Lily and Ryan’s wedding at Degas House was exactly the kind of New Orleans wedding I love. Beautiful, loud, emotional, a little messy, and completely alive.
The day started in the kind of old New Orleans house where every room feels like it has a story, then turned into champagne in bathtubs, family hugs, a packed courtyard ceremony, speeches that had everyone reacting, and a rainy second line through the French Quarter.
It was not stiff. It was not overly polished. It was fully them. And that’s the good stuff.
Getting Ready at Degas House
Degas House has that old New Orleans texture that makes a wedding morning feel instantly lived-in. Tall windows, creaky floors, narrow hallways, art everywhere, and rooms full of people trying to get dressed while also keeping track of shoes, flowers, drinks, and feelings.
Lily got ready upstairs with her people around her, and the morning had the right kind of chaos. Dresses hanging, makeup finishing, friends moving through the room, her mom helping with the final pieces, and a bathtub somehow becoming one of the best portrait spots of the day.
The details were there, but the people carried it.
A Courtyard Ceremony in the Rain
The ceremony took place in the courtyard at Degas House, with guests packed in close and the rain hanging around just enough to make everything feel even more New Orleans.
Lily walked down the aisle with her dad, Ryan waited under the tent, and the whole space shifted into that quiet, emotional gear weddings hit when everyone realizes the thing is actually happening.
There were tears, laughs, big reactions, a real kiss, and the kind of ceremony exit that immediately let the whole day loosen up.
Dinner, Speeches, and a Reception That Got Loose
Once the reception started, the night found its rhythm fast.
Dinner under the tent, speeches that had everyone reacting, parents laughing, friends pointing across tables, champagne moving around, and Lily and Ryan right in the middle of all of it.
Then the dance floor stopped pretending it had manners.
People were singing, crawling across bricks, falling over, throwing arms around each other, lifting Ryan into the air, and making exactly the kind of decisions that make wedding photos better.
A Rainy French Quarter Second Line
Then the night spilled into the street.
Rain on the pavement. Umbrella in hand. Brass band behind them. French Quarter lights bouncing off the road.
Lily and Ryan led their second line through the Quarter with guests packed behind them, strangers cheering from the sidewalks, and the whole thing feeling like New Orleans decided to join the wedding for a few blocks.
Vendor Love
Venue: Degas House
Planning / Coordination: Celebration Coordinator by LEC
Photography: Swanson Photography
Entertainment: NOLA Dukes Band
Catering: Elysian Catering
Second Line Band: Big Fun Brass Band
