Mardi Gras Wedding on Esplanade | Maybe the Most New Orleans Wedding Ever
When Mason first told me about the vision for this wedding, I knew immediately I wanted to photograph it.
An early morning Mardi Gras wedding. On the Esplanade neutral ground. Everyone in costume. Under-the-sea theme. Then afterward, cruising through the French Quarter and Marigny on a handmade float.
Honestly, it might be the most New Orleans wedding I’ve ever photographed.
As a New Orleans wedding photographer, you see a lot of different weddings. Traditional ballroom weddings, second lines through the Quarter, backyard ceremonies, rooftop receptions. But this one felt completely locked into the spirit of the city in a way that’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced Mardi Gras here.
And for me personally, it fit perfectly into my normal Fat Tuesday routine.
Usually on Mardi Gras morning I wake up early, throw on a costume, and head toward the Marigny before making my way into the Quarter with the Krewe of St. Anne. During Carnival I go pretty hard on street photography. I spend most of the day documenting people, costumes, and little moments happening all over the city. So once I realized this wedding was basically happening right in the middle of my normal Mardi Gras route, I was all in.
I met Mason out on the neutral ground while friends and family were setting things up. Meanwhile Brie was getting ready at a nearby Airbnb off Frenchmen Street.
The whole thing had this chaotic-but-perfect Mardi Gras energy to it. People showing up in costume. Music in the background. Random conversations happening everywhere. I bounced around getting candid shots while everyone settled in. That’s always my favorite way to approach New Orleans wedding photography anyway—less directing, more observing.
The ceremony itself was short, sweet, and personal with one of their friends officiating. Then afterward we grabbed some portraits while people climbed onto the float and started getting ready to roll through the streets.
It really felt less like a formal wedding and more like this moving celebration weaving into Mardi Gras itself. Which honestly made it even better.
I wrapped up coverage with a shot of the rings sitting on their portable table/makeshift bar before heading back into the madness of Carnival.
Everywhere else it was just a Tuesday morning.
But in New Orleans? This was a wedding. A parade. A costume party. A Mardi Gras day. All happening at once.
Best Fat Tuesday ever.
