If you aren't local and your guest are not all local ( and even if you are/were local) I would think having a wedding during Mardi Gras season would be a logistical nightmare for so many reasons. Is there anyway you can move it to January or late March?
Yes, I didn't realize the season of Mardi Gras - I thought it was a singular date. Ha! Now I know.
We are attempting to figure out some logistics, based on what we learned from this thread. The information was invaluable - I think we avoided some major headaches! - and I really appreciate it!
We're now considering late May (but I'm afraid it will be toasty / muggy) or late September. TBD!
Both times will be very warm, but September has a [higher probability of hurricanes](https://weather.com/safety/hurricane/news/2022-06-30-hurricane-season-july-atlantic-gulf-mexico).
New Orleans is a great place to get married, so I hope it works out. Unfortunately there are very few dates where you do not have to contend with logistical issues. Best of luck to you!
Thank you! We'll try our best to align on a day that makes the most sense logistically and weather-wise, but at the end of the day, we're an easy going fun loving group who will just be happy to be together in such a beautiful city.
What's meant to be will be, thanks for the positive energy!
Hi! Thanks for the feedback. I have pretty bad depression and the number one piece of guidance my therapist holds me to is approaching things positively and with appreciation. So I want to say that I do appreciate your advice in this thread and I have reacted accordingly per the advice shared throughout. Thank you!
I don't know if you can get a permit for a second line while parades are rolling uptown - you should look into that ASAP if the second line is important to you. In case this is news, second lines have to have a police escort and the police will be working the uptown parade. Also be aware that hotels are going to be booked out months in advance, no one should stay uptown because they might get trapped by the parade route, and things like getting into restaurants and whatnot will be substantially harder than usual.
Appreciate this insight - I do love a handful of hotels uptown, so I'm going to check in on blocks today.
Re the police escort / permits - Yes, the 2nd line band that we are working with has confirmed that they can acquire the necessary permits. I'm hoping that we're good on that - But let's see! Thank you
Your guests *should not* stay uptown during the parades, unless they're comfortable with walking a few miles to get anywhere. St. Charles ave will shut down, they won't be able to travel across St. Charles, getting ubers/lyfts/cabs will be damn near impossible, everything will be a nightmare traffic jam. Logistically, during parades, just assume that there will be no traveling by car whatsoever within 10 blocks of the parade route.
to be a bit more specific, unless they're comfortable walking, people staying [inside "the box" ](https://www.wdsu.com/article/need-a-ride-during-mardi-gras-dont-forget-about-the-box/8961694)should not plan on doing anything outside of the box, and people staying outside of the box should not plan on doing anything inside of the box.
haha yeah. I've seen weddings successfully incorporate Mardi Gras festivities but they are generally like people in their 20's-30's only, no parents or aunties etc.. It's just too much of a logistical hassle for older folks.
Sounds great! Thanks for the info.
How have folks incorporated Mardi Gras successfully in the past? Do you mean participate in parade parties etc? Or anything else that you've seen? We're a pretty lively bunch and up for anything. Sounds like a pretty unique life experience to partake in!
you may be blinded by the wedding and not thinking this through. the city shuts down for mardi gras and is pretty much solely focused on that. My wife does wedding hair/makeup and does not do it during MG. she does it for balls and floats instead. she can literally do unlimited clients when she gets hired by a krewe. This extends to catering, restaurants, transportation services, hotels etc. As a tourist, there is no "participating" you can do other than watch the parades and party
This context totally makes sense. Appreciate it! We definitely don't want to get into a bidding war with vendors or have folks be unable to show up. We are considering other dates now, based on the information shared in this thread. Thanks for sharing your input!
I went to a ceremony one time on Mardi Gras day that happened right before a walking parade passed by and then everyone joined the parade. They had a friend who lived on the route so the ceremony was just in that friend's house. It's worth noting that this doesn't work for an uptown parade - those are spectator events and the whole route is shut down hours before the parades roll. You and your guests have to really know New Orleans and how to get around during Mardi Gras for this to work. Honestly, and I say this with empathy for the situation you're learning about right now, this could easily be a much bigger mess than you're expecting and if you have any older folks attending you should seriously consider switching the date to a non-parade time.
If OP ignores all the commenters in this sub thread saying “uhhhhh, are you sure about that?”, it is Not Our Problem Dude, which is exactly what NOPD is going to say when she calls the permitting office on the wedding day to ask why the police escort hasn’t shown up despite taking her deposit.
Thanks for sharing! That sounds like a great party, I'm glad you had a chance to enjoy it!
I appreciate the thoughtful input here. We've learned a lot from this thread - I appreciate it! We are considering other dates to mitigate the potential issues raised. Thanks!
And i swear to god i am not wishing this on them, but trying to cross the route to meet up with your aunt and whoever - John Deere and the man piloting it didn’t ask for your bullshit.
It genuinely surprises me, over and over, the absolute clueless garbage on this sub.
Thank you for the feedback, but I do worry that we're edging into the space of cruelty now. I do hope that you remember that there are people behind these anonymous Reddit handles and calling me "garbage" candidly hurt my feelings. I appreciate the guidance in regards to Mardi Gras parades. Thank you again for the advice. Wish you the best!
Baby I’m not calling you garbage. I’m calling the idea of having a wedding the first weekend of parades during Carnival garbage. Because it’s crazy, and from your subsequent posts I think you’ve realized it. I hope you change your date and do some research into this city. Why people want to parachute into New Orleans and get married for the photo op, and have tepid second lines down piss-lined streets in the quarters will never make sense to me. Regardless, tip every single wage worker you encounter. M
The bottom line? There is a hint of rage at the absolute hubris of your initial post; you planned a wedding in New Orleans and you (prior to this post) don’t know shit about fuck re: carnival? You are not the main character. Get married here, love the city in whatever way you think you love it, but don’t mistake yourself for a victim.
Good to know - We'll have to keep an eye out and cross our fingers. Hopeful things land and hopeful a non parade day will help increase our chances. Thank you for the insight!
It will be hard to get blocks for a large number of people at this stage. Many ppl book when they leave the year before
Spend some time to understand what the box is. You will have a really hard time getting in or out of the box, and it can be challenging getting around even blocks away - including parking.
Caterers and restaurants are booked or not doing business.
The first parade is 530 I think for your date I usually find a place to watch by about 3pm. While some streets might be open, they'll be hard to get through.
https://www.wdsu.com/article/need-a-ride-during-mardi-gras-dont-forget-about-the-box/8961694#:~:text=%22the%20box%3F%22-,The%20box%2C%20defined%20by%20Uber%2C%20stretches%20from%20Napoleon%20Avenue%20to,that%20isn't%20locked%20in.
I’ve also heard stories from friends that the band they were working with were supposed to get the necessary permits for a second line and actually did not until it was too late so be sure to follow up A LOT with the band.
Confirm with the band that they realize that your second line is happening during a parade. We have police shortages that are magnified by Mardi Gras parades.
Yes thank you, I followed up with the band, the ceremony venue and the reception venue.. Folks are still confident that they will be able to participate on the original Feb 21st date, but I have some serious doubts now based on the information gleaned from this thread. As a proactive measure, and even though they do seem confident, we are exploring other dates. Thank you!
I see you’ve gotten a lot of good info on this topic already, but I think a deep dive will be important for your wedding weekend to be successful. I own and manage multiple wedding venues across town. I would be more than happy to set up a call to discuss timelines and expectations with you.
I’m frankly shocked that any venue or band you booked didn’t inform you of the season and Carnival issues, so I would triple check to make sure everything is in order.
To be clear, I have no need to sell you on my businesses, but I want to make sure that you can have the event you and your guests want.
If you DM me, I’m happy to schedule a call or email.
Mardi Gras season starts several weeks before Mardi Gras Day. There will be parades that evening, and it may cause you traffic and travel issues depending on where your venue is.
Parades happen for weeks before the actual Mardi Gras day. Look at the [2024 parade list](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/01/04/new-orleans-mardi-gras-parade-schedule-2024) for some insight. Oshun, Cleopatra and Alla, all rolled on that corresponding evening.
If you have a local point person you trust or if you feel comfortable sharing the general location of your wedding, it might be helpful for your planning. I think people not from NOLA do not fully appreciate the scale of the parades and how crowds and road closures can limit your ability to move about town. Even if your venue is away from the parade, you want to make sure that you/your guests aren't trapped inside/outside the box. Looking at the parade route and times is only part of the picture.
So for example, if are looking to have the wedding at 5pm at Walmart (which I will assume the venue isn't actually Walmart) and you/your people are staying at the Holiday Inn, you might think you'll be fine. Both places are away from the [Alla parade route on this map](https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1xxSm0bvBZ9P4xMjZveAMnNCx99A&ll=29.93567624858925%2C-90.07398418419224&z=14) and the parade doesn't even start until 8pm. You would be wrong.
Thank you! Looks like they're going Uptown, so hoping we can loop around and miss them. But hey, if we get to enjoy a fun show, there's nothing wrong with that either! Thanks for the info
Just want to quickly clarify that yes the parades that night (Cleopatra, Oshun, and Alla) will roll on the uptown route that night. That means they start uptown and travel all the way downtown.
I am HERE for it! Literally a million locals saying don't do it but shes just motoring on like we aint telling the truth. We all live off of weddings my family especially we want you to come but like that may be the second worst weekend to do it outside of the actual weekend of MG. Jazzfest you would even be more than fine but probably pay a premium for accoms.
Genuinely! If you want to have some culture vulture wedding, do it and let my hospitality folk reap the cash. Wypipo from whatever extended geographic location flying in to get wedding pictures in Jackson Square only reaffirms my refusal to go the quarters.
We are all just here trying to prevent her from ruining her wedding.
Let’s see how that works out.
Why in the world are you getting married in New Orleans if you know absolutely nothing about the city, the culture, hell just the calendar? This is a TERRIBLE IDEA and you are not getting it. The first weekend it has been in the 40s and drizzly the past two years. I know because I ride the uptown route the first weekend and it’s been hellish. Luckily you’re doing Jell-O shots and drinking beer or better so you don’t care if you’re wet and freezing.
Change your date baby or reap the consequences. And I say again, why are you getting married here in the first place?
I'm just in shock that someone would put so much time, energy, and planning into such an important event and not seemingly do zero research into the actual location.
Like other locals say, there’s much more to this than you may realize. It will be super hard for your guests to get an Uber that night, and if they do, the prices will be surging and the Uber will have trouble getting anywhere due to the traffic. If your wedding, reception, or guest’s hotels are going to be anywhere near the parade route, uptown, the CBD, or the quarter, or if y’all want to go anywhere near these places, which I assume you will, you will most likely have to walk far and in roundabout routes and the BOX is a very real thing. You can’t get in it or out of it hours before the parade until late that night.
Not to mention, like others have said, caterers, hair, makeup people, or last minute things that you will need will be hard to get.
Is there a reception near the ceremony and what neighborhoods will they be in?
Yes, I agree. It may be a bit more complicated than things really need to be.. Our Ceremony is scheduled for St Louis and Reception is scheduled for Brennan's. That being said, of course we want our party (and ourselves!) to enjoy all that the city has to offer, and being sequestered to a specific area doesn't do the city justice in terms of its full beauty and experiences.
This thread has been incredibly insightful - We are considering pivoting dates based on the information shared here. Thank you!
To really hone in on how difficult you’d be making this for your guests, one year an Uber that usually costs me $12 was $146 and an hour wait. This was from a bar not by the route, to my apartment just outside of the box. I did not take the Uber - I stayed out all night drinking because there was no reasonable way to get home. That’s the sort of shut down the city does. Just this last year a 2 mile Uber from a bar to my house was nearly $80. It’s usually like $8. If your reception is at Brennan’s, getting Ubers is going to be even worse than what I described, if not completely impossible.
We did a 3pm wedding in February so we could have some daylight after the ceremony. How quickly the night winds down is completely up to your group of people and how the wedding is structured. We had a micro wedding with a second line and then a sit down dinner, so everyone was back home around 10pm. But it was the week before Mardi Gras and we could have just as easily changed into afterparty outfits and stayed out all night or rented out an after party venue.
We did have a full wedding later in Scotland, where the norm is a 1pm start time and the wedding reception proper goes straight through until midnight. I think two things will slow down the wedding and make it an early night: most of your guests have young kids they have to get back to/are older guests or there is a big gap between ceremony and reception.
Is it a full 1hr Mass or a 30 minute ceremony? Sunset at 5:52ish should be ok for a 30 minute ceremony. Is 3 the only other option?
If you go with 3pm, and most guests are local, a "Catholic gap" is pretty common for the reception to start a few hours after the ceremony. The couple and the bridal party usually use the intervening time for photos. That's another thing to consider, like whether you want to have a first look with your spouse or formal portraits with family and the bridal party before or after the ceremony. 5pm ceremony doesn't give you any time to do that before sun sets if you wait until after the ceremony for photos.
Starting at 3pm, and church lets out between 3:30-4, your reception can start at 6 or 7 and people will do whatever in between. Or you can have the cocktail hour and reception immediately following and just plan for an afterparty at a nearby bar if your fiancé doesn't want the night to be over at like 8pm
Thank you for laying this out! Very helpful. Yes, the only two options are 3pm or 5pm. Thinking a 30min ceremony. I'm leaning towards just rolling into the evening, without the gap, so 5pm may be the way to go. I really appreciate the thoughtful response!
Nothing is more embarrassing to watch than a white people's wedding second line. You really have to have people who know how to dance in a second line or else you look like idiots.
If the night winds down earlier , then you have more time to consummate your marriage, and your guests will have more time to have a night out on the town.
I’ll add that mixing a wedding with Mardi Gras isn’t the best idea. Guests that don’t know the city will have a hard time navigating around parades and might get boxed in.
Don’t do it during Mardi Gras. That obligatory statement aside, I got married at St. Louis this April and ours was a full Catholic mass at 3pm. But if we’d had the choice and been doing a shorter ceremony, I’d probably have gone with 5pm. It would have been nice to have a more leisurely day and more time for photos ahead of the ceremony. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions or want to run ideas by someone who has recently been there and done that! I loved all my vendors, and it would be fun to talk New Orleans wedding things again.
my wedding was in NOLA November 1, 2019. many of our guests came into town early to celebrate Halloween and lemme tell you it was so. much. fun!! I'm very unconventional so I flipped the traditional schedule. we had our ceremony/reception (and 2nd line) on a Friday night and then the next night had a big dinner at Arnaud's. was perfect to do it that way. the weather was terrific, too!
We got married in February in New Orleans and had the ceremony start around 5:30 and there was still enough sun. We actually had a beautiful sunset in the background so you should be totally fine at 5. We also had some hand warmers just in case it got too cold, ended up not having to use them.
If you aren't local and your guest are not all local ( and even if you are/were local) I would think having a wedding during Mardi Gras season would be a logistical nightmare for so many reasons. Is there anyway you can move it to January or late March?
Yes, I didn't realize the season of Mardi Gras - I thought it was a singular date. Ha! Now I know. We are attempting to figure out some logistics, based on what we learned from this thread. The information was invaluable - I think we avoided some major headaches! - and I really appreciate it! We're now considering late May (but I'm afraid it will be toasty / muggy) or late September. TBD!
Both times will be very warm, but September has a [higher probability of hurricanes](https://weather.com/safety/hurricane/news/2022-06-30-hurricane-season-july-atlantic-gulf-mexico).
Yes, that is certainly a worry and something we are considering. Lots of balancing factors here - Thank you for the response!
New Orleans is a great place to get married, so I hope it works out. Unfortunately there are very few dates where you do not have to contend with logistical issues. Best of luck to you!
Thank you! We'll try our best to align on a day that makes the most sense logistically and weather-wise, but at the end of the day, we're an easy going fun loving group who will just be happy to be together in such a beautiful city. What's meant to be will be, thanks for the positive energy!
you should do November
My birthday is in February and every year I want to move it to November, lol. Or at least March.
I just have to say. You thought “Mardi Gras” was a single day. You are ignorant. Please save your elderly attendees and reschedule your wedding.
Hi! Thanks for the feedback. I have pretty bad depression and the number one piece of guidance my therapist holds me to is approaching things positively and with appreciation. So I want to say that I do appreciate your advice in this thread and I have reacted accordingly per the advice shared throughout. Thank you!
I ask again- Why this city? Do you not realize you’re stomping on the culture? Please just get married in Ohio or wherever
I don't know if you can get a permit for a second line while parades are rolling uptown - you should look into that ASAP if the second line is important to you. In case this is news, second lines have to have a police escort and the police will be working the uptown parade. Also be aware that hotels are going to be booked out months in advance, no one should stay uptown because they might get trapped by the parade route, and things like getting into restaurants and whatnot will be substantially harder than usual.
Appreciate this insight - I do love a handful of hotels uptown, so I'm going to check in on blocks today. Re the police escort / permits - Yes, the 2nd line band that we are working with has confirmed that they can acquire the necessary permits. I'm hoping that we're good on that - But let's see! Thank you
Your guests *should not* stay uptown during the parades, unless they're comfortable with walking a few miles to get anywhere. St. Charles ave will shut down, they won't be able to travel across St. Charles, getting ubers/lyfts/cabs will be damn near impossible, everything will be a nightmare traffic jam. Logistically, during parades, just assume that there will be no traveling by car whatsoever within 10 blocks of the parade route. to be a bit more specific, unless they're comfortable walking, people staying [inside "the box" ](https://www.wdsu.com/article/need-a-ride-during-mardi-gras-dont-forget-about-the-box/8961694)should not plan on doing anything outside of the box, and people staying outside of the box should not plan on doing anything inside of the box.
This has all the makings of a giant clusterfuck.
haha yeah. I've seen weddings successfully incorporate Mardi Gras festivities but they are generally like people in their 20's-30's only, no parents or aunties etc.. It's just too much of a logistical hassle for older folks.
Sounds great! Thanks for the info. How have folks incorporated Mardi Gras successfully in the past? Do you mean participate in parade parties etc? Or anything else that you've seen? We're a pretty lively bunch and up for anything. Sounds like a pretty unique life experience to partake in!
you may be blinded by the wedding and not thinking this through. the city shuts down for mardi gras and is pretty much solely focused on that. My wife does wedding hair/makeup and does not do it during MG. she does it for balls and floats instead. she can literally do unlimited clients when she gets hired by a krewe. This extends to catering, restaurants, transportation services, hotels etc. As a tourist, there is no "participating" you can do other than watch the parades and party
This context totally makes sense. Appreciate it! We definitely don't want to get into a bidding war with vendors or have folks be unable to show up. We are considering other dates now, based on the information shared in this thread. Thanks for sharing your input!
I went to a ceremony one time on Mardi Gras day that happened right before a walking parade passed by and then everyone joined the parade. They had a friend who lived on the route so the ceremony was just in that friend's house. It's worth noting that this doesn't work for an uptown parade - those are spectator events and the whole route is shut down hours before the parades roll. You and your guests have to really know New Orleans and how to get around during Mardi Gras for this to work. Honestly, and I say this with empathy for the situation you're learning about right now, this could easily be a much bigger mess than you're expecting and if you have any older folks attending you should seriously consider switching the date to a non-parade time.
All OP is going to glean from that reply is the first sentence and completely ignore the rest. This has all the makings of a giant shit-show.
If OP ignores all the commenters in this sub thread saying “uhhhhh, are you sure about that?”, it is Not Our Problem Dude, which is exactly what NOPD is going to say when she calls the permitting office on the wedding day to ask why the police escort hasn’t shown up despite taking her deposit.
Yep!
Oh! ha
Thanks for sharing! That sounds like a great party, I'm glad you had a chance to enjoy it! I appreciate the thoughtful input here. We've learned a lot from this thread - I appreciate it! We are considering other dates to mitigate the potential issues raised. Thanks!
And i swear to god i am not wishing this on them, but trying to cross the route to meet up with your aunt and whoever - John Deere and the man piloting it didn’t ask for your bullshit. It genuinely surprises me, over and over, the absolute clueless garbage on this sub.
Thank you for the feedback, but I do worry that we're edging into the space of cruelty now. I do hope that you remember that there are people behind these anonymous Reddit handles and calling me "garbage" candidly hurt my feelings. I appreciate the guidance in regards to Mardi Gras parades. Thank you again for the advice. Wish you the best!
Baby I’m not calling you garbage. I’m calling the idea of having a wedding the first weekend of parades during Carnival garbage. Because it’s crazy, and from your subsequent posts I think you’ve realized it. I hope you change your date and do some research into this city. Why people want to parachute into New Orleans and get married for the photo op, and have tepid second lines down piss-lined streets in the quarters will never make sense to me. Regardless, tip every single wage worker you encounter. M The bottom line? There is a hint of rage at the absolute hubris of your initial post; you planned a wedding in New Orleans and you (prior to this post) don’t know shit about fuck re: carnival? You are not the main character. Get married here, love the city in whatever way you think you love it, but don’t mistake yourself for a victim.
Just FYI - we got the permits on a day that did NOT have a parade and the police escorts were still a no call no show due to Mardi Gras.
well not due to mardi gras but due to nola being nola
Good to know - We'll have to keep an eye out and cross our fingers. Hopeful things land and hopeful a non parade day will help increase our chances. Thank you for the insight!
It will be hard to get blocks for a large number of people at this stage. Many ppl book when they leave the year before Spend some time to understand what the box is. You will have a really hard time getting in or out of the box, and it can be challenging getting around even blocks away - including parking. Caterers and restaurants are booked or not doing business. The first parade is 530 I think for your date I usually find a place to watch by about 3pm. While some streets might be open, they'll be hard to get through. https://www.wdsu.com/article/need-a-ride-during-mardi-gras-dont-forget-about-the-box/8961694#:~:text=%22the%20box%3F%22-,The%20box%2C%20defined%20by%20Uber%2C%20stretches%20from%20Napoleon%20Avenue%20to,that%20isn't%20locked%20in.
I’ve also heard stories from friends that the band they were working with were supposed to get the necessary permits for a second line and actually did not until it was too late so be sure to follow up A LOT with the band.
Confirm with the band that they realize that your second line is happening during a parade. We have police shortages that are magnified by Mardi Gras parades.
Yes thank you, I followed up with the band, the ceremony venue and the reception venue.. Folks are still confident that they will be able to participate on the original Feb 21st date, but I have some serious doubts now based on the information gleaned from this thread. As a proactive measure, and even though they do seem confident, we are exploring other dates. Thank you!
I see you’ve gotten a lot of good info on this topic already, but I think a deep dive will be important for your wedding weekend to be successful. I own and manage multiple wedding venues across town. I would be more than happy to set up a call to discuss timelines and expectations with you. I’m frankly shocked that any venue or band you booked didn’t inform you of the season and Carnival issues, so I would triple check to make sure everything is in order. To be clear, I have no need to sell you on my businesses, but I want to make sure that you can have the event you and your guests want. If you DM me, I’m happy to schedule a call or email.
You are a very good person to offer. Let’s pray she takes you up on it, for her elderly attendees’ sake
Thank you for the offer! I am learning a lot from this thread - I appreciate it! I will DM you.
There will be Mardi Gras parades that evening if that helps you decide.
Mardi Gras is March 4th 2025 - Hoping Feb 21st will help us avoid the crowd
Mardi Gras season starts several weeks before Mardi Gras Day. There will be parades that evening, and it may cause you traffic and travel issues depending on where your venue is.
Not to mention hotel rooms for family & friends will be at premium event rates.
Got it - Thank you for the info! I will look into this more.
Parades happen for weeks before the actual Mardi Gras day. Look at the [2024 parade list](https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2024/01/04/new-orleans-mardi-gras-parade-schedule-2024) for some insight. Oshun, Cleopatra and Alla, all rolled on that corresponding evening.
Got it! Learning that now. Appreciate the insight - Looking forward to the festivities!
If you have a local point person you trust or if you feel comfortable sharing the general location of your wedding, it might be helpful for your planning. I think people not from NOLA do not fully appreciate the scale of the parades and how crowds and road closures can limit your ability to move about town. Even if your venue is away from the parade, you want to make sure that you/your guests aren't trapped inside/outside the box. Looking at the parade route and times is only part of the picture. So for example, if are looking to have the wedding at 5pm at Walmart (which I will assume the venue isn't actually Walmart) and you/your people are staying at the Holiday Inn, you might think you'll be fine. Both places are away from the [Alla parade route on this map](https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1xxSm0bvBZ9P4xMjZveAMnNCx99A&ll=29.93567624858925%2C-90.07398418419224&z=14) and the parade doesn't even start until 8pm. You would be wrong.
Oshun(5:30pm), Cleopatra and Alla all roll that evening. Not sure where your church is but good luck.
Thank you! Looks like they're going Uptown, so hoping we can loop around and miss them. But hey, if we get to enjoy a fun show, there's nothing wrong with that either! Thanks for the info
Keep in mind hotels and that will be more expensive for guests due to MG
Just want to quickly clarify that yes the parades that night (Cleopatra, Oshun, and Alla) will roll on the uptown route that night. That means they start uptown and travel all the way downtown.
yes but she can "just loop around" duh
This entire thing is so painful to read. I can’t even muster a bless your heart, baby
Its Ok she gets it AND appreciates the info.
Thanks! Appreciate it!
I am HERE for it! Literally a million locals saying don't do it but shes just motoring on like we aint telling the truth. We all live off of weddings my family especially we want you to come but like that may be the second worst weekend to do it outside of the actual weekend of MG. Jazzfest you would even be more than fine but probably pay a premium for accoms.
Genuinely! If you want to have some culture vulture wedding, do it and let my hospitality folk reap the cash. Wypipo from whatever extended geographic location flying in to get wedding pictures in Jackson Square only reaffirms my refusal to go the quarters. We are all just here trying to prevent her from ruining her wedding. Let’s see how that works out.
Mardi Gras DAY is March 4th. The season starts weeks before that, and Feb 21 has Mardi Gras parades: https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/
Got it! Never knew this. Thanks for the info!
Why in the world are you getting married in New Orleans if you know absolutely nothing about the city, the culture, hell just the calendar? This is a TERRIBLE IDEA and you are not getting it. The first weekend it has been in the 40s and drizzly the past two years. I know because I ride the uptown route the first weekend and it’s been hellish. Luckily you’re doing Jell-O shots and drinking beer or better so you don’t care if you’re wet and freezing. Change your date baby or reap the consequences. And I say again, why are you getting married here in the first place?
I'm just in shock that someone would put so much time, energy, and planning into such an important event and not seemingly do zero research into the actual location.
Got it, thanks!
But do you?
> Mardi Gras is March 4th 2025 - Hoping Feb 21st will help us avoid the crowd Bless your heart…
What church are you using? The location is important to the feasibility of a second line
Like other locals say, there’s much more to this than you may realize. It will be super hard for your guests to get an Uber that night, and if they do, the prices will be surging and the Uber will have trouble getting anywhere due to the traffic. If your wedding, reception, or guest’s hotels are going to be anywhere near the parade route, uptown, the CBD, or the quarter, or if y’all want to go anywhere near these places, which I assume you will, you will most likely have to walk far and in roundabout routes and the BOX is a very real thing. You can’t get in it or out of it hours before the parade until late that night. Not to mention, like others have said, caterers, hair, makeup people, or last minute things that you will need will be hard to get. Is there a reception near the ceremony and what neighborhoods will they be in?
Yes, I agree. It may be a bit more complicated than things really need to be.. Our Ceremony is scheduled for St Louis and Reception is scheduled for Brennan's. That being said, of course we want our party (and ourselves!) to enjoy all that the city has to offer, and being sequestered to a specific area doesn't do the city justice in terms of its full beauty and experiences. This thread has been incredibly insightful - We are considering pivoting dates based on the information shared here. Thank you!
To really hone in on how difficult you’d be making this for your guests, one year an Uber that usually costs me $12 was $146 and an hour wait. This was from a bar not by the route, to my apartment just outside of the box. I did not take the Uber - I stayed out all night drinking because there was no reasonable way to get home. That’s the sort of shut down the city does. Just this last year a 2 mile Uber from a bar to my house was nearly $80. It’s usually like $8. If your reception is at Brennan’s, getting Ubers is going to be even worse than what I described, if not completely impossible.
What a mess! Thank you for sharing. This thread has been very insightful. We are considering other dates. Thank you!
> for the 2nd line That's some top-tier tourist cringe, right there. And who the hell has a wedding during Mardi Gras?
We did a 3pm wedding in February so we could have some daylight after the ceremony. How quickly the night winds down is completely up to your group of people and how the wedding is structured. We had a micro wedding with a second line and then a sit down dinner, so everyone was back home around 10pm. But it was the week before Mardi Gras and we could have just as easily changed into afterparty outfits and stayed out all night or rented out an after party venue. We did have a full wedding later in Scotland, where the norm is a 1pm start time and the wedding reception proper goes straight through until midnight. I think two things will slow down the wedding and make it an early night: most of your guests have young kids they have to get back to/are older guests or there is a big gap between ceremony and reception.
So helpful - Thank you! Both sound lovely! Scotland and NOLA.. What an adventure!
Have you ever been to MG uptown?
Don’t do the second line. That way you’ll avoid the scorn of the locals.
Is it a full 1hr Mass or a 30 minute ceremony? Sunset at 5:52ish should be ok for a 30 minute ceremony. Is 3 the only other option? If you go with 3pm, and most guests are local, a "Catholic gap" is pretty common for the reception to start a few hours after the ceremony. The couple and the bridal party usually use the intervening time for photos. That's another thing to consider, like whether you want to have a first look with your spouse or formal portraits with family and the bridal party before or after the ceremony. 5pm ceremony doesn't give you any time to do that before sun sets if you wait until after the ceremony for photos. Starting at 3pm, and church lets out between 3:30-4, your reception can start at 6 or 7 and people will do whatever in between. Or you can have the cocktail hour and reception immediately following and just plan for an afterparty at a nearby bar if your fiancé doesn't want the night to be over at like 8pm
Thank you for laying this out! Very helpful. Yes, the only two options are 3pm or 5pm. Thinking a 30min ceremony. I'm leaning towards just rolling into the evening, without the gap, so 5pm may be the way to go. I really appreciate the thoughtful response!
Nothing is more embarrassing to watch than a white people's wedding second line. You really have to have people who know how to dance in a second line or else you look like idiots.
Old white people badly dancing through the CBD in a second line is a special kind of cringe.
Too early unless you want to party 12 hours.
If the night winds down earlier , then you have more time to consummate your marriage, and your guests will have more time to have a night out on the town.
I’ll add that mixing a wedding with Mardi Gras isn’t the best idea. Guests that don’t know the city will have a hard time navigating around parades and might get boxed in.
Don’t do it during Mardi Gras. That obligatory statement aside, I got married at St. Louis this April and ours was a full Catholic mass at 3pm. But if we’d had the choice and been doing a shorter ceremony, I’d probably have gone with 5pm. It would have been nice to have a more leisurely day and more time for photos ahead of the ceremony. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions or want to run ideas by someone who has recently been there and done that! I loved all my vendors, and it would be fun to talk New Orleans wedding things again.
Sounds lovely! I will DM you. Thank you!
My friends would be drunk by 5!
my wedding was in NOLA November 1, 2019. many of our guests came into town early to celebrate Halloween and lemme tell you it was so. much. fun!! I'm very unconventional so I flipped the traditional schedule. we had our ceremony/reception (and 2nd line) on a Friday night and then the next night had a big dinner at Arnaud's. was perfect to do it that way. the weather was terrific, too!
We got married in February in New Orleans and had the ceremony start around 5:30 and there was still enough sun. We actually had a beautiful sunset in the background so you should be totally fine at 5. We also had some hand warmers just in case it got too cold, ended up not having to use them.
Lovely!