
Getting Married in New Orleans: Your Guide to Big Weddings vs. All-Inclusive Elopements
Getting Married in New Orleans: Big Weddings vs. All-Inclusive Elopements So, you’re thinking about getting married in New Orleans? Excellent
Imagine standing hand-in-hand, surrounded by the towering oaks and lush landscapes of City Park, just you, your partner and the kind of setting you’ll want to remember forever. Picture the soft, dappled light filtering through the trees as you exchange vows by the iconic McDonough Oak or beside the charming Butler Fountain. Does that vision feel like the perfect fit for your love story? Yeah, we thought so.
With our City Park elopement package, we make it easy for you to experience this moment, blending simple planning with exceptional service. It’s all about creating a day that feels as incredible as it looks.
City Park is a dream for elopements because it offers so many different backdrops in one place. Here are a few of our favorite spots:
The McDonough Oak: This is one of the park’s most ancient and magnificent live oaks. Standing beneath its sprawling, Spanish moss-draped branches feels like stepping into your own storybook. It provides a timeless, breathtaking setting that requires no extra decor.
Butler Fountain: For couples who want a mix of classical architecture and natural beauty, the Butler Fountain is the perfect choice. Tucked away on a quiet path, the fountain’s elegant design and spanish moss in the distance create a romantic, serene atmosphere.
The New Orleans Botanical Gardens: As a unique, gated location within the park, the Botanical Gardens offer a series of incredible backdrops, from the tranquil conservatory and lush fern gardens to the vibrant rose garden. It provides a more structured and secluded environment for your ceremony.
Planning your elopement should be fun, not a headache. The good news is, we handle all the details!
Permits: A permit is required for all elopements and weddings in City Park (no matter the size). We know the ins and outs of the process and will handle the paperwork for you to ensure everything is squared away for your day.
Best Time of Day: We always recommend eloping in the morning or about an hour or two before sunset. The light is beautiful and soft, and the park is less crowded, allowing for a more intimate experience.
Parking: We’ll help you find the easiest place to park and get to your ceremony location without any stress.
What to Wear: We encourage you to wear whatever you feel comfortable and confident in. The most beautiful thing about elopements is they are uniquely you! Just keep in mind that you will be walking in grassy areas to capture those amazing photos.
This is just an example of what your day could look like. The real magic is in the moments we don’t plan.
2:00 PM: Let the Adventure Begin! We’ll meet at our planned location in the park.
2:15 PM: Your Intimate Ceremony. Your officiant will guide you through your vows.
2:45 PM: Newlywed Photos! We’ll explore the park, capturing beautiful and natural photos as we walk to different iconic spots.
4:00 PM: Time to Celebrate. The ceremony and photos are done, y’all can share beignets (also fun photos!), you can head to a world renown restaurant for a world class meal or simply enjoy your first moments as a married couple.
At Elope to NOLA, we understand your elopement wedding day is one of the most meaningful moments of your life. That’s why we specialize in crafting intimate, personalized elopements that capture the essence of your love.
Tailored Planning: We’re all ears. We’ll make sure every detail feels like you – not a wedding template.
Expert Photography: With over 11 years of experience, we’ll capture your love story in a way that feels real and authentic.
All-Inclusive Packages: Every package includes photography, a licensed officiant, florals, permit and full-service planning.
Ready to start your stress-free journey?
EXCELLENT Based on 82 reviews David Lee2025-08-18Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Marcia arrived promptly at our location and immediately made us all feel comfortable on our special day including myself, wife, our family and especially our three little ones under the age of 4. Those with toddlers know it can be a challenge to get the little ones to cooperate taking pictures lol. Marcia is also patient and has a good eye for the little details, would definitely recommend her. Adam Foutty2025-07-26Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My wife and I absolutely loved working with Marcia at Ibay photography. Her followup is impeccable, her counter parts Sandy the officiant, was phenomenal! The cake and flowers were exactly as we requested. It was a genuine pleasure throughout the entire process. Definitely recommend this company! claire sullivan2025-07-20Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Marcia was so attentive. She helped us from the start to the end and beyond. Organizing things we didn’t think about at the last minute. Responds so quickly to all my questions. From tge other side of the world she made suggestions which just took out all the stress. Her team was wonderful. The photos are amazing and at the end of the day I have made a friend that has made my wedding day one I will never forget. I can not recommend her highly enough. My family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts. Love from OZ Cody2025-05-28Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We chose Marcia to shoot our wedding in New Orleans and are in love with the moments that were captured! We were nervous about an out of state wedding for the obvious reasons and photography angles and areas were definitely high on that list. We aligned with Marcia over a few phone calls and were all set for the day of. She had a plan to walk to get some amazing shots of us and really enjoyed the time and poses with my new bride. Marcia helped add some fun to our photography shoot while capturing some artistic and beautiful shots. Eric2025-05-15Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I cannot say enough good things about Marcia! We planned our elopement in about 6 weeks, and during our initial call we told Marcia that we just wanted to show up and enjoy our day. She took care of literally everything, helped with vendor recommendations, and was extremely flexible when we had to change the time of our wedding due to the weather. Every vendor that she recommended was equally as amazing, and the whole process was stress-free and fun to plan. On our wedding day, she took the reins and made sure we got all the photos we wanted, that every detail we wanted to capture was done, and most importantly she made sure that we felt comfortable so that we didn't look awkward in our pictures, which was something we were concerned with since we're not people who spend a lot of time in front of a camera. We just got our final photos back, and they are absolutely beautiful. They're exactly what we wanted, and there are many beautiful ones to choose, we're having a hard time deciding which ones are the favorites to display. Also, her daughter Krislyn was our second shooter for the day and her photos were just as amazing! If you have the opportunity to work work Ibay Photography, DO IT! They will be your favorite wedding vendor! Sheila Morgan2025-05-12Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We use Marcia for our boat weddings at Captan Morgan Sailing Charters. She is so talented and wonderful to work with. She knows what she is doing and makes sure that the wedding is seamless. Gissel diaz2025-05-01Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our entire day was completely magical. Marcia did her absolute to capture all the right moments. I absolutely love all of our wedding photos and so do both of our families. The overall team did amazing. Wouldn’t have chosen anyone else for our big day!! Jessica Chui2025-04-18Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Marcia did an amazing job photographing our day!! She was so knowledgeable of the venue and knew the perfect spots as well as listening to our ideas. She took the time before the day to touch base and it helped to ensure a smooth wedding day. She gave us such great pointer to ensure our photos could be the best they could be. We received the photos so quickly and they were all so flawless. We will appreciate the photos forever. Thank you for everything! Samantha Watson2025-04-10Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Marcia is the best professional photographer ever! She made us feel so comfortable on our wedding day. She has a keen eye. She is talented and super sweet! My makeup came out too orange and she edited our pictures to where you couldn't even tell! Highly recommend!! Heather Tucker2025-04-09Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Marcia & her daughter did an amazing job on our photos! She made it go so smooth & stress free. We absolutely love our photos. They both were so kind & helpful. I would recommend them to anyone wanting to elope in New Orleans. She knew all of the right places to go. 10/10 experience!!!!!
Yes, a permit is required for elopements and microweddings in City Park. But don’t worry, we’ll handle it for you. Your package includes the permit, so you can skip the paperwork and just show up ready to celebrate.
City Park offers numerous picturesque locations for ceremonies such as under a majestic centuries old oak or Butler Fountain.
The permit typically includes access to Butler Fountain (or McDonough Tree) and the iconic stone bridge for additional photography.
For optimal lighting, it’s recommended to plan your ceremony either shortly after sunrise or during the two hours before sunset. These times offer soft, flattering light ideal for photography.
Pack a few small essentials (in a tote or small bag) to keep things smooth and comfortable, blotting tissue for makeup touch-ups, facial tissue for happy tears, a bottle of water to stay hydrated, and a change of shoes if you’ll want something comfier after the ceremony. We’ll handle the rest.
No matter where you dream of saying ‘I do,’ we have the perfect package to make it effortless and magical.
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