Friday, December 09, 2005

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!

10 comments:

Zina said...

Does the city of New Orleans have you an the payroll yet? They should.

Peter said...

Absolutely nothing to do with (a) getting married, or, (b) New Orleans, Is the divorce capital of the US still at Reno? Even here in Oz it wasrecognised as the divorce spot a few years ago but I/we don't hear much of it now.

EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima said...

In Nigeria, marriage is a life sentence. So, you cannot wed without the jury and the grand jury of inlaws and outlaws and noseyparkers, friends, well-wishers, heart-broken wall flowers and lounge lizards. Therefore, you will need wedding planners for weeks. And my former flat mate spent over $30,000 on the reception alone and in Nigeria that is about N4 Million (four million Naira) the annual income of a GM in a big Nigerian bank.

I should come to New Orleans to wed. But I need a blonde bride. Is your friend single and available?
I was just wondering how she felt getting out of such an ackward situation in her car. It would be a memorable scene for a romantic comedy.And I magine me making fun of her all the way. And she pouting her read lips and saying,"Fxxk U!"

I love blondes and don't blame me, because I dated one angelic German blonde from Munich and I lost her. I want to be kissed and loved by another angelic blonde.

I enjoyed reading all your posts.

I composed some memorable poems on the Katrina catastrophe.

Have a great weekend and God bless you always.

Laurie said...

Zina - Now there's an idea!

Peter - My blogging friend over at the Wreckroom lives in Reno. We'll have to ask him. You should pop over there. He has a great blog. He's on my sidebar.

Orikinla - What a fascinating comment! You get the award for longest and most informative comment on this blog that wasn't trying to inform everyone about the wonders of non-satellite radio (Hello, George!).

Sorry, my blonde friend is very happily married to her high school sweetheart. Y

ou have a great weekend, too!

Laurie said...

Oops, my "Y" stayed behind when I made a paragraph break. Rebellious little scamp.

Carol Davidson said...

I want you to be my wedding planner.

Laurie said...

Abby - It would be an honor! Can I plan the bachelorette party, too?

Carol Davidson said...

Sure! And while you're at it, plan who will be the groom. We're starting from scratch here.

Tim said...

Louisiana is just too nutty sometimes. The quick and easy marriage law was passed a few years ago as a way of attracting more tourists. And then last year, we had to defend the "sanctity" of marriage by passing an anti-same-sex constitutional amendment. So which is it? Marriage for fun and profit? Or marriage as an institution ordained by God? Louisiana says, "Both!"

Laurie, I wish you had been my wedding planner--I would have saved a lot of money!

Laurie said...

Abby - You pick mine and I'll pick yours. What the hell!

Tim - You can always count on Louisiana for loony politics.