New Orleans is a magical city with lots to offer in regards to location! Specially, there’s a lot of unique architecture here which can serve as beautiful backdrops for photography. Incorporating these features can really compliment your photos and create more visually interesting compositions! While scenery-hunting can be fun, sometimes it’s difficult to find those perfect settings…That’s why I’ve put this guide together! Here are some of my favorite wedding venue spots and scenes in New Orleans in no particular order:
Felicity Church
Renovated by its owners, Jessica and Chris, Felicity Church is a beautiful example of Gothic Revival Architecture. The building’s massive doors, windows, staircases, and archways give it such a strong presence, and those are the features that I like to take advantage of when I shoot here!
At the church’s entrance, you’re immediately met by a grand, wooden and stained glass door that sits underneath an equally lovely archway. This is a great spot to get a few different types of photos! As you’ll see below, a shot that encompasses the entire entryway provides such perfect symmetry to the photo. The door provides a similar sense of symmetry but puts more focus on the bride. And by narrowing your field of view even further, like in the third photo against the doorway, this provides variety in texture as a backdrop!
The next two photos utilize the structure of the building’s staircases. Stairs provide such a wonderful opportunity to show the bride’s train! Another benefit of stairs, especially stairs with multiple flights, is that they provide the ability to get an aerial view, as you can see in the fifth photo. And last but not least, the tall windows built into the upper level of the building provide such a wonderful and bright source of light!
Il Mercato
The architectural features of Il Mercato display an air of elegance, sophistication, and delicacy. This building has a multitude of round archways! Needless to say, I love to incorporate those shapes into my photos when I shoot here!
The first two photos here include the same set of arches. Isn’t it crazy how many different ways you can photograph the same architectural piece?! The third photo takes advantage of the ample natural light and beautiful block metal-framed windows in the main ballroom. Inside of the back room at Il Mercato there’s some really unique furniture that I enjoy using to give some variety and texture to a gallery. The last photo is one of my favorite spots!! This archway provides a clean yet visually interesting spot for the client to pose for a session or wedding!
Nottoway
Nottoway offers many backdrops but most famously, it’s white room. Below you’ll see photos taken in The White Room, in front of the oak trees on the property’s grounds, and at the entrance of the building.
The best words that I can think of to describe The White Ballroom are classic and pristine! At this venue, I incorporate the vintage gold furniture into my images which provide such a strong contrast to the stark white of the room (and the bride’s dress)! The curtains against the tall windows in the first four photos also provide visual interest, as well as an opportunity to highlight the bride’s silhouette. In the fourth image, I utilized a portion of the room without any furniture or accents; this almost entirely white aesthetic against the bride’s dress creates such an elegant feel!
Lastly, I absolutely LOVE to incorporate nature into my photos, and the oak trees of Nottoway provide the perfect opportunity to do so! Nature has a tendency to create an architecture of its own… especially when it’s 162 years old!!
Marigny Opera House
The Marigny Opera House has such an artsy and charming ambiance! The building used to be a church, so it still has many large, dramatic features that we typically associate with that kind of architecture.
The exterior of the building features textured walls that portray age and history. It makes for a very visually interesting backdrop for sure! The first three images below are examples of using that texture to my advantage. The windows in that area break up the space very nicely; and the fourth image here features one of my favorite architectural combinations: a doorway and set of stairs..the best of both worlds.
Marche
This indoor space at Marche features a unique checkered floor pattern and pops of color. I absolutely love that the inside of this space displays such a sophisticated appearance, yet once you exit the large double doors to the balcony you’re met with the contrasting colors of the French Quarter.
Pops of green and teal can really give your photos some brightness and variety. Not to mention the double-doors themselves is a prime example of how I like to use architecture to support my images.
Lastly… the VIEW! With the city buildings in the background, this space at Marche will provide you with the opportunity to get some really diverse images!
Was this guide helpful to you? Do you have any favorite spots or go-to backdrops at these venues? Shoot me an email! I’d love to talk about it with you!
Thanks for reading!
xo, Cat
