A few weeks ago a group of fabulous Houstonians visited the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to France for a gala benefiting  the International and American Friends of the Louvre. One of the invites to this lavish event was one of our favorites, Lindsey Love. Love wore Holly from our beautiful Vera Wang boutique. 

Thanks to Lindsay Love for sharing her beautiful photos with us! 

Photography By: Michel Dufour

Photos: Vogue.com

I remember when I was a kid; I would go to weddings, and each table had a few disposable cameras for the guest to take pictures of the party. I was always so heart broken that I was never able to keep the cameras and never saw thus pictures again.

Recently I noticed that photos of weddings are being hashtagged on social media. Even some couples making a custom hashtag and ask guests to use it on their social media outlets. 

The pros about using a hashtag for your wedding is that your guest might capture priceless candid moments. Also unlike disposable cameras all your guests, and maybe people who were not able to make it to your special day are able to enjoy the beautiful photos.

The cons; you can’t control what is post. Someone might accidentally post a picture of the bride before she walks down the aisle. This is why if you choose to hash tag your wedding, you should let them know when it is okay to post the photos. 

Modern times call for modern ways. Enjoy your wedding photos; you never know who would be capturing that priceless moment for you to remember.

 Wedding date?

 March 2, 2013

Wedding theme?

Traditional and timeless.  Romantic lighting was really important to me, so we incorporated as many  candles as possible to make the ballroom really glow.   The flowers were primarily white, with hints of  blush and champagne, which complemented the blush bridesmaids dresses beautifully. Because I come from a Louisiana family and the wedding was in New Orleans, I wanted to include LOTS of Cajun-inspired elements.  We accomplished this through the food (think Cajun fried turkey, a crab cake station, shrimp & cheese grits, fried green tomatoes, etc.) as well as other fun treats, like a New Orleans Snowball Stand and a late night snack of hot biscuits and honey from Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen.  We also handed out some fun New Orleans flare, including: Mardi Gras masks; purple/green/gold sunglasses, glow necklaces, and tiaras; and Mardi Gras beads personalized with our wedding date and the phrase “Krewe of Michel & Philip.”  

Designer?

 Monique L’huillier

Wedding gown style?

 A strapless gown featuring a sweetheart neckline with a fitted twisted-knot bodice and a full A-line skirt. 

What was your experience at Casa de Novia? 

I literally visited every bridal store in Houston and tried on fabulous dresses at all of them, but Carmen at Casa de Novia immediately made me feel at ease.  I knew she would take care of me and help me find the perfect dress…no matter how long it took!  (Admittedly, I have a really hard time making decisions.)  Ultimately, Carmen helped me see that I would be happiest with a dress that was classic and simple.  She helped me make it special by adding a champagne satin sash that accented my waist and highlighted the beautiful buttons down the back of the gown’s chapel-length train. 

Your Love story

Philip and I met through a mutual friend at a David Gray concert in the spring of 2010.  We became fast friends, and after too many instances of me pestering him about the types of girls he was dating, Philip finally suggested that WE go out on a date.  Once I learned how much we had in common (our similar humor and love for movies, music, and great restaurants – to name a few) it didn’t take long for me to see him as more than a friend.  About two years after our first date, Philip proposed at a park in Austin over Memorial Day weekend with the help of his family dog, Fleetwood (who had the ring tied to his collar.)  A few days later, we secured March 2, 2013 for our NOLA destination wedding.

Photographer

Charlotte Latham of New Orleans

·       Pick the right dress:  Keep in mind your location and venue, for example you don’t really want a ball gown on a beach wedding or you might want to be more covered for a winter mountain wedding.

·       Keep weather in mind; if you are doing a beach wedding, make sure it isn’t hurricane season. 

·        Enlist some local professionals to help with the wedding  planning. A good option is to hire a wedding consultant based in the area or even one who makes frequent trips there. Also keep in mind if you are getting married at a resorts or hotels, they often have their own wedding planners or resort managers who will handle many of the details.

·       Make sure you determine a tentative head count before making a down payment on a site and venue. You might be surprised by the amount of people who will be willing to travel to celebrate your special day. Have an alternate venue in mind just in case or limit your guest list to a select few.

·       If your destination wedding requires flying, keep your guest budget in mind. Avoid high rate flying dates such as spring break.

·       Be very organized, even if you have a wedding planner. The planning of a wedding can be a very stressful time and if you add the long distance and sometimes language factor, organization is the key to sanity

·       Check the Law.  Since marriage regulations vary not only from country to country but even state to state,  make sure to check the requirements of the location where you are getting married as far in advance as possible