“EMILY+EDWARD = 4EVER LOVE”

from NOW Weddings Magazine November 2020 Issue

NOLA Minimony Style November 2020 Issue

Emily Bell & Edward Brooks NOVEMBER 1, 2019

WRITTEN BY: Jessica Burke | PHOTOGRAPHER: Alanna Rae Photography

EDWARD’S PROPOSAL CAME AS A TOTAL SURPRISE TO EMILY. THE TWO had been dating for nine years and friends since elementary school, so when they went to Landry’s on the Lake for their families’ annual September birthday celebration in 2018, Emily wasn’t expecting a marriage proposal.

“He got down on one knee before dessert and proposed,” says Emily. “Took me totally by surprise!”

A little over a year later, the happy couple said their vows with family from near and far looking on.

Before the wedding ceremony, the couple had a first look at the Eliza Jane Hotel and exchanged journals with handwritten notes to each other inside. “We each agreed that we didn’t really want to read anything aloud, so this was one of those ‘just for us’ moments that we really cherished from that day,” says Emily.

After taking photos with their attendants and famlies at the hotel, the wedding party moved to The Chicory for the ceremony and reception. The Warehouse District venue had “that elegant industrial vibe I was aiming for,” says Emily.

Emily wanted to balance the industrial look of the venue with classic, elegant decor that would look timeless and called in Herbivore Floral Design and Luminous Events to create her vision. ”I love how everything seemed balanced from the band barrier to the bar front, to the floral, to the small accents, nothing felt underdone and nothing felt too over-the-top,” says Emily. “It was simply perfect - exactly what I wanted but couldn’t put into words.”

At the reception, the couple had not one, but seven cakes! They fell in love with Bywater Bakery’s Almond Chantilly cake, with Almond Chantilly icing, but learned they wouldn’t be able to stack that particular type of cake. To get around this, they created a cake table display of multiple single layer cakes, each with different fillings such as lemon, chocolate, strawberry, and fresh berries,

Instead of a traditional groom’s cake, the couple turned to District Donuts for Edward’s favorite donut flavors, Wedding Cake and German Chocolate.

Live event painter, Kristen Schenk of NOLA Live Painting, captured the party on canvas. “We were absolutely in love with our painting, it’s got to be one of my favorite keepsakes!” shares Emily. Kristen was able to include the couple’s family and friends in the painting as well as their two dogs, even though they didn’t get to attend the wedding.

To other couples planning their weddings, Emily says, “Try to enjoy the process and don’t sweat the small stuff. Remember that your wedding is for the two of you, not anyone else. At the end of the night, you’ll be with the one you love and nothing else will matter.”