September 19 2023 | Planning Tips
Planning a wedding takes work. It’s one of those few days in a person’s life that really needs to be as close to perfect as possible, and achieving perfection requires seeing to a zillion details. One of the biggest elements is choosing the wedding venue. In and around New Orleans, a courtyard wedding launches a couple’s life in grand style, providing picturesque memories and serving as an alternative to the traditional church wedding, an attractive option for many. Our fall weather makes courtyard weddings an inviting option.
There’s seemingly no end to the fabulous courtyard wedding choices available throughout New Orleans. As a bride (or groom), your biggest job will be checking out the facilities and deciding which one will best meet your needs for space, seating, surroundings, amenities and price. But first, you need to answer the question, Is a courtyard wedding right for me?
Outside vs. inside
Courtyards come in many shapes and sizes, but the one thing they have in common is that they’re outside, under the sun or stars. This means you won’t have protection from the elements as you would if you held your wedding inside a church, private home, banquet hall or Justice of the Peace office.
Courtyards come in many shapes and sizes, but the one thing they have in common is that they’re outside, under the sun or stars. This means you won’t have protection from the elements as you would if you held your wedding inside a church, private home, banquet hall or Justice of the Peace office.
But if you schedule your wedding for a time of year where weather is least likely to be a factor (the cooler months generally bring less rain), you’ll be able to create an experience that is truly breathtaking and will live in your hearts forever. A courtyard wedding in well-manicured grounds, out in the open air, brings a sense of romance and reality you simply can’t get when tying the knot inside a building.
How much space and seating do you need?
This is a critical factor that should be one of the first questions you ask when searching for the right facility. Once you have a good idea of the size of your guest list, you can start your venue-shopping, crossing off your list of facilities that won’t be able to provide sufficient seating for your group. It’s important to complete your guest list first, and then find the right courtyard wedding venue, rather than falling in love with a particular facility and struggling to make it work.
Do it yourself, or have it done
Some facilities that hold courtyard weddings are fully equipped with food service, staff, chairs and tables and services designed specifically for weddings. Others aren’t so thoroughly set up. Choosing a facility will include deciding how much work and expense you want to go to, personally, versus the expense of letting the facility take care of all the details. It’s a good idea to have some parameters in these areas in place before you start looking for a venue.
The courtyard wedding
When it’s time to select your perfect facility, online directories such as WeddingsInNewOrleans.com can save you a lot of time. There you’ll find detailed descriptions of clubs, hotels and other types of places that might prove ideal. Venue details on this website include average cost, space type (courtyard/indoor), guest capacity, location, facility description and contact info.
After you’ve settled on the ultimate courtyard wedding venue, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing you’ll be married in high style in one of the most elegant and unique cities on earth. Best wishes!
Get your Emily Post on.
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