a drink, too,” Lizzy recalls. She started to get suspicious, especially because Chandler was wearing a jacket in the 80-degree heat. He won out, and as the couple crossed Jackson Square, Chandler got down on one knee.

Lizzy grew up in New Orleans, and after a proposal like that, there was no question about where the pair would tie the knot. “We wanted our guests to enjoy the New Orleans culture we love so much,” says the bride. They filled their big day with romance— from floating candles and a flickering fireplace to the lace sleeves on Lizzy’s wedding gown—and added fun details like a second line band, boozy snowballs, late-night Mardi Gras masks, and hand grenades. Photographed by Greer Gattuso and planned by Elyse Jennings Weddings, this wedding (with a holiday twist!) is one you don’t want to miss. Keep reading for more!

The bride’s classic bouquet combined peonies, gardenias, ranunculus, patience garden roses, dusty miller, and silver dollar eucalyptus. The bride attached a locket full of photos of her father to the stems, and wore his Purple Heart in the lining of her dress.

Arrangements of white blooms flanked the altar, where the couple exchanged traditional vows. Says Lizzy, “I would have been way too emotional reciting our own vows. Instead, we wrote them to one another in letters, and exchanged them during our first look.”

After their kiss, Lizzy and Chandler grabbed umbrellas and led their guests through the streets of New Orleans to their reception. “The energy and excitement was incredible,” Lizzy remembers.

Upon arrival at Il Mercato, guests found antique lounge furniture arranged around an outdoor fireplace. Hundreds of votive candles floated from the ceiling in glass orbs, which added a feeling of enchantment to the space.

Layered textures created a soft, romantic setting for the reception. Gold metal platforms held roses, peonies, and greenery high above guests’ heads. White linens were topped with gold-rimmed chargers and plates, with ranunculus and tea roses tucked into gold mercury glass compotes.

A canopy of hydrangeas, roses, and peonies was suspended above the dramatic cake display. The six tiers featured three flavors: White chocolate raspberry, lemon poppy seed, and chocolate raspberry. “Chandler doesn’t love cake, so we also had boozy Louisiana Snowballs,” says Lizzy.

The bar offered four signature cocktails by Grand Bevy, a nod to the couple’s love of making craft cocktails at home. One even featured their combined monogram in foam at the top—talk about a cool personalization idea!

Thousands of candles glowed from every imaginable surface, creating a warm, inviting, and totally magical setting for Chandler and Lizzy’s celebration.

Late-night, the reception turned into a Mardi Gras party. The couple threw beads, and guests donned sequined masks. Waiters passed Hand Grenades, a French Quarter specialty that combines melon liqueur with gin, vodka, and rum.

As the night came to a close, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” poured out of the speakers. Says Lizzy, “Chandler was, by far, my best Christmas gift! We kept pinching one another throughout the day, reminding us to stop for a moment and soak it all in.”