While Leaf + Petal loves to flower everywhere, these are some of our favorite choices for best wedding venues in New Orleans.
PART ONE
New Orleans Museum of Art
best wedding venues in New Orleans
Great Hall staircase full of lush garden style flowers
We absolutely love to design NOMA weddings, there is so much you can do in the Great Hall and adjoining rooms. Consider it a blank space just ready for creativity.
aerial view of dinig tables in the Great Hall - NOMA wedding
The Beaux-Arts architecture an grand columns make it statement making on it's own but once you add flowers it's an incredible space for a ceremony and/or reception.
flowers under the art - NOMA wedding
We've created gorgeous reception spaces inside but I will always love a good tented reception in the NOMA sculpture garden.
tented garden party wedding in the sculpture garden at NOMA
The scuplture garden has endless possibilities for ceremonies, cocktail hours and receptions. Whether you need to tent for rain or for a seated dinner or are having your wedding alfresco, it's a beautful space in the park.
seated dinner at a tropical themed luxury wedding in the sculpture garden at NOMA
So NOMA is definitely one of Leaf + Petal's picks for best wedding venue in New Orleans.
Il Mercato
best wedding venues in New Orleans
Il Mercato mantel flowers
Easily one of my personal favorite places to work in New Orleans is  Il Mercato.
The Italian style courtyard, complete with kumquat trees and gorgeous mantle, is just waiting to have florals added. The interior space continues the 'old-world' italian feel to create the perfect wedding venue.
garden urns decorating Il Mercatos mantel
Decorating Il Mercato's mantel with flowers is my personal favorite pastime.
I love getting to create floral designs for it. Whether we are starting from scratch and creating something new or going with a classic tried and true design, Il Mercato's mantel is a blank canvas on which you can create anything.
It's a great way to highlight your ceremony or just have a great instagrammable spot for the reception.
Il Mercato entrance gate covered in neutral flowers
Starting at the street entrance, a fun way to greet your guests is with a floral gate installation. Basically an initial announcement 'my wedding is here' and another great instagram moment for your guests.
Everyone loves talking pics in front of flowers. #flowerselfie
Il Mercato entrance door floral decor
Another impactful spot for florals is the entrance doorway leading inside. It gives your guests more of an expereince to walk through everytime they go in and outside.
Or you can decorate the entrance with garden-styel meadow hedges your guest walk through to enter.
entrance meadow at Il Mercato
Inside the doors, you'll find one of the most beautiful places in the city.
With gorgeous Tara Shaw chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the stunning herringbone floors, it's one of the (many) reasons why Il Mercato is one of Leaf + Petal's picks for best wedding venues in New Orleans.
a seated dinner inside Il Mercato
Fun fact: our last Leaf + Petal studio was across the street from Il Mercato. So not only is it an amazing venue, it was wildly convenient.
The Elms Mansion
best wedding venues in New Orleans
the Elms Mansion gazebo decorated in garden style flowers
Leaf + Petal has decorated the Elms Mansion gazebo more times than we can count, it's truly is one of my favorite places togo floralize. And not to mention, Jess from the Elms is pretty spectacular to work with.
The above picture has been one of my favorites forever and I actually just went back and added it as the home page on Leaf + Petal's website. It's a classic!
gazebo decorated with a ceiling installation at the Elms Mansion
The versatility of the space is one of the main reasons its one of our favorites for top wedding venues in
New Orleans. Another is the courtyard itself. Surounded by lush trees and beautifully landscaped gardens, you never really know you're sitting yards away from a busy New Orleans street.
garden style ceremony arch in the back lawn of the Elms Mansion
We love that the Elms has started recommending that ceremonies can take place on the back lawn. It really gives your ceremony a feel of an intimate backyard (like a really nice, fancy backyard) wedding. It also allows for more eleborate table settings in the main courtyard.
outdoor reception at the Elms Mansion with lush florals and candelabras
The courtyard at the Elms is such a gorgeous space for your reception. The gardens have an incredible way to sheilding you from outside of the venue while letting you have glimpses here and there of St Charles.
Your guests will love seeing the street cars go by.
tall arrangements for a courtyard reception at the Elms Mansion
Even if you have to tent it, you can still have a gorgeous outdoor reception. There are so many ways to make a tent wedding feel intimate and cozy. I always love a good catherdral light in a tent - very romantic.
Another focal point to highlight are the outside staircases at the Elms.
lush flowers decorating the St Charles entrance of the Elms Mansion
Decorating the front staircase on St Charles has a 'you have arrived' type of feel. It's a beautiful first impact moment for guests to take pictures in front of.
garden-style flowers accenting the back staircase at the Elms Mansion
Another great outside photo-op moment is decorating the back staircase with flowers. This is the exit the bride/groom walks out of initially to walk down the aisle.
It's also a great photo moment as you first emerge as a couple and are greeted by your guests post ceremony.
tall arrangements for the charcuterie table in the dining room at the Ems Mansion
One the nice things about the Elms Mansion interior is you don't really need to add any decor - floral or candlewise. There are a couple focal points but the venue is so stunning on its own inside. If you're looking for a classic New Orleans aesthetic, this is it.
In terms of inside the Elms, we usually recommend a tall arrangement for the middle of your charcuterie. table in the sining room. It's the perfect height to fit under their gorgeous cerystal chandelier.
cake flowers and a cake moment with a decorated mantel place at the Elms Mansion
And of course, the best photo-op moment is the cake.
Typically when we do weddings at the Elms Mansion, people like to have the cake table in-front of the mantel. Just highlighting all the beautiful New Orleans architecture, it's a sweet final moment.
Leaf + Petal has so many venues they love to work with/in but these are our top three pics for best wedding venues in New Orleans.
Stay tuned for part two!
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