1 of 16
French-Quarter Flair
On February 24, 2013, in the heart of New Orleans, Rebecca Morgan celebrated her wedding in true NOLA style. With a ceremony booked in Louisiana's St. Patrick's Church, the Texas bride knew she wanted her shower to showcase the wedding's destination for guests flying in from all over the country.
Together with Julia Hohne of Mrs. Vintage, Rebecca gathered together details she imagined to be iconic to the southern city to create a classic French-inspired bridal shower theme.
1 of 16
2 of 16
A Historic NOLA Venue
Rebecca and Justin landed on New Orleans as their wedding destination for a few reasons: It was the bride's birthplace, the first place the couple took a vacation to, and the perfect spot to split the travel difference between Justin's Texas relatives and Rebecca's family in the South East.
"We chose the Irish Cultural Museum for the shower thanks to the recommendation of Julia," said Rebecca. "It was the perfect-sized venue for an intimate shower."
2 of 16
3 of 16
Black-and-White Invitations
The invitations, along with the day-of paperie, was designed by Patricia Quinn Stokes of P.S. Creative. A crisp black and white palette tied in the vintage French theme.
Also included with the invitation was an informational card that featured a vintage map of the French Quarter to show guests the venue's location. The final touch was a small card where guests could give the couple advice for a long and happy marriage.
3 of 16
4 of 16
The Dress Code
Rebecca's dress was designed by local fashion favorite Camilyn Beth and purchased at Hattie Sparks, a boutique in the garden district that showcases locally designed clothing, jewelry, and accessories. She paired it with Nine West shoes.
4 of 16
5 of 16
Romantic Tablescapes
A mix of bright pink, peach, and pale yellow flowers brought a pop of color to black and white paper goods and tablecloths from La Tavola.
5 of 16
6 of 16
Pellegrino Place Card
Small bottles of Pellegrino adorned with a piece of baker's twine served as place cards. Custom name labels were fixed to each bottle with a piece of scalloped lace underneath.
6 of 16
7 of 16
Special Reserved Seating
Leafy garland was the perfect detail to make Rebecca's chair stand out. "Since this was a shower, we wanted her to feel special, and a personalized chair back was just the thing to pull that off!" said event planner Julia Hohne.
7 of 16
8 of 16
A Sentimental Timeline
One of the bride's favorite surprises of the day was a custom timeline. Small medicine bottles tagged with significant dates in Rebecca and Justin's relationship were hung in chronological order to create a story of the couple's life together.
8 of 16
9 of 16
The Happy Couple
Rebecca's sisters gathered a collection of photos of the bride and groom that were displayed at the shower on a rented window frame.
9 of 16
10 of 16
Clipboard for Collecting Gifts
P.S. Creative came up with a clever clipboard design for recording gifts. "My sisters were so appreciative of having something to use for writing down everything!" said Rebecca.
10 of 16
11 of 16
Social Media Snaps
A hashtag was used by both vendors and guests to chronicle the day on Twitter and Instagram. It was displayed on a chalkboard frame and positioned so guests could see it as they walked in.
11 of 16
12 of 16
Playful Props
Not a huge fan of shower games, snapping fun pis in a photo booth served as the perfect icebreaker. Rebecca handcrafted a mix of props that represented the three locations central to the shower: New Orleans, France, and Texas. She printed out a variety of templates, then cut them out of thick black boarding adding scrapbook paper, spray glue, and glitter for color and texture.
The prop table was decorated with a vintage camera on loan from Rebecca's aunt.
12 of 16
13 of 16
A Blooming Backdrop
NOLA Flora dressed up an antique ceiling tile screen with leafy garland and peach 'Fado' and 'Movie Star' roses to act as the backdrop for the photo booth.
13 of 16
14 of 16
Photobooth Fun
The ladies posed for some fun portraits with their handmade props.
14 of 16
15 of 16
Local Treats
Guests received mini pralines, a New Orleans staple, from Leah's Pralines as favors. Each sweet was wrapped in its own clear bag then placed in a colored box and tied with a Merci tag.
15 of 16
16 of 16
Sources
Photography: Greer Manolis at Greer G Photography
Venue: Irish Cultural Museum
Event planning and rentals: Julia Hohne at Mrs. Vintage
Catering: New Orleans Catering
Florist: NOLA Flora
Stationery: Patricia Quinn Stokes at P.S. Creative
Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens
Favors: Leah's Pralines