Few things are as magical as a Music Box Village wedding. It’s definitely the only New Orleans wedding venue that encourages you to play with “musical architecture”! It was an ideal location for Leah and Jen’s wedding, which celebrated art and love.
The Music Box Village
Walking into the Music Box Village is like stepping into a dream. The closest thing I can liken it to is a musical playground for adults. The property is filled with multi-story structures for exploring. What makes it the Music Box Village is that each little building is full of devices that you bang, turn, or talk into to make all kinds of sounds. The effects from the enchanting to the comical.
Given these features, you can imagine why families like to attend weekend art markets at the Music Box Village. It really is just as magical for wedding guests as it is for kids! At night, a Music Box Village wedding transforms with candles and glittering lights.
Originally, the Music Box Village started as a smaller-scale interactive art installation in New Orleans’ City Park. The artist-run nonprofit organization that created the Music Box Village, New Orleans Airlift, found a permanent location in the Bywater in 2016. Since then, it has grown into a sprawling collection of musical structures. Musicians even hold interactive concerts there.
The Music Box Village is tucked away in the Bywater neighborhood, a more residential part of New Orleans than the busy French Quarter. The Bywater sits along the Mississippi River. It’s full of colorful shotgun-style houses and bars beloved by locals.
Because the Music Box Village is in the Bywater, it’s close to the levee. I love taking sunset portraits on the levee! I was able to steal Jen and Leah away from their cocktail hour for some romantic portraits as the sky turned gold then violet.
Unique Wedding Details
A Music Box Village wedding is sure to be memorable, but Jen and Leah took theirs to the next level with an awesome team of vendors. The reception was full of good food and danceable music.
Some of the vendors and many of the details were queer too. New Orleans artist Kiernan Dunn, for example, screen printed the stunning invitation suite. Jen’s Bindle and Keep suit and Taft boots are mainstays of queer fashion.
Another unforgettable aspect of this Music Box Village wedding was the florals. Pistil and Stamen, florists who always deliver a touch of the unexpected, created incredible ceremony installations. The peachy zinnias almost seemed like part of the structure. My favorite part, though, was that they included mushrooms in the centerpieces. The Alice in Wonderland moment charmed everyone.
Jen and Leah’s Music Box Village Wedding
Jen and Leah’s magical Music Box Village wedding was a long time in the making. The couple started dating in 2010. Originally they had planned to get married on their tenth anniversary. Then the pandemic hit, so they got married on their eleventh anniversary instead!
Even if it happened a year later, a Music Box Village wedding was perfect for Jen and Leah. They got to assemble the vendor team that best fit their vision for giving their guests a one-of-a-kind experience. They could center queer artists and vendors. Best of all, the Music Box Village is in their neighborhood. At the end of the night, they could hop on their scooter and head home.
Want to see more like this Music Box Village wedding? Check out this wedding at Capulet!
Thanks to the vendors who made Jen and Leah’s wedding possible:
Planner: Samantha Capone, Three Little Words
Catering: Fleur De Lis
Band: Panorama Brass Band, The Essentials
Florals: Pistil and Stamen
Makeup: Lissy Trinh
Jen’s Outfit: suit by Bindle and Keep, shoes from Taft, ring from Alagia via Etsy
Leah’s Outfit: dress from her mother, veil from Ruffled Rose Veils via Etsy, ring from Symmetry Jewelry and Designs
