When we clapped eyes on Katie and Damian's gorgeous wedding, we just knew we had to feature it.

It looked wildly fun, utterly romantic and incredibly gorgeous. But we have to be honest. None of that was the main reason for our squeals of excitement.

Nope. It was all about Katie's dress.

Chic, pretty, feminine (and that bow!) it's just beautiful! (And by Rose & Delilah, BTW).

Oh and the stunning photographs by Doug Keese of Arte De Vie? Well, they were a BIG part of it too.

We've always dreamed of visiting New Orleans, (in fact, Claire said so when she first started working at BM) and if we were to conjure up a wedding there, this is exactly what we'd imagine.

Romantic, (just take a look at the dreamy first look pictures), raucous (a brass band, and some serious shapes on the dance floor), and filled with quirky touches and gorgeous food (the groom's cake is one of the wildest we've seen!)

Add in some chic bridesmaid dresses, beautiful blooms, (and the cutest little ones ever!), and Arte De Vie have captured the most wonderful wedding day.

Enjoy!

In Three Words

Special, FUN!!, (do I dare say Perfect?)

The Inspiration

Classic and whimsical. I wanted a lot of aspects to stay traditional but also keep it unique and personal! I tried to stay true to my style. So many people told me that my dress "was so me" so I guess I succeeded. But overall I wanted it to be classic and FUN!!

The Flowers

Honestly, I just told the florist that I wanted white/cream and peach flowers and to keep it simple! They were gorgeous though!

The Attire

I wore Rose and Delilah dress, "Grace." The bridesmaids wore a variety of dresses in champagne, gray and pink and the groomsmen wore a dark gray tux.

The Photography

I enjoyed how much Doug (of Arte De Vie) enjoyed photographing weddings! You could really tell he enjoyed getting to know the bride and learning what was making the day special for the bride and groom. Also he takes gorgeous photographs without being cheesy!

The Decor & Details

We had fun sunglasses that everyone had fun dancing in. A lot of my friends are still using them - All ages loved them! Decorations were mainly with flowers, mercury glass candle holders and lanterns. The venue is absolutely beautiful without doing much, with exposed brick walls, wooden floors and a wrap-around balcony outside.

The Refreshments

Wedding cake was classic and simple five tier, every tier was different flavors! The groom's cake was four layers with all of Damian's favorite things on them - marsh scenes, ducks, crawfish, LSU, and made out of funfetti and king cake! We had a buffet style dinner and pass around appetizers, then late night, we passed around French fries.

The Music

Ceremony music was by Trish Genco and was traditional Catholic Our reception band was a brass band called the Boogie Men. Our fist dance was "You Are The Best Thing" Ray LaMontange. My dad and I danced to "More" by Frank Sinatra. And Damian and his mom danced to "Do You Know What It Means to MThe music definitely sets the tone! I loved leaving the wedding with the gospel choir - which was a surprise to almost everyone except my husband and family. Once at the reception, we barely left the dance floor and I really have to thank the band for keeping the party going! Even my husband who rarely hits the dance floor didn't want to stop dancing! At one point he even broke up a dance circle and grabbed me to dance with him in the center of the floor! Basically, we had the best time with all the most special people in our lives. iss New Orleans" by Fats Domino. I enjoyed using Pinterest to keep my thoughts organized and used the secret board and shared it with only my bridesmaids and my mom. Then as the wedding day got closer, I divided the boards into cakes, flowers, etc to just the things I wanted to show from my iPad or print out to give the vendors. Breathe! Your wedding day is a special day that will fly by no matter what you do, so you might as well have a great time! Do what you want - its you and your fiance's day! ceremony music. The recessional was by a gospel choir, led by Sam Warrell. They performed "Oh Happy Day" and "Love" by the Beatles. Be inspired for your own wedding with Real Weddings + Styled Shoots.

Favourite Moments

Advice For Other Couples

Isn't it beautiful, I love how Art De Vie captured so many candid moments, from the sweet to the move-busting!

Thanks so much to Art De Vie and the gorgeous Katie and Damian for sharing their special New Orleans wedding with us.