Do you love cocktails? Fringe? Vintage decor in vibrant colors? Jackie and Derek’s speakeasy wedding at Bar Marilou brought a Roaring Twenties aesthetic to life for an unforgettable night. Their wedding embraced the theme with carefully curated details that added to Bar Marilou’s magic. Their candid wedding photos document a day full of smiles and luxurious touches.
Bar Marilou: A New Orleans Speakeasy
Bar Marilou is a French-inspired bar in New Orleans’ Central Business District. The lavish interior design makes you feel like you’re being transported to 1920s Europe. Red walls glow around a room filled with wing-backed chairs upholstered in funky colors. Even though the space feels so novel, it’s also intimate and inviting.
All these intentional details make Bar Marilou ideal for a speakeasy wedding. On a typical Saturday night, you’ll find friends sipping craft cocktails at the beautiful bar. One of the most memorable details of the venue is the door hidden behind a bookcase. It’s like something out of an old movie to walk through it into the gorgeous bar.
Bar Marilou is attached to boutique hotel Madison de la Luz. In fact, it’s only accessible by a guest-only entrance in the hotel. This adds to the speakeasy ambiance. The guest rooms are bright and beautifully furnished. It was a wonderful place to take candid photos of Jackie getting ready.
Candid Portraits and Curated Wedding Details
When I asked Jackie and Derek what their priorities for wedding photography were, they agreed that they wanted to document candid connections and their custom details. Since Jackie wanted to skip any posed photos, I took a more documentary approach. The bright natural light at Maison de la Luz enabled me to photograph Jackie getting ready with her friends. The sunlight makes her silky dress positively glow.
Jackie and Derek really thought through every detail of their day. Jackie even carried a handkerchief that her mother embroidered. She wrapped it around the big protea she carried in lieu of a bouquet. The contrast between the usual flower and the tender gift was unexpected and intimate at the same time.
Since Bar Marilou doesn’t typically serve as a wedding venue, it has fairly complete decor. It’s a whole mood from the bronze lighting fixtures to the boldly patterned carpet. Jackie found artistic ways to add to the decor seamlessly. If you didn’t see the bar ahead of time, you wouldn’t know Jackie’s additions weren’t part of the permanent decoration.
For their speakeasy wedding, Jackie and Derek put a unique spin on wedding cake. Jackie’s sister in law made homemade cornbread. They pre-sliced it and put it into black and white boxes. When the boxes were stacked in a checker pattern, they became another amazing part of the decor.
Both Jackie’s wedding dress and reception dress played on the speakeasy theme. Her first dress included fabric draped elegantly from her shoulders. Her birdcage veil added more vintage flair. Jackie went full flapper with her reception dress. Its short blue fringe moved joyfully on the dance floor.
Jackie and Derek’s Speakeasy Wedding
Jackie and Derek made sure their guests had an unforgettable night at their speakeasy wedding. For their short ceremony, which Jackie’s brother officiated, they hand picked songs that would make people smile, including the Spice Girls classic “Wannabe.” Jackie entered through the trick bookcase. The dramatic side light of Bar Marilou lit her like an old painting.
After the ceremony, Jackie and Derek headed to a small private room to sign their marriage certificate. This moment was so special. They shared a bottle of wine that they saved just for the occasion. Since neither of them loves a lot of attention, it meant a lot for them to have this quiet moment to bask in being newly married.
When I asked Jackie and Derek what they were excited about for their speakeasy wedding, they said, “Being quickly married then dancing for three solid hours.” They weren’t exaggerating! Jackie created the playlist herself and included all of their favorites. Everyone got on the dance floor or applied custom temporary tattoos while they sipped drinks. All of the details came together just right for a magical and memorable speakeasy wedding.
Would you like me to photograph your wedding? I’m excited to celebrate your love! Reach out to me today.
Jackie and Derek’s speakeasy wedding was planned by Samantha Capone at 3 Little Words Weddings.
