Daunted by the race to book a church and a reception hall? That guest list climbing into the hundreds got you stressed?
If you’re even contemplating inviting that ex you’re still friends with, then you’re doing it wrong.
Here’s the deal: You can party with friends, coworkers and extended family at any time and place. Your wedding is your day. Make it intimate. Don’t blow it out; focus in. Make your wedding about your marriage, not about the florist or the caterer or asking Dad to shell out for a giant block of hotel rooms for distant relatives you haven’t seen since you were six.
Fashion designer Andi Eaton and hair stylist Micah Nickens, two of our People to Watch in 2013, kept things intimate and spontaneous in April when they tied the knot in a simple ceremony at the State Capitol. They were married 450 feet up, actually, at the top of the historic building. A security guard directed Eaton and Nickens to the least windy side of the State Capitol’s top observation deck, and the style industry professionals took their vows in front of a crowd of two: their best friends, Luca DiMartino and Matthew Arthur. Danny Watts, a friend and client of Nickens’, officiated. The entire endeavor took 10 minutes.
“We all giggled with happiness through the whole thing,” Eaton says. “It was so perfect being together, just us without any pressure.”
After the ceremony, the couple, their two friends and their dog, Tavi, celebrated with a champagne toast on the Capitol grounds. Friend and photographer Tate Tullier captured the moment. After, the new Nickens family picnicked together in Armory Park then joined Micah’s relatives for a celebratory crawfish boil.
“We asked that our friends dress for ‘country living,'” Eaton says. “We all enjoyed the evening dancing, tire-swinging, tractor-riding and just loving life.”
A few years ago, local actress Jency Hogan married her photographer husband Aaron in a similarly small outdoor ceremony on a friend’s property. The guest list was minimal. The mood was earthy. The dress was all white. Months later, they held a large reception for friends at Baton Rouge Gallery to celebrate.
“We wanted to have a carefree wedding that was easy to manage and was family-oriented,” Hogan recalls. “The after-party was so fun and relatively stress-free because we were already married. It was just a big party!”
For outdoors enthusiasts
The Mississippi River levee at sunset is a no-brainer. Weather permitting, it will be a gorgeous, colorful backdrop for photos. Plus, after the ceremony, the happy couple can bicycle away!
For Tiger fans
What better way to show your Tiger pride than by tying the knot where lots of tailgating and Tiger-cheering memories were made? The LSU Parade Grounds is a treasure of green space and ancient oaks that provides lots of great photo ops, too.
For history buffs
Repentance Park is both scenic and conveniently located, next to the Old State Capitol and several other historic downtown buildings. It’s also near the Shaw Center fountains, if you want to get drenched after getting hitched.
For artists
Lovers of the creative arts can surround themselves with colorful murals for a funky wedding ceremony at the Baton Rouge Museum of Public Art in Old South Baton Rouge. Access requires permission, though. museumofpublicart.org
