Caroline & Thomas’s Grand Hotel wedding was one for the books! They had the sweetest group of friends and family surrounding them in celebration as they tied the knot. We had the opportunity to work closely with both of their families, as we got to plan the rehearsal dinner and wedding day! From the rehearsal dinner at The Venue to the ceremony on the lawn of the Grand Hotel to the reception in the ballroom, every detail of their wedding weekend was so special. Y’all know we love paper design, and Caroline had some of our favorite paper choices of the year! She had a smile on her face all weekend long and it was so sweet and infectious. One of our favorite memories of their day was when one Thomas’s groomsmen dressed up and pretended he was Caroline during the first look. Thomas’s reaction was priceless! Check out some of our favorite pictures from their wedding weekend below. Cheers to the Brennan’s!
Rehearsal Dinner:
Wedding Day:
Tell us about your story.
Thomas and I both grew up in the same circle of friends, but somehow never met until a couple of years ago on a very special night at a bar in New Orleans called Fat Harry’s. As soon as I walked into the bar, I saw Thomas talking to my good friends, Brooks and Mallory, who also happen to be his cousins. I remember talking to Brooks saying, “Why have you never introduced me to him before?” So in an attempt to get Thomas’ attention, I shot a spit ball at his from across the bar. He claims that was the moment he knew I was the one- he even looked over at Brooks and said, “I’m going to marry that girl.” From that night on, Thomas and I have been on cloud nine!
He asked me to marry him in my favorite place in the whole world, at my grandfather’s fishing camp in Grand Isle, LA. I call it “my happy place.” He did such a good job and even invited all of our best friends down for the weekend to celebrate! He proposed on the dock at sunset. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend to kick off the wedding festivities!
What was your vision for the wedding?
My vision for the wedding was everyone together- smiling, dancing, and happy- which is exactly what we got! From the wedding reception to the Karaoke pool party, we never stopped dancing and I definitely never stopped smiling! Everything flowed so well thanks to the set up that Jenna recommended. The reception and rehearsal dinner were set up perfectly to accommodate all of our loved ones. At the rehearsal dinner, she put together a very, very, long and beautiful table to fit everyone in our wedding party. I loved looking to my left and right and seeing all of my favorite people at one dinner table!
At the reception, the dance floor was definitely my favorite- there was a white dance floor from SOHO which sat under a huge flower chandelier hung by Wildflowers and the lighting people (can’t think of their name). I was so excited about the flower chandeliers over the dance floor and they turned out even more beautiful than I ever imagined! It was the perfect, most beautiful spot for our first dance as husband and wife!
What was your favorite moment of the day?
My favorite moment of the day was when we did the “first look prank” on Thomas. We chose to do our first look on the beach and it was BEAUTIFUL. But, I decided to have a little fun with it. When Thomas turned around, expecting to see me, our friend Brooks was standing there in my mom’s wedding dress from the 80’s. The look on Thomas’ face was absolutely priceless.
If you could give advice to another bride in the process of planning her wedding what would it be?
My #1 advice would be to hire an incredibly organized and sophisticated wedding planner, such as Jenna Laine weddings! It was so nice having her and her assistant there to make sure everything went smoothly. As I’m sure many of you have probably heard, planning a wedding can become a stressful situation, especially when you’re trying to juggle a job, school, and other aspects of life. Jenna and her team made the whole process effortless and put my dream into a reality! They met us all the way in New Orleans with SOHO rentals and Wildflowers to help us design the wedding. The hair and makeup artists, Brushed and Blushed, also made a trip to New Orleans to do my hair and makeup trial- which was so fun! Everyone associated with Jenna Laine weddings went above and beyond to help me have the most beautiful wedding weekend. I am SO thankful for their help and I know I could not have done any of it without their (or my mom/mother-in-law’s) help along the way!
Design, Planning, Coordination & Invitations: Jenna Laine Wedding | Photographer & Videographer: Katie Childs | Rehearsal Dinner: The Venue | Reception Venue: The Grand Hotel | Florist: Wildflowers | Rentals: SOHO | Cake: Cakes by Judi | Hair and Makeup: Blushed and Brushed | Transportation: Gulf Coast Tours | Band: Phunky Monkey Music