Compass Point Wedding | Second Lines, Sunset Light, and a Full Circle Moment
Kim and Pavel’s wedding took place on November 2nd, 2019, and the weather honestly could not have been better. Cool enough to feel like fall, but not cold. Definitely not hot. Which, for New Orleans weddings, is always a win.
The whole day took place at Compass Point Events.
We started with some getting ready photos before moving into letters and their first look. Kim and Pavel got ready at the same location, which made everything feel relaxed and easy. After exchanging letters, we headed outside for the first look and it went perfectly.
I always love first looks. As a New Orleans wedding photographer, they’re one of the best opportunities for real candid moments. You can feel people let their guard down a little. It’s less about posing and more about reactions. Those little expressions when people first see each other always end up being some of my favorite images from the day.
After the first look, we rolled into portraits and then straight into the ceremony.
And this is where Compass Point really shines.
The ceremony setup there is beautiful. The oak trees create this soft shade over the ceremony space, and if the timing lines up close to sunset, the light hits the altar area in this really warm, glowing way that photographs incredibly well. It’s one of those venues that naturally works with light instead of fighting against it, which makes a huge difference in New Orleans wedding photography.
Compass Point is also personal for me for another reason.
My dad worked on that property for about 25 years—back when it was Compass Marine, a towboat company long before it became a wedding venue. The buildings there used to be offices, and what’s cool is that a lot of them are actually old homes that were moved onto the property years ago. My dad even helped sand the floors in one of the buildings.
The last time I had been there before photographing weddings was probably when I was 8 or 9 years old. So coming back now as a wedding photographer in New Orleans feels a little surreal in the best way.
After the ceremony, we took things into the streets in true New Orleans fashion.
Second line up the levee. Brass band going. Everyone dancing through the neighborhood. One of my favorite parts of New Orleans weddings is always that transition from ceremony into celebration, where things loosen up and the energy shifts completely.
And the cool part was the band—The New Orleans Avengers—didn’t just play the second line. They stayed all night for the reception too, which kept that classic New Orleans jazz sound rolling through the entire evening.
It was just one of those weddings where everything lined up. Great weather, good people, beautiful light, and a couple that was fully present the entire day.
