A Very Vintage Wedding in New Orleans

October 05, 2015
Austin Gros

Inspired by a lively city filled with music and traditions, this creative duo created the sweetest garden, vintage nuptials filled with pink flowers, antique elements, and even a second line.

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Jessica and Graham

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Driven by a mutual infatuation with music, Jessica Ferri and Graham Roberts found love in Brooklyn, New York, in 2008. Jessica went to go see Graham's band perform a show in the Williamsburg neighborhood, where she later approached him. The duo formed an unbreakable bond filled with love, music, and written expression; seeing that Graham is a graphics editor at The New York Times and Jessica is a freelance writer and opera singer.

A few years later Graham chose to solidify their love when he got down on one knee against a sunset-lit sky on a vacation in Punta Cana. After a year-and-a-half long engagement the couple made it official at a destination wedding on April 19, 2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

144 of their loved ones ventured to The Big Easy to witness the couple say "I do" at the Beauregard-Keyes House. Jessica was inspired by the venue and the city itself, opting for a vintage garden-party theme. The lush green walls of the location's garden, pink blooms, antique décor, and the second line brass band all contributed to Jessica and Graham's whimsical celebration.

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The Venue

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According to Jessica, as soon as she and Graham discovered their venue, having a destination wedding was a sure thing. The historical Beauregard-Keyes House, formerly owned by General Beauregard of the Civil War and writer Francis Parkinson-Keyes, served as the canvas for the couple's big day. "The house itself is yellow with white columns and at the time the garden was very green. Those colors informed the palette of the bridesmaids' dresses (pink) and the groomsmen's suits (light gray)," says Jessica.

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The Decorative Touches

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The venue offers many interesting interior details too—for example, this antique fireplace, which was dressed up for the wedding with an organic floral arrangement by floral designer Amy Merrick.

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The Bridal Bouquet

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Jessica's bridal bouquet was "lush and vintage looking" just as she requested from Merrick. It incorporated personal touches, including three peonies representing herself, her mother, and her grandmother, as well as a brooch belonging to her grandmother affixed to the ribbon. 

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Bridesmaids Bouquets

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The bridesmaid's bouquets were delicate creations using a combination of locally-picked flowers.

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Blush Boutonnieres

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Sweet and simple boutonnieres boasted a touch of white and either pink or yellow to perfectly match the couple's big day color palette.

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The Groom's Outfit

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Graham couldn't look more dapper awaiting Jessica in a three part custom suit from Brooklyn Tailors. Although the suit was brand new, the groom and groomsmen's bowties were all vintage finds from the Brooklyn Flea.

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The Hair and Makeup

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"Hitchcock blondes are my style icons, and much of the inspiration for my dress, hair, and overall vintage style came from Grace Kelly, who was also married on April 19!" gushes Jessica. Inspired by vintage glamour, Amanda Gros completed Jessica's bridal look with rosy cheeks and lips and cat-eye eyeliner. Jessica's blonde tresses were pulled up into a loosely curled updo, perfect for her vintage veil.

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A Unique Vintage Veil

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Jessica's one-of-a-kind veil was created from two different hairpieces from Millcrest Vintage—a vintage pearl-adorned comb sewn to vintage veiling. 

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The Dress

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Much like every detail in the couple's wedding day, Jessica's dress was vintage. Lucky for her she found the dress in one easy trip to Millcrest Vintage and fell completely in love with its silhouette.

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The Ring and Wedding Bands

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Both Jessica's engagement ring and the couple's wedding bands are vintage from Leigh Jay Nacht in New York's diamond district. Much to Jessica's surprise, Graham selected the stunning Art Deco diamond on his own.

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Courtyard Ceremony

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The ceremony took place in the Beauregard-Keyes House's vintage parterre garden, complete with floral arrangements, a gorgeous trellis, and water fountain.

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A Lush Archway

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The duo exchanged their vows in a garden ceremony under a flourishing green trellis decorated with white spray roses and pink ribbon.

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The Program

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The programs handed out at the ceremony were a personal touch created by the groom's father. Jessica and Graham wanted to commemorate the loved ones they have lost in their program. Mr. Roberts detailed the programs by hand, painting an image of the trellis Jessica and Graham exchanged their vows under. 

As for the fun pink fans, the couple was gifted the BHLDN pieces from another recently married couple to use for their ceremony.

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The Processional

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Jessica's little brother escorted her down the aisle to the song "Remember" by Harry Nilsson. "I remember just thinking, wow. She looked incredible and I was feeling so grateful that she would be standing up there with me in a moment on a perfect day in front of all of our friends and family," Graham says. "I also thought, whew, pressure is off me, no one will be looking at me anymore."

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Handwritten Vows

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Jessica and Graham were married by their close friend and exchanged tearful, surprise vows making the ceremony that much more special for the couple and guests. "I encourage any couple to write their own vows, I think it's really important to making your own ceremony unique and memorable," says Jessica.

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The Recessional

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The band played a lively tune for the newlyweds recessional, resulting in Graham dancing and an eruption of cheers from the guests.

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Bridesmaids in Pink

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The bridesmaids donned all matching pink tea-length dresses from For Her and For Him with natural makeup and polished hairstyles of their choice, while the groomsmen were dressed in light-gray suits and pink boutonnieres.

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The Portraits

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After the ceremony, Jessica and Graham took to the garden's courtyard to snap a few couple's portraits with photographer Austin Gros before they ran out of sunlight. 

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The Reception

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Both the cocktail hour and the reception occurred in the house and the courtyard, where guests could leisurely enjoy food and drinks. The courtyard remained well-lit with hanging café lights so that guests could enjoy bourbon, the oyster bar, and dancing through the night.

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The Guests

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Guests mostly traveled from New York City and the Southern states with many never having visited the spirited city before.

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Vintage Vignettes

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The inside of the house had antique vignettes with blush floral details for guests to sit down and relax throughout the reception.

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The Cake

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Jessica and Graham's cake was just as pretty as it was delicious. Made by the Royal Cakery in New Orleans, the almond cake with buttercream frosting was adorned with leaves and fresh flowers by Amy Merrick.

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The First Dance

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Jessica and Graham chose "Your Sweet Love" by Lee Hazelwood for their first dance track.

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The Music

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At the beginning on the reception Jessica and Graham treated their guests to live jazz music in the front room, then had a friend DJ in the courtyard as the night went on and guests broke out their dancing shoes.

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Traditional Fun

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Since Graham is Jewish, it was important that the Hora was a part of the wedding reception. "The wedding was a reflection of who we are as a couple, and it was really important to us that it be deeply personal," says Jessica.

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Late-Night Snacks

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Joel Catering served powdered beignets and coffee to guests to fuel them for more dancing and fun at the after-party.

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The Grand Exit

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The Kinfolk Brass Band led the way to the newlywed's after-party at Cane & Table, creating a traditional second line through the streets. "Many guests told me it was their first second line and the best time they'd ever had," says Jessica.

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The After-Party

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Jessica and Graham headed to the after-party alongside the second line—with Jessica donning another 1950s vintage dress.

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