Getting Married in New Orleans

On my previous post describing a typical itinerary when we're in New Orleans, I had a commenter ask me about places to get married there. The rules for getting married in New Orleans are now similar to the rules for getting married in Las Vegas. One of my friends went to New Orleans with her fiance to get married. They left Beaumont around 7:00 a.m. and, with no prior planning except to obtain certified copies of their divorce decrees and birth certificates, were married by 2:00 p.m. That includes a 4-hour drive, by the way.

There are lots of websites with information about getting married in New Orleans in the traditional fashion with a lot of planning done, stress experienced and money spent. This site [click here] has all the information you need about getting married in New Orleans and furnishes several options for ceremonies which seem relatively painless.

If I were going to get married in New Orleans, this would be the plan (not that I've given it a lot of thought, you understand):

1. After checking into a French Quarter hotel, walk down to St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square and share a few spirtual moments (inside the church, if it's open) with your very-soon-to-be-spouse.
2. Go to Cafe DuMonde and have a pre-marriage brunch of cafe au lait (for the caffeine buzz) and some beignets. Steal some sweet powdered sugar smooches.
3. Before heading to the courthouse for your license and ceremony, stop at one of the antique shops in the French Quarter and buy your rings.
4. Buy some flowers from a street vendor.
5. Go get married.
6. Meet up with your friends and family at Masperro's on Decatur for your wedding dinner. (This is a very casual restaurant where you get a lot of delicious food for not a lot of money.)
7. Send someone over to La Madeleine's for a variety of pastries and have your "wedding cake" in the park in front of the cathedral.
8. Have your "reception" on the patio at Pat O'Brien's. Have the Pat O's photographer take your official wedding photographs ($8 each, what a bargain). You can't monopolize all their time, but, I'm sure they would take three or four group shots for you, without any problem.
9. Hang out with your friends on Bourbon Street until it's time to start the honeymoon.
10. Spend the rest of the weekend in New Orleans or, if time and money permit, go to the airport and catch a plane to Vegas (Caribbean? Paris?) for an extended honeymoon.
11. Go home and spend all the money you saved on an elaborate wedding on something you and your friends and family can enjoy together for years to come. How about an outdoor barbeque pit/kitchen area or turn a room in your house into a martini bar or a home theater?

No, I haven't given this much thought at all.

Edited to add: When I answered Abby's comment, I realized I hadn't included bachelor and bachelorette parties on the agenda. Everyone could always go up a day early which allows more time for ring shopping and the above mentioned B-parties. Of course, the parties will probably cross paths during the night but that would just keep things interesting. Hey, it's New Orleans!